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.
Megan Peaches Jennings
Queen’s University Belfast PsychologyMegan Peaches Jennings
Queen’s University Belfast
PsychologyHaving climbed a lot of hills and jumped over a lot of hurdles, Megan is pursuing her passions of psychology and animals. Megan has completed an Access Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences at Belfast Metropolitan College. She intends to explore the therapeutic benefit of animals in mental health treatment during her degree and qualification as a clinical psychologist.
Michael Dunphy
Maynooth University Community and Youth WorkMichael Dunphy
Maynooth University
Community and Youth WorkMichael ran his own car valeting business for fifteen years. In September 2018 he enrolled on and recently finished a Level 5 Course in Community Development with The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU)’s Building Futures Programme. Once he completes his degree he intends to seek employment as a community development worker. Michael believes “that every person should have a voice in society, so I would like to empower and motivate them to find their voice on issues that affect them and their community.”
Michelle Corr
Maynooth University PsychologyMichelle Corr
Maynooth University
PsychologyMichelle’s previous experience of employment in the service industry as a photo print technician and taxi driver have provided her with unique perspectives on her field of study. She completed Trinity’s Access Programme in 2017 before embarking on her degree. Her prior Community Employment placements “were invaluable to gaining insights into services that assist the most vulnerable in the community.”
Michelle Murray
University College Dublin Veterinary NursingMichelle Murray
University College Dublin
Veterinary NursingMichelle’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.
Nadine Kittle
Queen’s University Belfast LawNadine Kittle
Queen’s University Belfast
LawNadine took medical retirement as a Police Officer with the Police Service of Northern Ireland following an Injury on Duty. Her passion for the law has not been diminished and motivated her to enrol on an Access to University course in South Eastern Regional College in 2017. Nadine hopes to “help young people avoid criminal convictions in their early teens” after she receives her law degree.
Nadine Savage
Queen’s University Belfast Adult NursingNadine Savage
Queen’s University Belfast
Adult NursingNadine completed a Foundation Degree at Southern Eastern Regional College prior to enrolling on her degree while working as a care provider and singer. Nadine intends to seek further qualifications and education once she qualifies as a nurse. As she believes that “working in the community is the best way to make a difference in people’s lives,” she intends to specialise in community and district nursing and becoming a teacher within the profession.
Niamh Foley
Technological University Dublin Science with NanotechnologyNiamh Foley
Technological University Dublin
Science with NanotechnologyNiamh worked in childcare but always wanted to study science. She returned to education in 2017 and has completed access programmes in University College Dublin and Technological University of Dublin. Her future goal is to become part of a research team developing medical devices that could treat and save patient’s lives. She also wants to inspire her family and anyone who has a passion for education to keep going even when the odds are against you.
Octavian Visan
Institute of Technology Sligo Digital MarketingOctavian Visan
Institute of Technology Sligo
Digital MarketingOctavian 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.
The Scholarships
Uversity advertises and awards Higher Education Scholarships to Adult Learners to enrol on a Bachelor’s Degree for the first time