Who went from flipping burgers to flipping amazing?
How Paul Walsh went from Burger King to Oxford ace with the help of Bradford College.
Paul grabbed local and national headlines when he bravely opened his A level results live on Calendar News and celebrated achieving three A grades in French, Business and Accounting.
Paul turned his life around after dropping out of school when he became disillusioned with his A level course and his teachers. He hit rock bottom working at Burger King and decided to enrol at Bradford College Sixth Form Centre to retake his A Levels. Following two years of study his fantastic results helped him to gain a place at Oxford University to study French and is now set to achieve a degree in Modern Languages (French) & Linguistics.
Paul said, “School just wasn’t for me, it took me six years to pluck up the courage to come back into education and studying at the College was the best decision I ever made. I was worried about fitting in, but the College welcomed and supported me and I am proud of my achievements. I was relieved by the fact that college could offer me a course that enabled me to progress into Higher Education. I was surprised by how accessible and welcoming the College is.”
Paul goes on to say, “I thoroughly enjoyed my two years studying. The learning environment, tutors and classmates encouraged me to push myself forward and aim high. My tutors were supportive and enthusiastic and made me feel valued, their continued support and encouragement helped me to get where I am now – studying at a university that I originally thought was out of my reach.”
Having made the decision to return to his studies whilst on holiday in France, Paul said, “I decided that I would like to live and work in France and the only way that I could pursue my dream was to get some solid qualifications behind me.”
Talking about university life Paul says, “I am really enjoying being at Oxford, I love my course and I’m glad that I made the decision to return to education. My four year degree includes a year abroad in France where I can choose to study, teach or work. I am kept busy with lectures, seminars, tutorials and a busy social life. When I graduate I would like to work in France and would love the chance to use my skills within the aviation industry.”
Head of Bradford College Sixth Form Centre, Tony Laycock said, “The Sixth Form Centre is thrilled with Paul’s success. We are proud that we can help students of any age to achieve the results they need to go on to achieve their career ambitions.”
