Central Academy’s alumnus this month is our former student Maks, who left Central in 2020 during the ‘Covid year’ – which was a challenging time to transition from school to the wider world.

Maks selected Geography, German and media studies for his GCSE options and went on to study A levels in Geography, German and Chemistry. Following his A levels, Maks went to Swansea University to complete an undergraduate degree in Geography. He was inspired by his Geography teacher, Ms McComb, who showed him that Geography was a well-rounded subject, teaching you so much about how the world works.

After University, Maks began his career in training to be a Geography Teacher with the Carlisle School Alliance (SCITT). Maks’ day to day looks very much like that of a qualified teacher. He spends time planning engaging lessons, teaching students in the classroom and balancing academic university assignments. He finds his current career busy but very rewarding, being both a teacher and a student.

Maks enjoyed his time at Central and feels it supported him greatly in his career today, particularly with time management. He also found a real passion in some of the subjects he studied, with staff often being his role model. He remembers how much staff cared about their subjects and uses this to support his teaching approach now. As well as Geography, he has fond memories of German with Ms Walsh and Chemistry with Mr Townsend.

It wasn’t all easy for Maks. He struggled at GCSE with English, Physics and PE. Luckily his English was supported in interventions, which helped him with his written and spoken English. He remembers lots of support from Mr Townsend with his physics, breaking the information down and coming up with relevant examples to support Maks. Not being a sporty person meant Maks didn’t enjoy PE, but this went on to help him form a great and trusting relationship with Mr Barratt.

Outside of his career, Maks loves to read and write. He finds writing a great creative outlet, as well as spending a lot of time listening to music, being a massive Taylor Swift fan!

Maks continued to have high aspirations, in five years’ time he would love to be the Head of his own Geography department, encouraging new student teachers to show passion for the subject and inspire the students in front of them.

For our current students, Maks gives this advice – exams are important but so is your mental health. Work hard but make sure you give time to yourself to continue doing what you enjoy. When applying for university and next steps, Maks advises students to look beyond the local area. There are some amazing cities and universities beyond Carlisle – be willing to explore!

Central Academy’s alumnus this month is our former student Jasmin Canny, who left Central in 2020. During her time at school, Jasmin achieved high grades in her GCSE’s, leading her to pursue the subjects Maths, Art and History in A level. Following school, she completed a primary education degree at the University of Cumbria, doing exciting placements in locations like London.

Jasmin is currently a primary school teacher at a school in London, where she uses her skillset of being organised, responsible and adaptable to meet new challenges and teach different lessons daily. She currently teaches Year 6 students, preparing them for their SATS and leading the Maths curriculum in school – she is a great help to her students and teachers, helping them manage stressful exam periods.

Jasmin demonstrated resilience throughout her time at Central, especially when facing difficulties in Maths during her A levels. She found the subject was very different to GCSE, impacting her experience at 6th form. Despite this, through her resilience and the support from Mrs Elsworth and Mr Townsend, she gained the confidence to continue her A Levels, helping her follow her career path.

She reflects on her time at Central, quoting that the teachers Mrs Bulman, Mrs Barnsley and Mrs Stott impacted her experience at school greatly. Jasmin states they instilled her with a self-belief that helped her to find her voice, making her contribute and express her opinions during lessons, something she was too shy to do in Year 7. Additionally, she uses the knowledge taught by her teachers from Central in her everyday teaching style today.

Advice that she would offer to students at Central Academy today would be to make the most of the time you have in school now and take advantage of the knowledge that the teachers provide. She urges students to choose subjects in A level that they are passionate about as this will help motivate them during their experience. 

This month, our alumnus is Kelsey Little, who left central academy in 2019. Since leaving Central Academy, she pursued her interest in Art, English Language and Sociology in 6^th form, which has led her to be Trainee Solicitor, specialising in Criminal defence after completing her Law degree at Leeds Beckett University.

Kelsey currently works in the Magistrate’s Court, where she meets with clients and advises them on their next steps. She also gets the opportunity to work in the Police Station, where she handles all administrative work – Kelsey is an incredible help to society!

Unfortunately, Kelsey has met some hard challenges throughout her years of education, balancing the struggles of lockdown one and two in her 6^th form years, and later again during university. Despite these hardships, she has showed great resilience, finished her 6^th form year and juggled a business, running her own Sports Bar in town while getting her degree. She truly embodies the definition of ambition and shows, despite adversity, if you are resilient, you will succeed.

Kelsey reflects on her time at Central, remembering how enjoyable History was due to her lovely teacher Mrs Barnsley, who motivated her consistently and made History her favourite subject. She also loved art, so much so that she continued the subject on into her A-levels. Kelsey is also strong-willed, visible in the extensive work she put into her GCSE’s, where she would arrive at school at 7am to revise English, and would not leave till 5pm, where she would be working away in the Art department.

Her advice to students would be that it's okay to not know your next step, as long as you believe in yourself and have good morales, you'll go very far! Take time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished so far and look towards the opportunities you’ve been given!

Article written by Jasmine S Y13.

Our Alumnus of the month is Marc Haughan, who left Central Academy in 2020. Since leaving the Academy, Marc followed his passion and is now a professional boxer, having recently been signed with VIP Boxing.

Marc always loved PE at school and enjoyed trying different sports and finding out what he was good at. He began boxing as a hobby in KS4, training with Carlisle Villa Boxing Club. From then his boxing has gone from strength to strength, being professionally signed for this year.

At school Marc had his challenges, finding maths difficult and struggling to understand some of the more difficult content. Marc’s resilience helped him keep trying, feeling the benefits of his hard work when he was able to get it right. Marc often pops back into Central to speak to staff and students, happy to support the current Central students and share his experiences. Marc has always been proud of being part of the Central Community.

