SHSS Alumnae Link - Constance Young
Welcome to SHSS Alumnae Link!
This is where we connect with past pupils and find out what they’re up to now.
This week we linked with Constance Young who graduated in 2014.
Name and position:
Constance Young, Medical Scientist.
Lives:
The Big Shmoke (Dublin)
Best memory of Sacred Heart:
The TY trip to Cappanalea (pictured) was so special and fun. It was probably the first time we had all been on an overnight trip away from home for a few days, and it was such great craic staying in bunk beds and dorms with your best pals. We got up to all sorts of mischief even though we were meant to be asleep, like having a sack race down the hall in our sleeping bags and having sing-offs. I don’t think the teachers were impressed!! We spent all day outdoors doing kayaking, abseiling and mountaineering- I remember our instructors dropped us off on a road and we had to navigate our way up a hill and over to our campsite by ourselves while they watched from afar, and my group thought we had gotten to the top of our hill and starting celebrating... until we saw our instructor up ahead on a hill that was 5 or 6 times the height of the one we had just climbed (oops). It was so tough but it was really fun as a group, we were so delighted to set up camp for the night though none of us really slept and we all were too scared to go out by ourselves to have a wee in the dark so we all went together. What were we like?!
It was always great the few times our teachers would take us out for a walk. If it was a nice day, it was always great to get out of the classroom for any reason at all. And the memories of sitting outside for lunch on the grass right outside the staff room and talking about absolutely everything you could think of (sometimes we’d forget the teachers could hear us!).
What were your favourite classes?
I really loved doing anything with my hands, so Art and Tech were classes I always looked forward to. Ms O’Connell was always so interactive and engrossing with her antics. She always gave great advice with your artwork but at the same time encouraged you to work as independently as possible. The ‘Amélie’ soundtrack is probably still a staple in that art room! The art room was probably my favourite place in the school, I always looked forward to getting away from the standard classroom, which is probably why I enjoyed Technology with Mr Woods too.
Tell us about your career progression to date:
I chose to do Art, Chemistry, Physics, Applied Maths and French for the Leaving Cert. I went on to study Biomedical Science for 5 years with UCC/CIT- It’s a joint course between the 2 institutions, which gives you the best of both worlds really. In the first 4 years, you study the 5 main disciplines of laboratory science- Histopathology (study of diseases in tissues), Clinical Biochemistry (study of biochemical measurements used in diagnosis/treatment), Transfusion Science (blood transfusions), Microbiology (study of micro-organisms in disease) and Haematology (study of blood-related conditions). I didn’t do Biology for the LC, but this wasn’t a problem in any way. My 5th year was spent on hospital placement as a Medical Scientist Intern in Cork University Hospital and Bantry General Hospital, which was a great experience as it gave me an insight into what working as a Medical Scientist was like in both a big and a small hospital.
After completing placement and graduating, I worked for the summer in the Bons Secours Hospital before accepting a permanent role as a Medical Scientist in the Histopathology Laboratory in the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin. I really enjoy working here as it’s a hospital dedicated to women’s health (and their babies), which is important to me. Working in their histopathology lab, my team primarily processes placentas, cervical samples and products of conception (this includes miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies). We study placental tissue to determine why a newborn baby might be doing poorly and what can be done for treatment to give babies the best chance of survival. Cervical tissue is looked at for malignancies, and is vital for determining what type of malignancy it is and what kind of treatment would give the best rate of success. It’s very important work that has a massive impact on our patients, and I enjoy coming to work because it’s very purposeful and meaningful to me that we’re doing our best for these women and their babies. It’s also work that is very hands-on (it can also be a bit messy but era, I like it) rather than sitting at a screen all day, which reflects what I enjoyed in school!
If you weren’t in the job you have, what would you be doing?
It’s an odd one but everyone who knows me well knows what I’m going to say. I’ve always said that if I could do everything all over again, I would have gone into the funeral industry- I always thought of being an embalmer, but I think I would have actually done an apprenticeship/course to be a mortician. Morticians do nearly everything in the funeral home whereas embalmers are confined to one particular skill set. It’s an unusual career choice, but again very meaningful as death is an important part of everyone’s lives and I have huge respect for the people who work in the industry.
Advice you would give your teenage self:
Never be embarrassed of your passions or hobbies even if other people find it weird. It doesn’t matter what other people think, what matters is that it makes YOU happy because at the end of the day, you’re the one living your life and you may as well be happy whatever you end up doing! And you are NEVER the only one who has a weird hobby, there is a whole community out there and there is always someone out there who will understand your passion.
Favourite quote or motto?
Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something.
What is your hidden talent?
You could throw me into any kitchen that may or may not have a lot of ingredients, but I’d still end up making a decent dinner out of nothing without a recipe!
Huge thanks to Constance for taking the time to answer our questions!
See you soon for the next instalment of SHSS Alumnae Link.
