Perseverance and determination has paid off for Telford teenager Megan Renshaw, who is about to start the career of her dreams in the RAF.
Megan, 17, from Lightmoor, has been accepted as a regiment gunner after completing a public uniform services course at Telford College.
When she didn’t quite make the grade to get straight into Harrogate Army Foundation College,
Megan enrolled instead at the college where she worked on her fitness, and was able to take more time to make a long-term decision.
“My course helped me look at all of the careers available in the services,” said Megan, a former student of William Brookes School in Much Wenlock.
“I met people from the army, RAF, navy, fire service and prison service to name a few, and my tutors helped me choose the best route.”
“Once I knew which direction I wanted to go in, I visited the careers office in Shrewsbury and got my application in.
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“This was followed by airman selection tests and a pre-gunner selection course which is specific to gunners and involves a three-day residential.
“Once I had my one-to-one with my corporal, I knew I had been successful. I was overjoyed – and the feeling still hasn’t gone away.”
She added: “The hardest part of my RAF recruitment was the fitness, and if it wasn’t for the drills we did at college, I probably would have failed.
“What you learn about the services at college prepares you for your career. There is a certain mentality you need to tap into, and I got this from the experience of my tutors.
“I definitely think a public uniformed services course is a fantastic option for anyone thinking about the services; you get a lot of transferable skills that you can take into future management roles too.”
Archie Walkerdine, Telford College public uniformed services tutor, said: “Megan was a pleasure to teach. She had the uniformed services attitude from day one – you can see when there is real potential in our students, and Megan is a perfect example of this.
“She made exactly the right move after Harrogate Army Foundation College. She didn’t give up, and has now achieved her objectives, which is exactly what we teach on this course.”