Marc’s advice to our students is to concentrate hard in school and use the support that teachers give you. If you have a hobby outside school, work hard with it and enjoy the experiences that it brings.

Our Alumnus of the month is Bethanie Robinson, who left Central Academy in 2020. Since leaving Central Academy, Bethanie completed a medical degree (MBChB), which took five years to complete. When at school, Bethanie decided she wanted to complete a degree and further education in psychology, but through some inspiration from her psychology teacher, she started looking into careers in psychiatry. In order to  become a psychiatrist (a doctor specialising in mental illness), Bethanie first had to complete a medical degree and gain experience in the physical illnesses. After achieving two A*s and an A in Psychology, Biology and Chemistry, Bethanie was accepted onto a medical degree at the University of Sunderland.

Bethanie’s favourite subject at school was always psychology. Since starting it in GCSE, Bethanie developed a passion for the field. Not only did she find it interesting, but it could be applied to real life situations. Bethanie remembers her psychology lessons at Central with fond memories. Lessons were always fun and engaging.

It wasn’t always easy for Betahnie, she remembers finding anything with maths in difficult. Bethanie worked hard in her maths lessons and found that thinking through problems in detail, step by step supported her in achieving a high grade. Bethanie remembers meticulously writing down every step very clearly, in the hopes that if she made a mistake somewhere along the way, she would still get some marks in the question. This, and lots of practice papers!

Bethanie’s biggest interest outside of her career is maintaining a happy life. Bethanie has two cats and lots of people around her to keep her going. What is most important to Bethanie is doing whatever makes her happy in the moment to maintain her ability and to keep going with a smile on her face, because working hard is never easy.

Bethanie’s advice to Central students is to look out for yourselves and each other; being in school is challenging. She would recommend studying together with your friends and wishes she had done more in school. If you are struggling please trust your teachers, Bethanie found their support and guidance invaluable.

Our Alumnus of the month is Mia Abbot, who left Central Academy in 2014. Having achieved a PhD in the field of Forensic Science at the University of Staffordshire, Mia now works as a university lecturer. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, going to concerts, and walking in the Peak District with friends.

Mia looks back fondly on her time at Central Academy, where she found a space to develop her childhood love of Science. Mia also enjoyed her time beyond the Science labs and was able to approach her other subjects with resilience by finding a way to successfully apply her newly gained knowledge. She enjoyed using her Mathematical skills in daily life and used Photography lessons as a way to express her creativity without needing to physically draw. Helped by her knowledgeable and enthusiastic History teacher, Mr Hurst, Mia also developed an appreciation for the way in which the events of the past have shaped the world we live in today. Specifically, Mia was interested in the changes and advancements in medicine through time.

Mia’s academic ambition and resilience helped her to overcome challenges in subjects such as Art and English Language, where greater subjectivity and creative freedom meant that success was less rigidly defined than her preferred subjects – Maths and Science. By honing her research skills, Mia was able to find success in these subjects by drawing inspiration from artists and writers around her.

Determined to continue her academic success, Mia used her passion for Chemistry and Biology, and her interest in problem solving, to complete a master’s degree in forensic science. The complexities of her course allowed Mia to realise quickly that the process of forensics is far more intricate and multi-layered than fictional TV programmes may suggest. She thoroughly enjoyed studying the various fields within forensic science, from finger mark identification to gunshot residue analysis. During her studies, she undertook a placement with Staffordshire Police where she was able to apply her knowledge to real world events. It was during this time that Mia made the decision to continue her academic studies further by undertaking a PhD.

Between finishing her degree and starting her PhD, Mia had the opportunity to become a member of the drug analysis team at a private forensic provider. Her position as a laboratory technician gave her further insight the field of forensic science as well as experience of working as part of a large organisation.

Having completed her doctorate, Mia is now a lecturer for the University of Staffordshire, with a specific interest in the fast-moving field of drug research. Her current role requires strong communication skills in order to successfully engage the wide range of visitors and students she meets. It is essential that Mia is able to adapt her language use and differentiate the delivery of her knowledge as she may be interacting with people of any age, from primary school visitors to mature students decades older than her.

As a teacher, Mia encourages her own students to be analytical and evaluative in their work whilst also focusing on the importance of critical thinking skills.

Her message to our current students is: Your teachers will make a significant impact on the person you will become. Don’t hesitate to ask them questions when you need help – and remember to thank them when they do!

Our Alumnus of the month is Aiden Pattinson, who left Central Academy in 2023. Aiden had a real passion for science throughout his time at Central, completing a BTEC in Applied Science at A level in 2023.

During his week of work experience, Aiden spent time within the science department, working closely with Mrs Porter, the science technician. Throughout the course of the week, Aiden was able to gain an understanding of what it was like to be technician. To undertake his responsibilities effectively, Aiden had to use a range of different scientific methods and procedures. Aiden also got to see what goes on behind the scenes of a good science lesson, and how important the role of a technician is in ensuring that students can access a broad Science curriculum.

Following his completion of Y13, Aiden applied for a L3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship and expressed his interest in working alongside Mrs Porter at Central Academy.

Aiden is in his final few months of his L3 apprenticeship which has enabled him to have a better understanding of some of the different health and safety legislation needed in a science department and wider school; it has improved his confidence in problem solving and communication.

The subject Aiden found the most challenging in school was Maths. He remembers struggling in KS3 and 4 but using the support from his teachers and peers, both inside and outside the lessons, Aiden was able to make progress as well as improving his confidence. Aiden is forever grateful for the of efforts the staff who were there to support him during his learning – not just in Maths – but right across the curriculum.

Aiden’s message to our students is to embrace every opportunity and don't fear mistakes.