A mother-of-seven has made her family proud after graduating from Bradford College with a LLB Degree in Law and Legal Practice.
Having gained a distinction in her degree, Sarah Hussain Khan is now determined to gain a full LLB Honours Degree in Law and use her talents to support others including survivors of domestic abuse.
She said: “The world is my oyster.”
Sarah married at age 15 and had her first child at 16. She went on to have six more children before eventually ending her marriage.
Sarah then began to work to create a new life for herself and her family. She said: “I had to provide a roof over my family’s heads and support myself in achieving a future.”
After becoming a single parent, Sarah received support from the charity Neesie, which offers supportive friendship and help for single mothers such as herself. Neesie provides single mothers the hopes and skills necessary to build a happy and stable home environment.
Sarah went on to join West Yorkshire Police as a Police Community Support Officer. In addition, she volunteered with the force, supporting vulnerable women affected by domestic violence who didn’t trust police. NCS helping 16-18 year olds as a volunteer
She said: “I never completed my GCSEs, however in my time I have been finding myself and doing voluntary work. I really wanted to make a difference. I just loved what I did.”
After years of voluntary work, alongside her work for the police and past experience as a legal assistant at SKB Law, Sarah was encouraged to do a foundation degree. She said: “I wanted to work in court but was limited in my access to cases due to my qualifications.”
The Foundation Degree in Law and Legal Practice at Bradford College offers a rewarding employment-based route to legal practice, by combining academic aspects of law with more practical modules and work placements.
While she did not have an academic background, Sarah’s extensive experience helped her to secure a place on the degree course.
While there, she joined the Student Council, representing her fellow students and ensuring they all had the support they needed. She also gained a work placement at Riaz Solicitors.
As well as the encouragement of her tutors, Sarah had the support of her children, now aged between five and 15. She said: “They tell me all the time they love me to bits because I’m motivating them. They just want to make me proud. My oldest son wants to be a surgeon!
“All my children are thankful that I’m very independent. I’m always there for them, and they’re all really supportive.”
In addition to her studies, Sarah is currently a manager at an engineering company Outline Prototype Services. She said: “I want to support men and women who have been affected by domestic violence. My plans are to become a solicitor or judge. I will push myself and achieve what I want to achieve, because anyone can!”
Sarah is also part of the Bradford College student council. She regularly meets with Law tutors and senior staff, where she offers feedback on improving the college and how it supports students.
She is also part of My World My Home, the Students’ Union’s environmental campaigning organisation. It aims to support the creation of a clean environment and a greener living space for students and the wider public.
Sarah added: “My tutors have been brilliant, especially for mature students like myself. They have gone above and beyond with the help.
“I’m not someone who will say “a pass is enough”. I want to push myself and get a First.”
Bradford College offers the FdA Foundation Degree in Law and Legal Practice and the LLB Honours Degree in Law.
The degrees focus on employability in this challenging and rewarding sector. They will make career opportunities such as youth justice, the probation service, working in business or the police force increasingly accessible. In addition, these programmes encourage self-employment and entrepreneurship by recognising that many graduates join family firms or establish their own businesses. By holding a multi-disciplinary degree, graduates will have the knowledge and skills required to successfully achieve them.
Find out more at https://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/courses/subject-area/law/
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