“My message to those young people who might not get what they want in their exam results, if you do great, celebrate, but if you don’t, it is just one moment in time, it does not define you, it is not the whole story, it is simply a chapter.”
That is the reassuring message from the South Eastern Trust’s Director of Children’s Services and Executive Director of Social Work, Lyn Preece, as she offers hope and encouragement to students receiving their exam results this summer.
Lyn reflected on her own experience of not achieving the results she had hoped for at school and how that moment did not stop her from building a highly successful career in the Health Service.
Lyn explained, “Your exam results do not define you, they are simply one measure of time and they do not define your whole future and do not define your potential. I was disappointed in my exam results, I simply picked myself up, I knew it was not what I was expecting and I just needed to move on in my career.
“I took all the advice and guidance that I could get from everybody around me, my family, my friends, my colleagues and I moved into Children’s Residential and that is where I started my Social Work career. I then moved on, I had great opportunities to carry on through and do my Social Work degree, it was fabulous and I loved it.”
Lyn added, “I am now the Director of Children’s Services and Executive Director of Social Work in the South Eastern Trust. There are many opportunities within the Health Service and lots of career pathways. Exam results are only one step on a much bigger journey and determination, resilience and support can open many doors.”
