Frances Danylec is one of Brunel University London’s top OT graduates of 2015, her success highlights the calibre and dedication of the next generation of OT recruits.
As well as achieving a first class honours BSC Occupational Therapy, Frances won many student prizes during her time at Brunel. Most recently, she received one of two annual Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for her exceptional contribution to student life.
Central to this is her establishment of the Brunel Deaf Culture Society which has raised Deaf awareness within the University. Frances said “The cultural aspect of the society is really important as many Deaf people see themselves as a linguistic minority rather than a disability group. I have Level 6 British Sign Language (BSL) and employed a Deaf BSL teacher to teach other students at a very low cost to them.”
Whilst at Brunel, Frances became ‘addicted’ to volunteering and proved her skills as a Student Ambassador by winning a Student Employee of the Year Award from The National Association of Student Employment Services (NASES).
Looking forward to the future of OT practice, Frances said, “I love meeting potential OT students and encouraging them - there's so much negative press out there about how hard it is to get onto a course and how difficult the course is. Yes it's competitive, yes it's challenging - but there's also a lot of very intelligent students who are prepared to work very hard, and they need to know they can and will make it.”
Frances now works for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in Trauma and Orthopaedics.
For more information:
Gillian Trevethan, Media Relations Officer, Brunel University London, +44 (0) 1895 266599, gillian.trevethan@brunel.ac.uk