Sign of the times - Julie's story

“It came as a complete surprise, but a very nice one,” says Julie Roberts, 52, lecturer in midwifery at Bangor University’s School of Health Sciences, at the news that she’d been shortlisted in the Educator of the Year category at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2019.

“I was sitting at my desk and had received an email from the students who nominated me. The email was headed ‘Congratulations’ but because we had a couple of our students who were going forward for nominations for other awards, I immediately assumed it was about that. When I actually read it, I was a bit taken aback.”

Originally an area manager for a number of different shoe companies, Julie decided on a career change once her children were in full-time education. “I took a deep breathe, took the plunge and started out on the career journey to midwifery, something I’d always wanted to do. And I’ve never regretted it. It’s given me so many great pleasures.”

That journey has included doing a degree in midwifery at Bangor University, working as a clinical midwife at Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, part of the Betsy Cadwaladr University Health Board, then returning to Bangor University in 2017 to become a full-time midwifery lecturer.

“I love what I do,” adds Julie who lives in Tregarth just outside Bangor. “I love being with the students and getting involved with their training. Seeing them progress is a wonderful thing, it really is. In fact I’d go so far as to call it a privilege.

"It’s not all about me though. The midwifery team here in the School of Health Sciences at Bangor University have been fantastic in supporting me. Any success that I might have is down to the whole team because we work so well together. It might sound a bit like a cliché, but it really is a joint effort.”