Alan Ritchie

Alan’s NESCol experience has brought him closer to achieving his goal of working in counselling. After returning to education in 2024 following health challenges, Alan has now graduated with an HNC in Social Sciences with Criminology.

After a break of around nine years from education, Alan volunteered with several organisations, including the Family Centre at HMP Peterhead and Grampian Opportunities in Inverurie, gaining valuable experience and developing his communication and interpersonal skills.

It was during a discussion with employment support services that Alan was encouraged to consider careers that would draw upon his strengths in helping and supporting others.

Counselling emerged as a potential career path, and it became clear that gaining qualifications would be an essential step towards this goal. He decided to return to learning with a clear aim of building a new future for himself.

Alan enrolled on the Social Sciences SCQF Level 6 course at Aberdeen City Campus. The course introduced him to a range of subjects he had not previously studied, including sociology and criminology.

He quickly developed a passion for these areas and thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience, achieving a 100% pass rate across the course. Motivated by his success, Alan returned the following year to study the HNC in Social Sciences with Criminology.

Alan said, “The HNC was more demanding, with a heavier assessment workload, but despite facing some challenges, I was determined to do well. My efforts paid off, and I was delighted to receive an A for the graded unit.”

Returning to education at the age of 31 initially felt daunting for Alan. He was aware that he would be one of the older students in the cohort; however, he adapted quickly to College life and became a valued member of his class.

Despite an age gap between himself and some of his peers, he built strong friendships and enjoyed being part of a supportive and welcoming group.

Throughout his studies, Alan demonstrated resilience, dedication, and a genuine enthusiasm for learning.

Despite suffering from a long-term health condition that affects his mobility, Alan was committed to attending and making the most of his College experience, regularly commuting from Mintlaw to attend classes on campus.

Alan is particularly grateful to the social sciences teaching team, whose encouragement, guidance, and support he feels played a significant role in his success.

Alan is now looking to the next stage of his journey and said, “I start at the University of Aberdeen in September 2026 and thanks to my HNC, have direct entry to the second year of an MA in Psychology with Counselling.

“My advice to anyone who wants to change direction is that it’s never too late. NESCol has opened the door to new opportunities for me and for that, I’ll be forever thankful.”

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