Rugby College student and volunteer vaccinator on track to become paramedic

A former student athlete who is now the road to becoming a paramedic has joined the fight against Covid-19 as a vaccinator.

Ryan Beau-Mont, aged 21 from Daventry, suffered a serious football injury three years ago which led him to reconsider future and pursue a career as a paramedic.

He is studying an Access to HE course in Health Professions at Rugby College, which is part of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) and has recently secured a highly-coveted offer to study Paramedic Science at Coventry University.

Over the last six months he has been volunteering with St John Ambulance to develop his skills.

Ryan has now successfully trained as a Covid-19 vaccinator and is waiting to be deployed to administer vaccines at hubs in the Rugby and Coventry area.

He says the journey from Bristol-based academy footballer to Covid vaccinator and trainee paramedic has been challenging but now he is looking forward to playing his part in the nation’s

fight against the pandemic.

Ryan said: “To be able to help in the vaccination process, it feels like I’m doing my part for the NHS and the country. Hopefully I can help as many people as possible, it’s very rewarding to be doing it and I can’t wait to get started.

“When I got my football injury, I decided that that I needed to find a new path and set my sights on being a paramedic.

“It’s been a whirlwind year for me with starting my course at Rugby College, volunteering with St John Ambulance and now getting the offer to study at Coventry University.

“The support Rugby College has given me so far has been excellent, it has helped me to improve my knowledge and build my confidence.

“The offer to study at Coventry, which is one of the most highly respected places to study Paramedic Science, is the culmination of three year’s work to get to where I am now.

“I’m hoping to deployed to a vaccination hub near Coventry or Rugby. The training to become a vaccinator was very rigorous and intense, but you come out of it confident and ready to administer vaccines.”

Tracy Gudgeon, lecturer in Sociology, Health and Social Care at Rugby College, added: “Ryan’s story is inspirational for anyone who has faced adversity and initiated a huge change in their life.

“To dedicate his time to training to be a Covid-19 vaccinator alongside completing his studies at Rugby College is exemplary and displays the kind of committed individual he is.

“We’re delighted for Ryan that he has received an offer from the university of his choice. It is a highly competitive course, and places are limited for each cohort, so it is a brilliant achievement.”

To find out more about Access to HE courses at Rugby College and WCG visit www.wcg.ac.uk/study