Izavella Orejuela Pennycooke
Bracknell,Berkshire
Summary
As a Sport and Exercise Science graduate from Loughborough University and a current MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology student at Brunel, I am eager to gain experience and contribute to the sport, health, and exercise industry. Additionally, my experience working with children has made me a motivated professional, that is eager to leverage academic knowledge and skills in this space. I believe that working with young children is invaluable. It is an opportunity to ensure that all children, particularly those with adverse childhood experiences are offered holistic and multidisciplinary support; in order to flourish, be heard, and be seen.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Nursery Assistant
The Old School Day Nursery
Ascot
07.2024 - Current
- My primary responsibility is to create a safe environment to encourage the development and learning of children.
- This involves outdoor play, stimulating activities such as colour association and number games, cooking tasks, arts and crafts, forest school, and finally assisting them in learning how to eat, and what it means to eat a balanced and healthy diet.
- I undertook a safeguarding course (regular safeguarding training) and a food hygiene course here, further augmenting my knowledge of the topic.
Level 2 Netball Coach
Royals Netball Club
Windsor
01.2023 - Current
- As a qualified Level 2 netball coach, this allows me to lead sessions for all age groups.
- This involves planning coherent and productive training sessions that adequately prepare the players for competition. The sessions that I plan consider the overall goals of the team, as well as the noticeable areas for improvement from previous matches and training sessions.
- A lead coaching role comes with responsibilities beyond session planning; I also pride myself on adopting a 'person first and player second' mindset. Coaching allows me to be a positive influence on young girls who find confidence through netball. I do this by fostering open communication between myself, the athletes, and their coaches.
- Additionally, I like to encourage autonomy throughout my sessions to enable athletes to feel empowered and in control of decisions. I believe this is the best method for preparing the players for pressure situations in competition.
- Learning in a sporting environment is all about mastery climates, recognising that self-referenced progress is the most important.
- After completing my Level 1 assistant qualification in 2019, I have grown as a leader and I am far more comfortable asserting myself confidently in team environments, but most importantly in high-pressure situations that require fast decision-making.
Elite Netball Academy Head Coach
The Old School Day Nursery
Ascot
09.2025 - 12.2025
- During my time with Elite Netball, I was employed as the head coach in which I delivered pre -planned sessions designed by elite netball coaches. The athletes did not play competitive matches, so my role focused solely on player development, skills development, and strength and conditioning.
- Working with a new assistant coach taught me about collaboration and learning to draw upon her strengths to produce successful sessions. I adopted a collaborative approach when I recognised that both our coaching styles would contribute equally to the environment.
AU 4s Netball Coach (volunteer)
Loughborough University
Loughborough
10.2024 - 05.2025
- Coaching for the Loughborough University AU club allowed me to develop my coaching abilities by working with a higher-ranked team. The biggest area of learning for me has been player management.
- I've had to work with different personalities and expectations, but by mid-season, I had built a cohesive team. Despite being predicted to finish bottom of the league, and entering as the lowest-ranked team, we convincingly avoided relegation and delivered strong performances.
- That progress reflected both the players' growth and the work I put into planning sessions, running 1:1s with the girls, and adding a social element to ensure team cohesion was always front and centre
Sports Intern and Netball Coach
Millfield Prep School
09.2023 - 06.2024
- At Millfield Prep School (MPS), my main role was to assist with hockey, netball, and cricket sessions for children aged 4 to 13.
- Secondly, I provided 1-to-1 and 2-to-1 private netball sessions for higher-performing student-athletes.
- In addition to my sporting responsibilities, I lived in the boarding house, in which I undertook evening duties. I worked two evenings a week, where I would help the children become more organised, prepare evening snacks, spend time with them, comfort them, and get them settled for bed.
- During sports sessions, I would do anything from setting up activities as requested by the head coach, to taking a leadership role in planning and delivering a comprehensive term of netball, and sometimes hockey, sessions for my team.
- After completing my year-long internship at MPS, I understood the importance of getting children physically active while enjoying it, the logistics of delivering a comprehensive PE curriculum, and planning and delivering games sessions that accommodate a range of abilities.
- This job role has taught me greater empathy towards the unique and difficult backgrounds of children, even children of the highest privilege. It has shown me how I can have a big role in making a child's day a little bit brighter.
