Emily’s garden design journey

Emily’s studies at Capel Manor College began with horticulture. She is now studying garden design.

“Capel Manor College was recommended to me by a friend as I was keen to study a horticulture course. I had previously worked in media technology, starting my career at Google before going on to Spotify. I then took a career break and decided I wanted to do something productive with my time alongside relaxing and travelling. 

I had always known what I wanted to study as I was keen to learn more about gardening. I have my own garden in London which needed some attention, and I wanted to get some proper knowledge before embarking on the overhaul. I loved the course and it has opened up a whole new world of understanding for me. I had always enjoyed spending time within nature, but now I have found myself being more observant about what I see and enjoy seeing plants in their various stages of life cycles. It has also proved to be a great creative outlet, particularly now I am studying garden design. The College provided excellent teaching and I loved meeting lots of new people. The course has enriched my life overall and will continue to do so. I started the course knowing nothing and left with a lot of knowledge and a desire to keep building on it.

I plan to continue gardening in my spare time and helping friends with garden design projects as and when the opportunities arise. While I am not directly working in the industry currently, I am really proud of my achievements at Capel Manor College. I can highly recommend the experience for anyone who has a desire to learn more about horticulture. It is a great course for those not only who want to pursue a career in the space, but also for hobbyists. Overall it is good value for money and you will meet lots of interesting people, too!”

Where are they now?

After five years studying animal management with us, Cara has continued to thrive in higher education and the animal science sector. 

Following her time at our College she progressed to her first-choice university to study BSc (Hons) Zoo Biology, a course selected to broaden the biology and animal science knowledge she first developed at Capel Manor College. Throughout her degree, Cara explored diverse areas from physiology to animal behaviour, and the fascinating crossover of behavioural physiology. 

As part of her four-year programme, Cara completed an exciting placement year that took her around the world. She spent three months at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Ecuador followed by six months at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna contributing to sector research. 

Returning to the UK for her final year, Cara graduated with first-class honours, as well as several prestigious awards recognising her academic excellence and dedication to student leadership. 

Her success has continued beyond her undergraduate degree. Cara has now been accepted to study an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour at one of the UK’s leading institutions in this field. Alongside her postgraduate studies, she is working remotely with her research team in Vienna, conducting data analysis and contributing to multiple scientific publications. 

Cara says that Capel Manor College helped shape the confident, motivated person she is today, supporting her personal development as much as her academic journey. Her long-term dream remains to work in animal behaviour and eventually become a team leader in a canine behavioural team with a charity such as Dogs Trust, RSPCA or Battersea, before moving on to a career in education, inspiring others just as she was inspired.