Although it’s LGBTQ+ History month, rather than looking back, we’re looking to the present to celebrate LGBTQ+ staff and students currently at the College.
We caught up with Milly who is one of our new Learning Support Assistants to find out more about her journey.
"My name is Milly, I am a Learning Support Assistant at The Henley College.
In the year 2000 I joined the college as a Business studies student, and then went onto Reading College to study Childcare and Education.
I started working at The Henley College in January this year and this is a new role for me.
I have always lived in Henley and grew up here, so I have emotional connections to Henley and the college is included in that. I say with pride that I work here now!
It has always been a dream of mine to work in the education sector to help young people achieve their highest potential, so I feel so lucky to be working in a job I love.
I had some trouble with the direction I wanted to go in when I was young. I had a difficult childhood and didn’t fulfil my full potential, so this is the first time in my life I feel like I’m where I am supposed to be, in my home and work life.
I was confused about my sexuality until I was in my late 20s when I realised I was a lesbian. Before I felt like there was always something missing, and I couldn’t seem to find happiness. I knew to some extent and always assumed I was bisexual but I only had the confidence to realise my true sexuality later in life.
When I was 31, I married my wife and for the first time in my life I felt whole. I no longer had to pretend to be happy, I just was.
My advice to young people is to always live your truth even if it seems like a hard route to take. There is support in so many places and you will always find someone to talk to if you ask. Being happy with who you are is one of your biggest achievements.
I recently learnt a lovely Samuel Taylor Coleridge quote that is relevant as much today as it was back in the 1700’s - “Little is taught by contest or dispute but everything by sympathy and love.”
If you are a student and need some support then there are people at college who can provide confidential help > Click here to find out more
We hope that our students feel they can talk to us about anything that is worrying them or if they need some extra support, but we understand that sometimes it is easier to speak to someone you don't know, which is why we've put together a list of websites and helplines you can contact > Click here for more details
If you'd like to find out more about The Henley College, then why not visit one of our events or open days >> Events
