Emilia Reyes Pabon

Emilia grew up in Spain and attended primary and secondary bilingual schools, where she had the opportunity to learn English to a high level. “I had family living in the UK, so I spent some summers in Oxford, practicing my English and learning about the culture”. Following the completion of her GCSEs in 2015, Emilia had the opportunity to move to the UK, and continue her studies.

‘I was always fascinated by science, and thoroughly enjoyed it in school, so I decided to take Biology, Chemistry and Physics A-levels. During that time, I enrolled in various work experiences, where I learnt about different laboratory skills, and I realised then that I wanted to pursue a career in science.”

Emilia joined the Clinical BioManufacturing Facility in 2018 as an Apprentice Operations Technician. Here, she had the chance to support and learn from a fantastic team of scientists developing vaccines for clinical trials, while completing a Level 3 BTEC in Applied Science; she was even part of the manufacture of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Since them, Emilia has progressed to work as an Apprentice Technician Scientist while completing a foundation degree in Applied Bioscience with the University of Kent, this has allowed her to use all the skills that she learnt from her first apprenticeship.