by Jade McClafferty
Share
by Jade McClafferty
Share
By Jade McClafferty
A right of passage they proclaim as the preach to us of the Leaving Certificate. It’s easily carried, but my backs broke.
I sat my Leaving Certificate in 2019 after two years of studying. My fate however was chosen before I sat my first exam. While we all looked towards the two weeks in June an application was slid under our noses. The CAO. I remember my first meeting with my guidance counsellor, ironic that she herself studied an irrelevant course. She took out my grades, a high-achieving student she concluded “You should study medicine”. If you’re an academic, go for dentistry actuary or veterinary. My young ears absorbed this, and my young head nodded.
At eighteen I was told to pick my future and chose a career. I filled out my CAO as instructed, highest points first in descending order. Before I knew it there was no room for that degree in fine art and the nearest medicine courses were three hundred miles from the banks of the Foyle where I was raised
I left down my paintbrush I picked up another textbook, I read less, I wrote less, I lived less. So often we are led down avenues because we are capable. Academia is valued more than art
They always said I had brains to burn, well now I’m burnt
Related Posts
St Columb’s Hall will play host to an international medley of talent next month, with the announcement today of the fabulous EY Jazz Lounge on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th May. The evenings are being supported by leading professional services company EY as part of an exciting sponsorship arrangement with Derry City and Strabane District […]
-
Gray’s Communications has announced a new scholarship to fully fund a medical degree at Ulster University’s Derry~Londonderry (Magee) campus. Covering the full cost of tuition and living expenses for the recipient throughout their studies, the scholarship aims to encourage aspiring doctors from the Northwest to study and build their careers locally. This initiative supports the […]
-
The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium has become the first ground in the League of Ireland to receive an international designation celebrating peace and reconciliation through football. The Peace Field initiative will see the Lone Moor Road stadium twinned with Flanders Peace Field in Mesen, Belgium – the site of the First World War Christmas Truces […]
The amazing sound and incredible energy of Afrobeats is set to vibrate around St Columb’s Hall at a special fundraising night planned by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council for Spring this year. Feel the Beat: An Afro-Inspired Bank Holiday Celebration will feature top DJs Renzo Rose, DJ Rob and DJ Lui […]
