DCG Success Stories

Science undergraduate Jason Mathurin ultimately aims to work in the field of clinical genetics.

Jason, who will graduate this summer with a First-class honours degree, attributes much of his academic success to the Access to HE Science diploma he took at Derby College Group.

Following completion of his BSc course in Medical Genetics at the University of Chester’s Shrewsbury centre, Jason plans to apply to a Master of Research (MRes) course – a research-based postgraduate master’s degree – which is either stem cell or embryology-based.

Now aged 26 he abandoned A-levels as a school leaver and left further education for a while.

But, after four years in retail as a supervisor, he found that his desire to study science hadn’t gone away, so he enrolled on the Access course at DCG’s Ilkeston college.

Jason said: “Our college lecturers were amazing – so engaging and always there to provide help and support if students were struggling. Biology has always been my favourite subject but strangely enough it was the chemistry lectures I loved the most.

“I think it’s because they involved lots of practical experiments – something I’d missed out on earlier in life as I was home schooled for GCSEs and studied online. The practicals were fun and again, they prepared me so well for university, where we did a great deal of practical study.”

Jason believes that taking the Access to HE courses also made his transition into higher education smoother than if he’d gone to university straight after A-levels.

He added: “I’ve done well at university with my grades never dropping below a 2:1 and I will graduate this summer with a First. That’s down to how well prepared I was for higher education by my DCG HE accesses course – I’d recommend it, 100 per cent.

“My ultimate plan is to work is in the field of human genetics. Genetics is the future of medicine and it will one day set the standard for healthcare, informing how everything works.”