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.
Seána Monaghan
Queen’s University Belfast PsychologySeána Monaghan
Queen’s University Belfast
PsychologyDriven by a passion for understanding human behaviour and helping others, Seána returned to Belfast Met to complete an Access Diploma in Social Science and Humanities. Her life experiences inspired her to pursue a degree in Psychology, with the goal of working with children and families, supporting them with overcoming some of life’s complex challenges and reaching their full potential.
Seppyoggi Mutetwa
Technological University Dublin Sustainable Timber TechnologySeppyoggi Mutetwa
Technological University Dublin
Sustainable Timber TechnologyAfter several years in the workforce, I returned to education to pursue my passion for learning and personal growth. I chose to study A BSc (Hons) in Sustainable Timber Technology at Technological University Dublin because it combines my interests in technology, sustainability and social impact, allowing me to develop skills that can drive meaningful change in my community and construction industry. The desire to make a difference and stay current in an evolving job market motivated my journey back to education, where I am excited to explore new ideas and collaborate with like-minded peers.
Shane Counter
Following experiences with ill health, Shane reevaluated his career path and decided to pursue education in a field he was passionate about. With semi-professional experience as a musician and producer, he felt that a lack of formal qualifications was limiting his opportunities to become a full-time music professional. He has graduated from a level 6 Sound Production course in BCFE as preparation for his degree. His ideal portfolio career would include working as a teacher, a composer, a performer, and a sound engineer.
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.
Shaun Wallace
SETU Waterford Psychiatric NursingShaun Wallace
SETU Waterford
Psychiatric NursingShaun is returning to college to study Psychiatric Nursing in SETU Waterford. After completing a plc in nursing studies with all distinctions, he is excited to begin the next stage of his journey. He is looking forward to meeting new people, understanding in detail about Mental Health and how to look after patients with the most respect and show traits of empathy towards them.
Sheona O’Regan
University College Cork AnthropologySheona O’Regan
University College Cork
AnthropologySheona O’Regan had been working in hospitality for ten years and had wanted to make a change for quite a while. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to shift direction and pursue higher education. She completed a QQI Level 5 in Psychology and Social Studies, which enabled her to secure a place at University College Cork, where she earned a degree in Anthropology. Sheona achieved her goal of a 2:1 and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management at UCC. In this Master’s, she is able to use her anthropology background and apply it to understanding workplace culture. When she has completed her Master’s, Sheona hopes to work in the field of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Stephen David Gage
University College Dublin RadiographyStephen David Gage
University College Dublin
RadiographyStephen returned back to full time education in 2021, by enrolling into a foundation degree in applied medical science, offered by South West College Enniskillen. On completion of this course he was then able to apply to Radiography courses around the country and was thankfully accepted by University College Dublin. Stephen is looking forward to continuing his studies and eventually his future career as a radiographer, where it is his goal to provide a high quality and compassionate experience to his future patients.
Suzanne Cushen
Dundalk Institute of Technology Social CareSuzanne Cushen
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Social CareSuzanne is a mother, foster carer and a Social Care BA Hons graduate from DKIT, in which Uversity supported her with a scholarship. With additional qualifications in trauma-informed care and work-based resilience from UCC, and a Higher Diploma in Further Education in Counselling and Psychotherapy, she is now pursuing a Masters in Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy. Currently working with clients at Crosscare and Sosad, Suzanne excels in building relationships and educating others on trauma, helping society heal. Once a beneficiary of NALA’s support, she believes in the power of education and healing at any stage of life. Suzanne’s personal insight and passion make a compelling voice on trauma. Everyone’s light can be switched on!
The Scholarships
Uversity advertises and awards Higher Education Scholarships to Adult Learners to enrol on a Bachelor’s Degree for the first time