Aurora Boveridge College sets Will on pathway to dream job

Then, William was experiencing extreme anxiety which presented as selective mutism. As a child, his inability to speak in certain situations had resulted in extended periods away from school, though he had managed to complete a year at an Alternative Provision academy in Poole before his arrival at Boveridge.

Today, the smiling, confident and chatty 22-year-old had just returned from visiting Harper & Keele Veterinary School having already received conditional offers to study veterinary science both there and at Bristol University.

“Becoming a vet would be my dream job." 

That he’s been able to arrive at this point in his life, with a range of exciting opportunities and career prospects at his fingertips, is testament not only to the transformative journey William went on at Boveridge but also to his determination and strength of character.

William’s desire to be a vet stems from his love of animals, having grown up with a variety of pets including cats, dogs, parrots and fish. And it was through animals, particularly those he encountered at Boveridge as part of his animal management course, that he was able to gradually grow in confidence and finally find his voice.

“When I first visited Boveridge, for an open day, I was really nervous but I loved the fact they had animals. There were alpacas, sheep, goats, ducks, rabbits and guinea pigs,” he said.

“And the course itself was great because it meant I could be with the animals. At that time, the only way I could really speak to people at Boveridge was by talking about the animals. To some extent, I suppose I lent on them for support.”

 And so it was through the animals that staff at Boveridge began to encourage conversations with their new student.

“They were brilliant,” said William, describing the team at Boveridge - before singling out teacher Emma Braund, whom he had one-to-one tutoring with.

“Emma was absolutely lovely. She was one of the biggest influences on me. She was very good at talking about her own experiences travelling and working with animals. It was really nice to listen to her.”

He smiled. “Emma would ask very good questions linked to animal welfare that were framed in a way that meant I had to speak. That proved really helpful to me.

“It was thanks to them and the very personalised support I received that I eventually gained the confidence to be myself, which in turn helped with my communication.”

He attributes the life skills he learned whilst at Boveridge with giving him the courage he needed to travel up to Staffordshire on his own, for his interview at Keele University.

“That’s quite a big distance,” he laughed. “What I learned at Boveridge really helped.”

William is also grateful for the mock interview practice he had as part of his course.

“The things I learned, I was able to apply at my interview at Keele. It helped me a lot!” 

By the time he left Boveridge, William had achieved a distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Animal Management, a BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Applied Science and an AS level and A’ level in Biology.

William then progressed to further study in a mainstream environment. As of summer 2026, he’s finishing an Access to Higher Education Diploma that will hopefully see him head off to university in the autumn.

His former teacher Emma said: "Working with animals was all he ever wanted to do and it’s great to see him go after something he’s clearly very passionate about. I’m blown away by his determination and resilience. He’s never wavered from his desire to be a vet and he’s worked very hard to get to where he has. He deserves every success.”

“What William achieved at Boveridge was nothing short of outstanding."

As to what advice he’d give to anyone thinking about joining Boveridge, William sums it up in three words - “go for it”.

He said: “It’s a place that allows you to be open and honest because all the staff are really, really nice and will bend over backwards to help you.

“When I first arrived at Boveridge, I was unable to go from one classroom to another because I was so anxious. I was scared to open doors or even knock on them but by the end of my three years, I had overcome that,” he said.

“To many people, that might sound like a really small thing - but it completely changed everything for me.”