Regional title winner Megan is ready for national stage
A dedicated physiotherapy student and competitive gymnast is dreaming of national glory this November after being crowned the Regional Gatsby T Level Student of the Year.
Eighteen-year-old Megan Johnson, from Crook, County Durham, recently took top honours at the Regional Apprenticeship & Skills Awards in Gateshead.
Now, she is preparing to travel to London for the grand final, where she will compete against eight other regional winners.
Megan’s journey to the national stage stems from her success studying a T Level Health at Bishop Auckland College.
The course’s mix of classroom learning and hands-on NHS placements proved perfect for her, but it was Megan’s personal dedication – completing over 200 hours more than required – that made her shine.
“I went to the Hilton in Gateshead for the regional awards, and it was crazy to find out I had won,” she said. “I felt like I was in a dream and it didn’t feel real.
“My lecturer, Georgina Peart, told me and I didn’t think I would have a chance of getting shortlisted and I didn’t think it would get that far.
“My family couldn’t believe it when I told them I had won. My mam, Helen, was nearly crying when I went home and when I told my dad, Peter, he couldn’t believe it either. I am so pleased.”
Megan’s ambition to become a physiotherapist was born on the gymnastics mat. Competing internationally for the past ten years with the Athena Sports Academy in Newton Aycliffe, Megan’s own sporting injuries steered her toward her future career.
“Before I started college I did gymnastics, and that has pushed me towards this,” she said. “I have had times where I have had to go to physio myself, and I thought I wanted to do that.
“I have been doing gymnastics for the last ten years, international and local. We did a competition in Italy for a week, and we go to other countries representing Great Britain with our routine. I do acro, and I am in a trio and part of the display team.
“Normally I compete on the weekend, and wasn’t training until night so I could get my college work in beforehand. That has led to me showing an interest in becoming a physio.”
Balancing sport and intense studies paid off. After being shortlisted against three other nominees, she won the regional title at a ceremony at the Hilton in Gateshead.
Now, having secured a place at Teesside University with an overall merit, Megan has already started her physiotherapy degree while looking forward to the national final at a hotel in London.
Megan said: “My dedication to the course has got me there. I did more than 200 hours more than I needed to.
“I went on placements to NHS Hospitals at Bishop Auckland and in Darlington. Every term I got put on a different ward, and I learned different things all the time.
“The T Level was great because it gave me the practical side of things and not just theory – placement was a big part of building my confidence up as well. Now I am at uni, it’s been hard so far, but I am only on my second week.”
Georgina Peart, Megan’s T Level lecturer, nominated her for the award. She said: ”I am incredibly proud of her success and it has been brilliant to see her gain confidence and resilience during this time.
“Megan is a fantastic role model for our future T Level students and we hope to set the same standard with our new students starting on the T Level Programme. We are all backing Megan for the win at Nationals!
“I nominated Megan for the award because of her hard work, dedication, and her fantastic representation of the college during other events and on her NHS placement. Megan competed in a skills competition, representing the college, back in her first year, and won student of the year. She also went on to complete almost double her required placement hours throughout her studies.”
