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.
Kathleen Cunningham
Maynooth University ArtsKathleen Cunningham
Maynooth University
ArtsKathleen made the decision to go back to education in 2017 because she knew that higher education was the key to realising her full potential and building security for her family. She received a distinction from One Family Ireland’s New Futures Programme and has recently completed Maynooth University’s Think About Teaching foundation course with first class honours. Kathleen’s career goal is to be a secondary school teacher to positively impact students, especially those traditionally underrepresented at third level, and their families and to help change the direction of other families’ stories.
Kierstie O’Driscoll
Cork Institute of Technology BusinessKierstie O’Driscoll
Cork Institute of Technology
BusinessKierstie has worked for the last ten years in retail but could not progress her career as much as she would have liked without a degree. While she has doubts and fear about going to college her biggest fear is “what if.” She does not want to look back later in life feeling that she has settled and thinking about what could have been if she took the leap and got her degree. She is passionate about business and aspires to be a Sales & Marketing Manager with a global company.
Laura Kinnear
University College Dublin Social Policy & SociologyLaura Kinnear
University College Dublin
Social Policy & SociologyLaura’s experience of ill health in 2011 fine-tuned her “focus and determination to pursue a career in the area of social care.” She subsequently secured a qualification and employment in Early Childhood Care and Education and in 2018 enrolled on University College Dublin’s Access to Arts & Social Sciences Programme. She is determined to channel her talent and interest in sociology, social work, social policy and justice into a meaningful line of work
Laura Mahon
Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology AnimationLaura Mahon
Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology
AnimationBecoming seriously ill in 2012 motivated Laura to re-evaluate her life, identify what is truly important and motivated her to pursue her lifelong dream to work in animation and illustration. Over two years she completed a Level 5 course in Art & Design in preparation for a Bachelor’s Degree. She also volunteered with the Carlow Arts Festival. Laura is committed to creating characters and worlds in which people can find their escape during her degree and future career in the field.
Lauren Crossley
Stranmillis College Early Childhood StudiesLauren Crossley
Stranmillis College
Early Childhood StudiesLauren has always had “an interest in education” and becoming a teacher. Since 2016, she has been able to pursue this ambition by securing employment as a Preschool Nursery & Special Education Needs Assistant. She has also completed a Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies with Southern Regional College. After her Bachelor’s Degree she intends to secure a Postgraduate Certificate in Education even if it means being the “oldest primary school teaching graduate.”
Leanne Farrell
University College Dublin Arts, History & PoliticsLeanne Farrell
University College Dublin
Arts, History & PoliticsLeanne is a qualified hairdresser who always wanted to study History & Politics. She has a burning desire to learn more and be in a university with other people who are motivated to be challenged and to learn. She completed University College Dublin’s Access Programme and intends to progress onto post-graduate studies and one day third level teaching.
Leanne Lowry
Maynooth University Community StudiesLeanne Lowry
Maynooth University
Community StudiesEven though Leanne left school early, she subsequently completed her Leaving Certificate, a post Leaving Certificate course and a Higher National Diploma in Social Studies. Leanne currently works part-time in a community development project in the Liberties area of Dublin but knows that she has room to grow as a person and a professional. She has chosen her particular course of study because she has always been a ‘people’ person, attracted to people, interested in making connections with others, wanting to understand, and learn from others, and almost view the world from another perspective.
Linette Keane
National University of Ireland Galway Community Youth & Family StudiesLinette Keane
National University of Ireland Galway
Community Youth & Family StudiesSince leaving school in 2002, Linette has worked full-time in hospitality and retail. She always knew, however, that she loved to help others and over time began to see that she could have a career doing this. She began to volunteer with Foróige and is a mentor on the Big Brother Big Sister Programme. She has completed the Diploma in Youth and Community Development and feels that a degree in Community Youth and Family Studies will further prepare her for working with young people.
The Scholarships
Uversity advertises and awards Higher Education Scholarships to Adult Learners to enrol on a Bachelor’s Degree for the first time