Mature student overcomes self-doubt to achieve lifelong dream

Mother-of-five Clare Zanetti graduates today after overcoming self-doubt and returning to university as a mature student to achieve her lifelong dream of getting a degree in Primary Education.

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Clare, who works as a nursery manager in Horsforth, initially applied to study Primary Education at Leeds Trinity back in 2002, but decided not to pursue the course because she was a new mum and the timing "did not feel right". She decided to apply again 20 years later and chose Leeds Trinity for a second time because of its reputation for teacher training and its welcoming environment for mature students. "At first, I was really scared. I honestly thought I was too old to do it. I was the oldest on my course and it definitely knocked my confidence," Clare said. "But you've just got to take a risk sometimes. If you don't try, you never know whether it's going to work out or not. And it might not have done, but it has, and I would never have known."