Edinburgh Napier University

A zookeeper turned secondary school teacher is celebrating her second Edinburgh Napier graduation after ‘coming home’ to study at the University again.

Kirsty Dow has collected a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from the Usher Hall in Edinburgh today exactly a decade on from completing her degree in animal biology.

Having held several roles at Edinburgh Zoo, including as its head of penguins, the 33-year-old from Edinburgh developed a passion for education while putting on tours for groups of young people.

When she decided to retrain as a secondary school teacher to fit her career around her young family, Edinburgh Napier University was the only place for her.

Kirsty said: "I had done bits of education at the zoo - taking tours and showing groups of children around. I found I was becoming much more confident about speaking to large groups and started to really enjoy it. I just thought, 'hey, I'm quite good at this!’

"Teaching is something which had been in the back of my mind for a few years. However, I'd previously spoken to friends who had done a PGDE and warned that it was challenging, so I'd put it off for a wee while.

"But then I just took the leap and left my job at the zoo.

"Edinburgh Napier was the only place I applied for, because I love it so much. I really enjoyed my time here. It was less scary because it felt like home.

"I had always thought about becoming a teacher but never had to confidence to go for it.

“Even after the first day, I knew it was the right decision. My fellow teachers are wonderful, and I feel like it is my true calling. It is an absolute dream come true."

Part of Kirsty’s motivation to change career was the expected arrival of her second child – having welcomed her son, Artie, into the world in 2020.

Kirsty added: "When I found out I was pregnant again, I decided that I needed a better life for our children.

"I knew teacher training was going to be tough, and I was worried about telling University about my pregnancy, but the lecturers couldn’t have been more supportive.

"I completed 6 months of the course and then had to suspend my studies when we welcomed baby Primrose. I had a full year off but kept in touch with University as I had made wonderful connections – I’d go in with Prim to meet them for coffee!

“Resuming studies was extremely intimidating. Especially since I was heading straight into my third teaching placement. But ENU was there to support me, and it was such a personal experience.”

As Kirsty graduates, she is now preparing to start work as a biology teacher at the beginning of the next school year.

“I can’t speak highly enough of the course,” she said. “We were taught how to teach, rather than just the theory of it.

“Right from week six we were in a classroom seeing how it's done. We got so much practical experience.

“I would advise anyone like me who has had teaching in the back of their mind to choose Edinburgh Napier.”

Kirsty joins fellow students from ENU’s School of Applied Sciences in celebrating their graduation today at the Usher Hall.

Over the next three days, more than 2,000 new graduates will be formally presented with their qualifications.

Edinburgh Napier launched its PGDE courses in 2018 as part of an effort to train more teachers in Scotland, and now offers students the opportunity to complete the qualification across a range of different subjects.