‘I’m doing a Masters aged 59 – and haven’t ruled out more learning in the future’

A mum and grandma who switched career in her late 30s and is studying for a Master’s degree at the age of 59 says it is never too late to make a change.

Jenny Blackwell originally trained as a nursery nurse then worked in a school supporting a child with communication difficulties, who also had a speech and language therapist.

Jenny was inspired by the difference the therapist was able to make to the child and his family, and when the opportunity arose to work in this area was delighted to explore it further. 

After initially working as a speech therapy assistant, she qualified as a speech and language therapist in 2017, and now combines that with running music groups with the charity Music 4 Wellbeing for older people.

She said: “I had never considered speech therapy but the more I read about it the more excited I became about the potential of the role and how it can help support children’s development and build healthy relationships between parents and children.

“I felt like I would be able to make a real difference and use the experiences I already had professionally and as a parent.

“My first marriage broke up when my girls were tiny so I know how hard it can be to bring up children on your own and by working with families we can give that support and information and help them get their child on the best footing.

“As a child I wanted to be a nurse or an actress and with my roles now I am almost combining the two, with a caring, therapeutic side and the performance aspect of my music groups.”

Jenny initially worked in children’s centres, but now holds clinics at the Children’s Assessment Centre at Buckland Hospital in Dover. She is also part of a team who hold ‘Talking Walk in’ drop-in sessions for parents concerned about their children’s speech or communication at venues across in Dover and Deal.

Her music for wellbeing sessions are aimed at older adults living with dementia or other conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, or those with learning disabilities.

She said: “The groups are a really joyous part of my life.

“We sing a mixture of songs and incorporate fun memory activities, some signing and actions such throwing a ball in time with the rhythm and using body percussion.

“We have so much fun and it can help disperse the harshness of life for an hour, and give people a place they can belong and where they are accepted and nurtured.”

Jenny is now combining her love for music and her therapy experience for her Masters’ degree, looking at how music can be used within speech therapy to improve outcomes for children.

She said: “We know there are many benefits to children from music and singing, from helping to calm them to developing their language skills.

“I would love to find the evidence to be able to develop a programme that can be used by other practitioners in different settings and that helps to give children a better start in life.”

The mum of two, who has a grandson and a granddaughter on the way, has no regrets about studying later in life.

She said: “It has been challenging at times but I have a better understanding of what interests me and I can use that to my advantage.

“I think it’s important to recognise the value of different life experiences; I didn’t do well in my A-levels for a variety of reasons and I’ve always felt I could do more to achieve my potential.

“Now I’m excited to see where this journey will take me, but I haven’t ruled out more study.

“I never imagined I’d be able to have such a fulfilling career when I first left school and I feel very lucky to be able to combine the different ingredients of my skills, interests, and life experiences to create one.”