Charlotte never imagined she would be a student at the University of Bristol.
At 42, the single mother of five, including a disabled son who needs round‑the‑clock care, says higher education once felt completely out of reach.
“It is achievable, it is something you can do, to make you feel good about yourself,” she says.
Now she is one of 14 women studying for a new micro‑qualification on entrepreneurship – delivered by the university not on campus, but in her own community.
“I’m proud that I’m doing it,” she says. “I talk to my children about it. They laughed when I said I was going to university.
“But this fits around my home life and my responsibilities.
“It is challenging – but I can do it. And it feels good to be pushing myself too.”
Charlotte wants to go on do more part-time short courses after completing her qualification.
