As we celebrate 25 years of the SCQF during SCQF Week 2026, we’re sharing stories that show how learning can shape lives and careers in unexpected ways.
Anna Devitt’s journey is a powerful example. Twenty-five years ago, she left school aged 13 and believed her ambitions were out of reach. Now, she creates and delivers her own qualifications. Anna’s story demonstrates the importance of finding a learning route that works for you.
Twenty-five years ago, I was 13 and had just left mainstream education. At that point, I had absolutely no idea what my journey would look like, but I did have big aspirations. I wanted to be either a lawyer or a teacher.
The problem was that I already knew I wasn’t going to get the grades traditionally needed to follow either of those paths, so I assumed those careers were simply out of reach for me.
Looking back, I think that was the beginning of a theme that has followed me throughout my life: if the traditional route doesn’t work, find another way.
I had to find my own pathway into education, learning and ultimately my career. And I think that experience has shaped everything I’ve done since.
What changed?
I was honoured to be selected as the first ever Young Company Participant at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and the then Community Director Neil Packham, once said to me “Don’t tell me – show me” and that stuck with me for life, don’t tell people what you are going to do – SHOW THEM.
I’ve had so many incredible people come into my life, and my family have been hugely important in supporting me. I’ve also been incredibly lucky to meet people throughout my career who have opened doors, challenged my thinking and given me opportunities. There are far too many people to name them all.
But ultimately, I think the biggest impact came from making a decision to look at education differently.
I started talking to people who delivered education, training and learning in different ways. I sought out people who had built careers that didn’t necessarily follow the traditional tick-box route. I became fascinated by the idea that there isn’t just one way to learn, succeed or build a career. That willingness to ask questions, speak to people and find another route has stayed with me throughout my journey.
Education has come full circle
Education and learning have shaped my career massively. In many ways, education is my life.
I started by undertaking what was called alternative education while working in a law firm, because I wanted to improve my grades and create opportunities that I hadn’t thought were available to me. From there, I went to college and continued learning.
I’m now studying for my degree, with ambitions to hopefully go on to do a PhD but the really exciting part is that education has now come full circle for me. I don’t just participate in education – I create it.
I have devised, developed and now deliver my own qualifications, built around the SCQF, and I’m currently developing four more qualifications.
So the young girl who thought education wasn’t accessible to her is now someone who is actively contributing to the education system.
Twists and challenges
There have been so many unexpected twists and challenges along the way!
But if I’ve learned one thing, it’s to trust myself and never stop learning.
Sometimes that learning has come from books, qualifications and academia. But, just as often, it has come from life – from talking to people who know more than I do, listening to different perspectives, making mistakes and being willing to admit that I don’t have all the answers.
I’ve learned that you don’t always need to have the whole plan worked out.
Sometimes you just need to take the next step, ask the next question and be prepared to change direction.
And I’ve learned that challenges don’t necessarily have to be things that stop you. They can become the things that shape you.
Achievements along the way
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to receive awards and recognition for the work I’ve done, and I’m very proud of those achievements. But, honestly, the thing that makes me proudest is much more personal.
It’s when somebody who has completed one of my programmes comes back to me and tells me that it made a difference to their life. That’s the bit that matters.
Knowing that something I created has helped somebody feel more confident, understand themselves differently, believe in themselves or take their next step is incredibly rewarding.
I was also incredibly honoured this year to be invited to the King’s Buckingham Palace Garden Party, which was genuinely a breathtaking moment and something I never could have imagined when I was 13 and had just left mainstream education.
Standing there and thinking about the journey that had brought me to that moment was quite extraordinary.
Anna’s advice
If I could give one piece of advice it’s ‘be you’.
I think we get lost so often in life worrying about what we should do, how things should be done and what other people think we should become. I’d tell my younger self to trust herself a little bit more. You don’t have to follow somebody else’s path just because it’s the path everyone else is taking. Your way might look different. It might take longer. It might have a few more twists and turns. That’s okay.
You are allowed to create your own route.
Learning that’s right for you
I’m not sure whether my story will inspire everybody, but if there’s one thing I’d like people to take from it, it’s this:
We’re all on one journey – the journey called life.
Your understanding of yourself, your learning and the world around you is constantly changing. You meet people who challenge your thinking. You learn things you didn’t know. You see situations from different perspectives. You discover that something you once believed isn’t necessarily true. And that’s a wonderful thing. So, keep learning in whatever way feels right for you – there are loads of courses on the SCQF that are flexible and fun – try one!
Have you been inspired by Anna’s learning journey? Visit our support page for adults returning to education.