Bridges helps Lia secure college place and pursue dream of working with animals across the world

Lia Scott’s dream of travelling the world to work with endangered animals in the wild is alive after Bridges helped her secure a place on an Animal Care course at Borders College.  

Having grown up with a dog, the 17-year-old has always loved animals and knew she wanted to work with them from an early age. However, getting into animal care was not straight forward for the Tranent teenager.

“To study Animal Care at college, I needed a Nat 5 in Science, which is something I didn’t have. I therefore had to think about other things I could do outside of school,” said Lia.

Her Depute Head Teacher at Ross High School suggested Bridges as a potential option as the charity’s Spark Your Future programme was running an animal care training course at the time.

Lia signed up for Spark Your Future, which is funded by East Lothian Council’s Employability Grants Programme as part of the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind funding. She quickly got involved in several animal care related activities which the programme offered.

One of the activities Lia participated in was a field trip to Edinburgh Zoo. This gave her an opportunity to speak directly to people working with animals and gain first-hand insight into the animal care sector.

The 17-year-old also completed the accredited Emergency Cat First Aid and Emergency Dog First Aid training courses, which were delivered to Spark Your Future participants by Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. This proved to be her gateway to college.

“Even though I didn’t have the school qualification the college was looking for, the fact that I gained those qualifications really helped and it also showed that I was willing to do other things. In the end, I think that’s what got me accepted,” said Lia.

She credits Bridges for her college place.

“I wouldn’t have had the chance to get into college if it wasn’t for Bridges. The support has been a great help,” said the former Ross High School student.

Lia has also secured a part-time job with Sports Direct at Fort Kinnaird to gain some work experience alongside her studies. This is her first ever job and the Tranent teenager feels Bridges was central to helping her achieve this milestone as well.

“I got help from Kelly [Muir, Spark Your Future’s Employability Support Worker] to write my CV, which helped a lot. Everything I did at Bridges also helped me with my confidence,” she said.

Despite venturing into customer service through her part-time job, Lia is clear that she wants to continue to pursue her passion of working with animals. She has big plans for the future.

“My main dream is to work with endangered animals in the wild, especially orangutans. I want to travel the world to work with them,” said Lia.

“A privilege to support Lia”

Lia’s Employability Support Worker has enjoyed working with the 17-year-old and believes she will achieve her dreams.

“Working with Lia was a pleasure. She is a bright and motivated individual and I feel so privileged that Bridges was able to support her in her journey. I love orangutans so I’m so jealous that she will undoubtedly achieve her dream of working with them,” said Kelly.

She continued:

“Lia showed commitment and passion in chasing her dreams, and these are the qualities that will set her in good stead for the future. I am very proud of her.”