Vicky Rowland’s inspiring story of going from pregnant student to high-flying recruiter of Graduates, Interns, and Apprentices

Getting pregnant while at university can be one of the most complicated challenges a woman can go through. Unplanned pregnancies are always difficult to cope with, but when your entire future is at stake, it can feel like your whole world has come apart.

This is what happened to Vicky Rowland, Global Early Careers Lead at Sage, when she first went to university back at the turn of the Millennium.

Vicky’s story of how she got pregnant at uni before facing down the challenge to become a successful Early Careers specialist for Sage, one of the UK’s biggest technology companies comes as an inspiration to anyone dealing with similar circumstances.

Listen to Vicky tell her own pregnant student story if:

· Your daughter is pregnant at university

· You’re pregnant while at uni

· You’re an educator wondering how to counsel a pregnant student

· You work in Graduate Recruitment or Early Careers, or are looking to grow a career in this field

Can you be pregnant at university?

Although being a student when pregnant adds lots of challenges to the higher education experience, it is possible and there’s plenty of support available to anyone who does fall pregnant while studying.

There are pregnant student benefits UK residents are entitled to, such as pregnant student grants, and most UK universities offer free, confidential, in-house counselling. As for pregnant student rights—you’re entitled not to be discriminated against if you do get pregnant at university, thanks to the Equality Act 2010. So don’t worry about losing your university place as a result of becoming pregnant.

In Vicky’s case, as you’ll hear in this podcast, she chose to lean into her support network and take some time out to re-assess before returning to her studies once her little girl Jade was around six months old. But she also acknowledges that everyone’s circumstances are different and encourages young women to follow their own path.

So, can you study at university while pregnant? Yes. Should you? Listen to this podcast and glean some invaluable insights.

What to do if a student is pregnant?

If you’re an educator, at some point, you may find yourself wondering, ‘what happens if a student gets pregnant?’

In this instance, it’s up to you to do all you can to ensure pregnant students are given the opportunity to make up missed assignments, assessments or attendance points.

Additionally, from a moral support perspective, you may wish to share Vicky’s story of triumph in the face of adversity, giving your pregnant student a tangible, real-world example of how great professionals are borne out of the most challenging circumstances.

The Life at Sage podcast

Sage is one of the UK’s biggest technology companies, operating in 23 countries across the globe, offering market leading accounting, payroll and payment systems.

The Life at Sage podcast has been developed to highlight the career opportunities available to people within the Sage business, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances.

In each episode, we will explore aspects of working life that people face, at different stages of their careers. We’ll look at everything from hints and tips on how to develop specific skill sets to broader issues relating to developing a successful career, such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Sustainability.

Learn more about careers at Sage.