The Power of Adult Learning: Supporting a Former Student to Bring her Counselling Business to Life
Through the power of education, a former counselling student from Riverside College turned ambition into her dream career after launching the website for her new counselling business. In collaboration with Riverside College’s IT Higher Education students, her ideas were transformed into reality.
Hayley McGregor, who progressed from Level 2 Counselling all the way to degree level at the college, had plans to kick start her new career with an exciting new website. Her vision came to life with the technical expertise of BSc (Hons) Computer Science students, Jake Edge and Sam Peters, who developed a polished and professional website for her business. The collaboration meant that Hayley now has a platform to grow her practice, and the students gained practical, career building experience.
Jake, who benefitted from the project by developing his confidence and independence, shared “I’d done academic projects before, but this opportunity gave me the chance to take the next step and build my first website from scratch. Designing the site and deploying it for a live business was a big step up in responsibility, but I enjoyed the independence. The experience showed me what it means to deliver impactful work and that’s the kind of learning that makes returning to education so worthwhile.”
Jake Edge and Sam Peters, both studying BSc (Hons) Computer Science at Riverside College
All three students have returned to Riverside College with an ambition to progress in their careers.
Talking about his journey back into education, Sam said: “I was unsure about returning to education at first, but I knew I needed to build my skills to take my career in tech further. Studying at Riverside has been transformative, with real life projects and support from tutors, it’s opened doors I didn’t think were possible. I’m glad I made the decision to come back.”
On the impact adult education has had on her career, Hayley shared: “Deciding to return to education has truly changed my life for the better. Working with Jake and Sam was rewarding, they were helpful, open to ideas, and their work was amazing. I am extremely proud of my website www.hayleylouisetherapyservices.co.uk. The tutors at Riverside are incredibly supportive and understand the responsibilities adult learners face. I now have the skills I need to build the career I’ve always wanted, and it’s a step I’d encourage anyone with a passion to take.”
With flexible pathways and experienced tutors, Riverside College continues to help adult learners change direction and achieve their goals, no matter when they choose to begin.
If you’re ready to make that change, join us on the 14th of April 2026 for our Higher Education Open Evening between 5.30pm – 7pm, where our friendly tutors will be on hand to guide you through your options and answer any questions about returning to education.
Click here to read more about the Higher Education Courses at Riverside College, www.riversidecollege.ac.uk/higher-education/course
