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Category: Student stories
‘Your first career doesn’t have to be your final one’
Paul Gardner-Smith has just completed his Open University Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship as part of a drastic career change from secondary school teacher to nurse. He’s now living his dream career as a Registered Nurse and has already created an inspired ‘buddy’ system to support the next generation of nursing apprentices. As part of Paul’s […]
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‘I’m advocating for the rights and equality of people with disabilities’
Steven Sutherland from Kilbarchan near Glasgow is on a mission to create positive change for the disabled community. An established disability rights advocate and former member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, 27-year-old Steven is now studying a Bachelor of Laws Honours degree with The Open University. He’s determined to use his qualification to progress in […]
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From the Invictus Games to a coaching career
Former Royal Marine Peter Dunning was playing wheelchair rugby at the Invictus Games 2018 when a fellow UK Team member told him about The Open University’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund (DVSF). He successfully applied and before he knew it, Peter was embarking on a BSc Sport, Fitness and Coaching degree – something which has always […]
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‘I want to inspire future generations, like the OU did for me’
When Hadiyyah Matsell started her OU journey she was a single mum with a love of science but no means of achieving her goal. After deciding ‘it’s now or never’, she began studying with the OU and life has never been the same. Hadiyyah recently graduated with BSc (Hons) Degree in Natural Sciences and has […]
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“I’m using what I’ve learned every day of my working life”
Dawn Stewart is deputy ward manager at a busy mental health facility in Cambridgeshire. Having already gained a Master’s degree with The Open University, Dawn recently returned, adding Non-Medical Prescribing to her OU qualifications. This time around, Dawn had more hurdles to overcome – continuing to study, work in nursing, and care for her children […]
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“I use the skills I developed through the microcredential every day at work!”
When Alison McLachlan began learning online during lockdown, she had no idea she’d be applying her new skills so quickly at work. She signed up for an Open University (OU) microcredential short course via the OU’s social learning platform, FutureLearn, while on furlough, but was back at work before she knew it, juggling her career […]
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‘I launched a start-up alongside my OU studies’
Entrepreneur and Business Studies graduate Nick Bassan says The Open University was the perfect place to launch his smart-tech clothing brand. After two attempts at university, Nick, 29, says the OU gave him the flexibility he needed to achieve a degree – all while continuing to grow his business. “I was able to apply learnings […]
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“I poured my heart out onto the page writing about infertility for my Creative Writing MA”
Samantha Holmes signed up for an MA in Creative Writing with The Open University as a distraction from the challenging IVF journey her and her husband were on. She used her writing to open up about their fertility battle, which she found cathartic, but which also raised awareness of infertility – a struggle faced by […]
‘I just kept going, I didn’t want to quit’
When it comes to helping her community, EAL Coordinator Mihaela Popa, 37, has been described as a ‘force of nature’. Despite battling COVID multiple times, even while pregnant, Mihaela won’t let anything get in the way of her dream teaching career. She shares how studying with The Open University is helping to make that dream […]
‘My first OU module inspired a video game’
When Faye isn’t studying for her English Language degree with The Open University, she’s creating video games that celebrate her love of words. Faye shares how her first OU module material gave her the creative spark and confidence to take the plunge into the world of gaming. “I’m definitely a gamer girl,” said Faye, who […]
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