A mum thought she had "missed" her chance to go to university until one day when she visited a university with her son.
Southport mum Gail Ennis, 48, thought she had "missed" her chance to go to university after "raising a family while working for many years." She said that she had lost her "confidence" until one day when she visited Edge Hill University with her son, Ben, who is now 24.
The visit was enough to give Gail the confidence to apply to university. It just so happened that she would apply for the same one as her son which he wasn't too happy about "at all", though he soon changed his mind.
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She said: “I presumed I’d missed my chance at going to university, but when I visited Edge Hill with Ben, I realised that it could still be a possibility."
At the time Ben was gaining a diving qualification in Fiji and applied for a course in Ecology and Conservation at Edge Hill University. Gail applied for a course in Childhood Youth and Criminology at the same university.
Both of their applications being successful, the two entered the university at the same time. They would then graduate, three years later, on the same day.
Gail said: "I had the relevant entry qualifications, but it had been a long time since I’d been in a classroom. Juggling raising a family while working for many years, you lose your confidence a little, so I asked about doing [a course at the university].
"It really helped in reassuring me that I was capable.
"I asked Ben if he’d mind me going to the same university, I knew it could go one of two ways and at first he wasn’t happy at all."
"Luckily for us it worked out just fine. We chose different subjects, so we had different lessons. Although I told Ben to pretend I wasn’t there, we spent a lot of time together and now have the same friends.
"I’m so proud of Ben gaining a degree but I’m also proud of achieving my dream, it’s given me a new lease of life, helping with my confidence, gaining new skills and meeting new people.
"It really has been a lovely experience and I’m sad to leave.”
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