When Abigail Glover struggled with her mental health in her first year at Cardiff University, she worried that she might not be able to complete her studies.
But thanks to her incredible determination and hard work, she is now looking forward to a career as a clinical scientist, after completing her degree in Medical Physics.
Abigail, from Reading, has a place on the Scientist Training Programme (STP), and will start a Master's course in September.
"I'm very excited about graduating," she said. "It's going to be quite emotional for me. I'm in a place where I can say I'm proud of what I've done. There were a lot of difficult times where I felt like giving up. But I'd already put so much work into it – I would have been upset in myself to let that go."
Abigail was in touch with the Student Life team at Cardiff University. They advised and supported her when she decided to take an interruption of study in her second year, while she took a break for her mental health.
"It was a hard time for me," she said. "I went back to live with my dad, who is the most supportive person. My mum, sister and boyfriend are amazing too. The support services and academics at Cardiff were there too to guide me through the difficult period and continued to help me as much as possible when I returned, to ensure I could succeed in my degree; I'm so grateful for their support."
On coming back to her studies, she said: "I have learned a lot, not just the course, but about what I enjoy doing when it comes to working. I really liked the more social aspects, such as presentations and in particular my final year project. I was lucky enough to spend time in X-ray rooms, meet clinical scientists, and be guided throughout the project by an amazing medical physicist. I learnt so much and genuinely enjoyed it. Enjoying what you do is so important. I can't wait to get started now on my training."
Abigail will be at her graduation ceremony this week with dad Marcus, his fiancé Roni, and her boyfriend Fraser.
"If I could speak to someone who is in a similar situation to me a few years ago, I'd say, don't give up on yourself. When times get difficult, they will pass and it's ok to ask for help."
