Since leaving school, Natasha explored a variety of career paths that combined her passion for education with her strong sense of creativity – before finding part-time work as bank staff for 22 Street Lane Nursery in Leeds.

Natasha suffers from Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) which is a neurological condition affecting the nervous system. The condition causes Natasha to feel extreme fatigue – affecting her physical and mental abilities on a daily basis.

As a Nursery Assistant, Natasha’s role is a blend of caregiving, cleaning, and facilitating engaging activities for the children. Her day begins with assisting during lunch, where she serves meals, cleans plates, and tidies the dining area, followed by helping to settle the children for nap time.

Afterwards, Natasha handles everything from nappy changes to preparing healthy snacks and spends the afternoon engaging the children in activities such as games, crafts, stories, and songs, as well as supervising outdoor play. Later, she assists during dinner, cleans and organises the classroom and outdoor areas, and supports the children as they wait for their guardians while another staff member prepares for the next day.

Natasha’s passion for education and her unique perspective as a neurodiverse and disabled individual helped shape her vision for inclusivity and was a driving force in accepting her employer’s offer to achieve the Level 3 Diploma with Realise.

During the course, Natasha particularly enjoyed taking a research-driven approach to each topic area covered within the curriculum, which included delving into the intricacies of child development and the needs of neurodivergent children.

Natasha explained:

 “I loved how the course was structured to be open and adaptable, allowing me to conduct research and learn at my own pace. The freedom to explore topics in a way that worked for me made the experience fantastic.”

Despite over 250,000 people in the UK living with ME/CFS, Natasha hopes to raise awareness and show others in similar situations that it’s possible to work and thrive when you have the right support system around you.

Natasha is a positive role model, not only for the neurodiverse and disabled children in her care but for all prospective learners who have ever questioned their capability of achieving great things.

A huge well done to Natasha.