Our Scholars
What distinguishes Uversity's Scholars is their commitment to being transformed and transforming others as a result of the Scholarship and educational experience.
Meet Our Scholars
These brief profiles of Uversity’s Scholars provide an indication of their diverse experiences, locations, and disciplines. They are unified by their inspirational ambition and determination.
Ciara Hicks
Hayden Nightingale
Karen Horan
Michelle Murray
Octavian Visan
Patrick Lynch
Ciara Hicks
Ciara worked in the gaming sector prior to returning to education initially at the Cork College of Commerce. After her degree, Ciara intends to complete a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She eventually wants to “work as a mental health professional in Cork City in the public sector and provide therapies and support to people who need it and improve people’s quality of life.”
Hayden Nightingale
Hayden was motivated to return to education when he gave up his job to move back home to help care for his mother. Knowing that he “wasn’t living up to his potential” and wanted to find a career he had a passion for, he enrolled on Belfast Metropolitan College’s Access Diploma in Mathematics and Computing. After his degree, Hayden may pursue a Master’s in Corporate Governance and hopes to specialise “in the programming development side of the IT industry and more long term work on a self-employed basis and develop my own company.”
Karen Horan
Karen was brought up in a working class community and experienced the difficulties faced by the community in relation to equal justice. By working for Inclusion Ireland she built up skills in information provision. She went onto volunteer as a Citizen Information Officer, where she developed a passionate interest in Law. She recently joined the National Advocacy Service as the National Administrator where she works full-time while completing her degree. Karen intends to use her legal knowledge to give back to the community that has given her so much.
Michelle Murray
Michelle’s passion is for animal welfare, particularly horses. In 2016, she set up a project to support equine health and education with the Kildare Traveller Action group. She subsequently completed a Community Development & Leadership course prior to enrolling on her degree. She recently completed a Level 7 Certificate in Youth Studies at Maynooth University. Her ultimate aim is to set up a mobile equine health unit to help horse owners in disadvantaged and rural communities that struggle to access veterinary care.
Octavian Visan
Octavian worked for many years as a Hotel Receptionist prior to setting up his own tennis equipment business in 2014. The onset of ill health motivated him to further his education and change career direction. He has completed a Level 6 Business Administration course along with extra modules in Maths and Computerised Accounts. His work placement in Cora Systems allowed him to further develop his existing design and communication skills. With his degree, Octavian intends to start a career in Digital Marketing and open his own business in the future.
Patrick Lynch
Due to the onset of a degenerative back disease, Patrick had to cease being a self-employed carpenter. As he is also a musician, Patrick decided to pursue this alternative career path. He hopes to equip himself “with a qualification relevant to a career in music, arts and media” and to continue to develop his own creative ambitions as an artist.
Sarah McNamara
Limerick Institute of Technology Social Care WorkSarah McNamara
Limerick Institute of Technology
Social Care WorkSarah returned to education by taking night classes in Psychology and Mental Health Awareness before enrolling on her degree. She has also volunteered locally. Her “dream is to gain the qualifications and training necessary to work supporting women surviving trauma and abuse.” She hopes “to inspire other people to find the power within themselves to transform their lives.”
Sharon McParland
Queen’s University Belfast PsychologySharon McParland
Queen’s University Belfast
PsychologySharon always wanted to go to university but financially this was not an option. In 2018, Sharon completed an Access Course in Social Sciences and Humanities in the Southern Regional College and deferred her offer for the BSc in Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast until 2019. Sharon runs her own commercial laundry business and intends to become a qualified psychologist so that she can help others in need.
Suzanne Cushen
Dundalk Institute of Technology Social CareSuzanne Cushen
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Social CareSuzanne left school at fifteen and has been caring for people all her life. She has worked for the Health Service Executive, fosters children for Tusla and nursed her late mother for many years. Now that her four children are in full-time education it is time for Suzanne to do something for herself and reach her full educational potential. Tusla have provided Suzanne with many courses and she completed a QQI Level 5 course in Childcare with the Louth Meath Educational Training Board which have helped her on the road to studying for this degree.
Tahti Korpela
University College Dublin ArtsTahti Korpela
University College Dublin
ArtsTahti’s motivation for attending is to change the trajectory of her life. Her interest in languages led her to start working at a Japanese restaurant where she started to learn Japanese and Chinese with the help of the staff. In return she helped them with English and discovered great joy in helping others to learn and a possible career in languages and translation. She completed University College Dublin’s Open Learning Course in 2019/20.
Vanessa Burns
University College Cork Speech & Language TherapyVanessa Burns
University College Cork
Speech & Language TherapyBuilding on an initial Level 5 qualification, Vanessa has worked as a Physiotherapist Assistant since 2014. A further qualification and recent employment as an Activity Co-ordinator in a dementia unit has motivated her to become a Speech & Language Therapist. With this qualification and her existing experience in multi-disciplinary teams, Vanessa hopes “to support and improve the lives of others by fostering growth and development.”
Vanessa Milliken
Queen’s University Belfast Computing and Information TechnologyVanessa Milliken
Queen’s University Belfast
Computing and Information TechnologyGoing to university had been “a lifelong dream” for Vanessa which she postponed due to ‘unsettled’ circumstances. Once settled, Vanessa successfully completed a fast-track access to university course where she achieved 85%, giving her a High Commendation. Vanessa is delighted to be at university and determined to pursue her ambitions of “a successful career in the IT and Technology industries.” She aims to be a role model for her young children and prove that “with hard work and perseverance they can achieve their goals.”
Vlasta Khanova
Technological University Dublin Biomedical SciencesVlasta Khanova
Technological University Dublin
Biomedical SciencesHaving completed a Level 4 Personal and Professional Development Course, Vlasta enrolled on Technological University Dublin’s Access Foundation Programme in 2018. Vlasta will pursue her degree in Biomedical Sciences with the intention of enrolling on a Master’s Degree and perhaps a PhD programme. She is particularly interested in immunology and “would like to work in one of the teams that develop new drugs and approaches to curing cancer.”
Zoe Keogh
St Patrick’s Carlow College Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care)Zoe Keogh
St Patrick’s Carlow College
Applied Social Studies (Professional Social Care)Zoe is pursuing a degree in Social Care to fulfil her life-long goal to make a real difference in vulnerable persons’ lives. In preparation for her degree, she completed a Level 5 Introduction to Nursing course at Carlow Institute of Further Education and Training. Zoe’s goals after graduation are to work closely with families and individuals of domestic violence and vulnerable minors. She may also use her qualification and experience as an equine instructor to provide equine therapy
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The Scholarships
Uversity advertises and awards Higher Education Scholarships to Adult Learners to enrol on a Bachelor’s Degree for the first time