Sapphire Rae

Hi, my name is Sapphire and I’m in my Foundation Year of BSc Bioveterinary Science with foundation year here at Hartpury University.

I want to make a difference
I’ve always loved animals. Being from a family where everyone works with animals, and having them at home while I was growing up, there wasn’t really any question about what I really wanted to do as a career. By studying Bioveterinary Science, I’ll be able to achieve my goal and really make a difference to animals in need.

A gateway to my dream career
The Foundation year is a gateway for me to start working towards the career I want to have in the future. I would love to work in veterinary medicine, perhaps as a veterinary surgeon. This course is giving me a good base of knowledge to go onto another university course. And you never know, amazing opportunities come up all the time at Hartpury, so I could even discover another career path while I’m here. There are so many possibilities.

Gaining key skills
Being on a Foundation year enables me to gain valuable skills and knowledge of resources, which I will need for the rest of my degree, such as writing skills, presentation skills, and referencing skills.

For one of my modules, I completed a 20-hour internship with the Hartpury animal collection. This has been my favourite experience so far. I was able to handle and learn about lots of species of different shapes and sizes. Watching the animals with their quirky individual personalities could amuse me for hours! I was also working with two other students and we’ve become good friends.

I knew Hartpury was the place for me 

Hartpury was my top choice after just one open day. When I spoke to students and staff about the course, their passion came across so clearly, that I made my decision there and then. After that open day, I was so excited to start my new adventure at Hartpury. This course is a brilliant opportunity to explore the science behind different animal species.

As the university has a wide selection of animals and is out in the beautiful countryside, I never felt too far from home. The thing I love about Hartpury is that whenever you walk onto campus, there is always something going on and things to see. As I’m living on campus for my first year, I’ll often go out for walks around campus in my free time to see the goats, emus, wallabies, chickens, horses and the stunning Gloucestershire countryside.

Student life during Covid-19
While adhering to the restrictions, Hartpury has made sure we’ve still had plenty of opportunities to get involved. Not only was I able to complete my 20-hour internship, I’ve also taken part in lots of animal handling sessions. My favourite session so far has been the meerkat enrichment. We hid mealworms in paper puzzles and it was intriguing to watch them work it out and see how well they would do it.

I also had the chance to make friends during Freshers’ Week when we went to Butlers – one of the oldest bars in Gloucester. It was great fun, especially with the student deals!

A final note
Coming to Hartpury University was the best decision for me. I’m certainly at the best place for what I want to do, and I cannot wait to start my first year in Bioveterinary Science. Having done the Foundation year, I feel prepared with the skills I need to succeed in my degree.