Sales Assistant
New Look
06.2022 - 09.2022
- This job involved politely and engagingly dealing with customer service inquiries, consistently maintaining a clean shop floor, working on the tills, and unpacking and organising deliveries.
- All the responsibilities mentioned have helped improve my interpersonal skills, particularly when interacting with different customer personalities.
- My task efficiency allowed me to add value to the company and hit local company target goals, specifically customer response targets, multiple times.
- Processesing sales transactions efficiently, handling cash, credit, and debit payments accurately.
Primary Teaching Assistant (work experience)
Cranbourne Primary School
11.2018 - 11.2018
- During my one-week work experience, my main job was to assist the principal class teacher in Years 3 and 4.
- This was my first job role, and as an assistant teacher, I learned how to complete tasks effectively and work in a classroom setting. I ensured that class equipment and activities were set up, and I helped with group and individual learning.
- Work experience taught me how to manage and accommodate different personalities and learning abilities, while also gaining valuable communication skills necessary when working with children.
Education
MSc Sports & Exercise Psychology - Psychology
Brunel University
London2027
BSc Sports & Exercise Science - Science
Loughborough University
Leicestershire2025
A-levels - Biology, Geography, Physical Education
Ranelagh
Berkshire01.2021
GCSEs - Mathematics, English, Science Trilogy, History, Geography, Drama, Physical Education
Ranelagh
Berkshire01.2021
Skills
- Critical thinking and analysis
- Creative
- Collaborative
- Communication skills
- Good time management and reliable
- Adequate navigation and understanding of digital technology and media
- Adaptable
- Health and safety knowledge
- Safeguarding awareness
- DBS checked
- Resilient work ethic
- Leadership qualities
Accomplishments
- Emergency first aid at work, 2023-11-23
- UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children, 2024-03-05
- Safeguarding and Protecting Children Early Years Level 3&4, 2024-08-11
- Food Hygiene and Safety Early Years Level 3&4, 2024-08-11
- Emergency First Aid at work, 2025-09-07
- Full Pediatric First Aid, 2025-09-20
- Qualified England Netball Level 1 Netball coach
- Qualified England Netball Level 2 Netball Coach
Hobbies and Interests
- Sports, Participated in swimming, dancing, netball, and gymnastics. Competitive in netball, winning gold in BUCS finals.
- Health and Fitness, Dedicated to promoting physical activity and its benefits for mental health and well-being.
- Performing Arts, Performed at Royal Opera House, Birmingham Symphony Hall, and Her Majesty's theatre.
References
available on request
Certification
- Qualified England Netball Level 1 Netball coach
- Qualified England Netball Level 2 Netball Coach
- Emergency first aid at work (23/11/2023)
- UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children (5/03/2024)
- Safeguarding and Protecting Children Early Years Level 3&4 (11/08/2024)
- Food Hygiene and Safety Early Years Level 3&4 (11/08/2024)
- Emergency First Aid at work (7/09/2025)
- Full Paediatric First Aid (20/09/2025)
Hobbies and interests
- Netball (BUCS Gold champion, London Mavericks NXT Gen Champion, Loughborough Lightning NXT Gen champion)
- Performing arts (Stagecoach, Her Majesties Theatre, and The Royal Opera House)
- Health and Fitness
References
- Available on request
Timeline
Elite Netball Academy Head Coach
The Old School Day Nursery
09.2025 - 12.2025
AU 4s Netball Coach (volunteer)
Loughborough University
10.2024 - 05.2025
Nursery Assistant
The Old School Day Nursery
07.2024 - Current
Sports Intern and Netball Coach
Millfield Prep School
09.2023 - 06.2024
Level 2 Netball Coach
Royals Netball Club
01.2023 - Current
Sales Assistant
New Look
06.2022 - 09.2022
Primary Teaching Assistant (work experience)
Cranbourne Primary School
11.2018 - 11.2018
MSc Sports & Exercise Psychology - Psychology
Brunel University
BSc Sports & Exercise Science - Science
Loughborough University
A-levels - Biology, Geography, Physical Education
Ranelagh
GCSEs - Mathematics, English, Science Trilogy, History, Geography, Drama, Physical Education
Ranelagh