At just 19, Ellie is already building a career shaped by travel, people, and new experiences. A former student of Weston College, she now works as a customer care agent at Bristol Airport while also spending her summers working at a camp in the United States. 

In her role at the airport, Ellie supports passengers requiring special assistance, guiding them through check-in, security, and boarding, as well as assisting arrivals through customs. “This service allows air travel to be accessible for everyone and reduces stress,” she explains. With airport terminals continuing to expand, services such as wheelchair assistance have become increasingly vital for many passengers. 

Across the Atlantic, her summer role offers a completely different pace. As a gymnastics counsellor, Ellie also took responsibility for a group of fourteen 11–12-year-olds, sharing a cabin and guiding them through daily activities. “Every day is different,” she says, highlighting evening “cabin circle time” as a favourite moment, where campers reflect on their day over cookies. “By the end of summer, they felt like my little besties.” 

Ellie credits her time studying Travel and Tourism at Weston College for sparking her passion for the industry. Initially drawn by a love of travel, the course opened her eyes to a wide range of career paths. “I always wanted to be a flight attendant,” she says, “but I realised there’s so much more out there.” 

Her college experience also helped build confidence and practical skills, particularly in communication and customer service. A standout moment was a business enterprise project supporting Weston Hospicecare, which gave students hands-on insight into running a business while raising money for a local cause. 

After leaving college, Ellie spent five months backpacking across Southeast Asia and Australia - an experience that further shaped her outlook. She is now preparing to return to the U.S. for another summer at camp, with future plans including volunteering in Africa and completing a ski season. 

Her current role at Bristol Airport also stems directly from a college opportunity. After undertaking work experience arranged through the careers and employability team, Ellie and her peers were offered part-time roles. “It was a great job to have while studying and will look amazing on my CV,” she says. 

For current students feeling uncertain about their future, Ellie offers simple but reassuring advice: “Try not to stress. Travelling has taught me that no one really has everything planned out.” 

Looking back, she would tell her younger self the same thing she reminds herself today: “Everything is going to work out in the end.” 

Her final message to students is clear: make the most of your time. “Enjoy it and take it all in - because it’s only two years, and it will be over before you know it.” 

On Thursday 26th March, learners at Weston Bay hosted an impressive Art Exhibition, named ‘Seeing Beneath the Surface’. The purpose of the exhibition was to celebrate the creativity, lived experiences, and self‑expression of our neurodiverse learners.

The exhibition transformed the Weston Bay building into a vibrant creative space and attracted an impressive turnout. Visitors explored rooms filled with diverse artwork, enjoyed a dedicated cinema room, and had the option to purchase food and drink. The pieces on display were created by learners as part of their curriculum, showcasing their exploration of a wide range of artistic practices, including weaving, photography, and mindfulness-inspired art.

The logo created for the exhibition features a subtle, faceless figure lifting away a mask to reveal a cluster of purple and green hydrangeas. The figure represents the pressure many of our learners feel to mask their authentic selves in wider society, contrasted with the space we create at Weston Bay where they can express themselves openly and confidently.

Hydrangeas are traditionally linked with heartfelt emotions and gratitude, reflecting the warmth and welcome our autistic learners experience within Weston College. The colour symbolism deepens this connection:

• Purple expresses a desire for deep understanding.
• Green symbolises renewal and growth.

Together, these elements capture the personal journeys, resilience, and identities of our students.

Armanda Costa, Lead Practitioner – Autism Residential and Employment Pathways, “Yesterday’s Art exhibition at Weston Bay was a powerful reminder of how creativity can bring a community together. What stood out most was the neurodiversity of learners’ voices represented -each artwork offering a unique lens on identity, nature, and lived experience. Events like this don’t just showcase talent; they celebrate the spirit of Weston Bay, Weston College, and the people who shape it.

“Thank you to everyone who came along - especially the parents, local schools, Weston College staff, and colleagues - whose encouraging feedback meant so much.”

Ned, Weston Bay learner, “We've been preparing for this for a whole term. My favourite part of the exhibition is seeing my performance on the screen and seeing James's reaction to my painting of him.”

This week, Weston College celebrated the fantastic achievements of our learners by hosting a Student Conference, bringing together our Student Reps, Student Leadership Team and nominated students to recognise their hard work and commitment so far this academic year.

The day was introduced by Deputy Principal, Ben Knocks, who welcomed the students and outlined the activities for the day before handing over to the Head of Student Engagement, Luke Penberthy, who introduced the first activity: building their dream college. This task allowed our students to consider what makes a great college and the aspects they deem as the most important to improve their student experience, giving them the opportunity to develop their ideas through constructive conversations and teamwork, whilst thinking logistically and thoughtfully about their decisions.

Our Students’ Union President, Niya Thomas, then introduced the guest speaker and former Sixth Form student, Dave Trevaskus from the LEGO Group, where he shared his journey and the challenges he faced throughout his progression, having worked at over 20 companies before landing in his current role as the Retail Training Lead at the LEGO Group.

He taught valuable lessons to the students in a fun and engaging way, creating an interactive quiz with LEGO sets as prizes, giving everyone a duck to build to test their adaptability, and leading an engaging memory test to prove how we learn through play effectively. Dave created a safe environment for the students to get involved in activities, reassuring them by chatting informally and creating a casual and comfortable environment that made a lasting impression on the room.

Following an engaging Q&A session with Dave and the students, a delicious lunch was provided by our catering staff for attendees to enjoy with their peers.

After lunch, Ben Knocks discussed the core values within Weston College and the importance of these in creating an inclusive and safe environment for everyone. Students then had the opportunity to share their thoughts and feedback on the values most important to them. This feedback is invaluable to ensure the quality and standards at Weston College continues to progress and grow, with student feedback at the forefront of our approach.

Finally, the Student Awards were announced, recognising students for their resilience, outstanding progress, community engagement, and inclusion throughout this academic year. Lecturers and staff nominated students they felt had gone above and beyond and deserved to be celebrated for their achievements. Winners and highly commended students were then chosen from the nominations and given a certificate to commemorate their efforts.

Tia Beard, Student Engagement Officer and organiser of the event, said, “It was fantastic to see such a great turnout to celebrate the hard work of the students so far this year and for so many amazing nominations to celebrate students’ achievements. I’d also like to say a huge thank you for the hard work of the Student Representatives and the Student Leadership Team for all the hard work you’ve done this year to help improve our college and make it an inclusive and enjoyable environment for everyone. Your involvement is imperative to the work we do!”

Well done to all the students who were nominated for each category. It is this commitment that reflects the standard of students and dedication of our lecturers. We also want to say a huge thank you to the Student Engagement Team, Tia Beard, Luke Penberthy, Morgan Jenkins, and Liv Haly, for all their hard work to make this event possible.

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.