“I’ve faced many hurdles and turmoil": UCLan graduates share their inspiring stories

Between Monday, July 8 and Friday, July 12, more than 4,000 UCLan students donned their academic caps and gowns across 14 graduation ceremonies held at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre .

Amongst the many successful graduates from last week were plenty with inspirational stories and below we have collected just four of them. 

If you also think you have an inspiring graduation story to tell, contact us via our Facebook messages here.

Trauma fuels former army reserver turned new doctor

A new graduate who has overcome an abusive relationship, sexual harassment and an ADHD diagnosis is looking forward to starting her new career as a doctor.

Former army reservist Stephanie Bowie-McIntosh, 30, graduated from UCLan this week and has already accepted a position as a Year 1 doctor at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust but her journey has not been easy.

Stephanie said: “After leaving an abusive relationship, I realised I had so much more to offer people and wanted to concentrate on caring for people.

“I’ve faced many hurdles and turmoil, and no one can ever prepare you for how you deal with trauma but my lived experience means I know what people are going through at their most vulnerable moments in life and I hope I can leave a lasting impact on them.

“My journey throughout medical school wasn’t smooth sailing. I failed my first year due to a mixture of events and traumas, including endometriosis surgery, but the School of Medicine staff supported me and kept me going.

“It was difficult entering Year 3 as I had massive imposter syndrome and I felt a little out of place, but the staff are like family and they genuinely wanted the best for me so again they kept pushing me.

“After facing many hurdles, fatigue and exhaustion I was diagnosed with ADHD in my third year, which explained so much, and with support I was able to get myself on the best track and excel in a clinical environment.”

Stephanie, who is dyslexic, didn’t initially achieve the required grades to study medicine as an undergraduate so she moved from Scotland to Preston to study for a three-year BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy degree before doing a one-year MSc (Hons) Sports Medicine course.

She then worked as a graduate sports therapist at Bowland Health, in Longridge, and for Athletes’ Angels but she still had a burning passion to study on the university’s five-year Medicine & Surgery (MBBS) programme.

Going into medicine as a postgraduate meant she had no access to funding from Student Finance England so had to combine her intensive studies with full-time employment.

Stephanie said: “It was pretty difficult as I didn’t qualify for any further funding which frequently impacted my mental health and ability to study. I had to rely on the support of my fiancé Dave and full-time work, which really forced me to find a way to balance the demands of work, study and life.”

Stephanie, who was the first in her immediate family to go to university, added: “If I can do it, then genuinely anyone can and people should never doubt their capabilities.

”There is a big responsibility with this job but I’m excited and really looking forward to starting my career as a doctor. I am really inspired to be part of the next generation of healthcare providers and to be able to do the job I’ve worked so hard towards is fantastic. I can’t wait to be able to provide for my local community.”

Preston PhD graduate battles two losses to succeed

An international student has overcome two major personal difficulties on the way to completing her PhD at the UCLan.

Dr Kelechi Bukola Babatunde suffered the heartbreak of losing her much loved mother and went through a challenging divorce while studying for her doctorate in construction management.

She also had to balance her intensive studies with working part-time as a lecturer in construction project management at the university.

Kelechi, who hails from Nigeria but lives in Preston, said: “There were so many times when I wanted to quit my studies.

“I separated from my ex-partner in 2020, and eventually went through the divorce process. It was quite challenging and very frustrating at the time. I wanted to quit my studies but thanks to my supervisory team, my family and friends, I kept on with it as they consistently encouraged me and helped me to persevere through the process.

“I then lost my mother in the final year of the PhD. Losing her was the hardest phase of my life. I really struggled to carry on, again but I knew she would have loved me to complete my PhD, so I found strength and support from the people around me to persevere.”

Kelechi, who undertook her undergraduate degree in physics at Benue State University in her homeland, followed in her older sister’s footsteps by coming across to study in Preston, and she completed a master’s degree in project management before embarking on her PhD. Kelechi, who wants to work as a full-time lecturer now said: “I am so excited I’ve now graduated. It’s been so tough, and I would never have believed it at times, but I’ve finally achieved my dream and I know my mum would be so proud of my achievement.”

“My PhD equipped me with comprehensive knowledge about the UK construction industry, construction project management methodologies, whilst also amplifying my analytical, critical and research skills. I now can’t wait to share that knowledge with my students as they start off on their own career paths.”

Chorley mum’s leap of faith engineers exciting new career opportunity

A single mum who took a leap of faith and completely changed the course of her life by enrolling at UCLan has graduated on the day of her 39th birthday with a First-Class Civil Engineering degree.

Despite having to juggle caring for her two children and maintaining a part-time job as a gymnastics coach , Amy Quinn’s determination to prove to herself that she’s capable of bigger and better things, meant her university experience as a mature student was at times like an emotional rollercoaster.

Amy, who is originally from Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria but now lives in Chorley, said: “Looking back at how far I have come I had no idea I was this resilient. Pushing through the hard days built up internal strength and motivation.

“As a mature student who had not studied mathematics academically for more than 10 years, I struggled at first but the university provided extra study opportunities to bring my skills up to speed throughout my foundation year which enabled my success. I am extremely grateful for those who championed me towards academic achievement.

“The University of Central Lancashire has provided the perfect opportunity to study close to home. The benefit of studying here meant my children would not have to move to a new city or move schools, the University also came very well recommended so I suppose it is like winning the postcode lottery of university experiences.”

Amy, who is a mum to Elizabeth (15) and Noah (13) says she chose Civil Engineering because the built environment is always developing and she wanted to embark upon a career where she could make a positive contribution to the world by thinking outside of the box to solve real life challenges.

“I really loved my whole academic experience and have appreciated learning from people with an industry background who could provide context to the knowledge,” added Amy.

“Having the opportunity to work on a design project to generate sustainable concepts for the replacement of Preston’s Old Tram Bridge was fantastic as I feel strongly about improving infrastructure in the local community.

“My message for any girl out there is you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Your dreams can be achieved and the sky is the limit.”

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Preston mum set to make waves in nutritional world

A Preston mum of three is planning to use her Nutrition and Exercise Science degree to help people struggling with food poverty, particularly in the Blackpool area.

While studying, Michelle Welch, 47, who graduated from UCLan on Tuesday, July 9, worked as a Care Navigator at Ash Tree House Surgery in Kirkham where she confirmed her desire to help those most in need.

Former Carr Hill High School pupil Michelle said: “After identifying patients with issues such as loneliness, financial, housing problems as well as food insecurity I’d refer them onto the Social Prescribing team at Blackpool Citizens Advice, who would link people to a variety of services, enabling the clients to make positive changes to their lifestyle.

“I felt this was a role I wanted to investigate further for myself, so I contacted Blackpool Citizens Advice and it was agreed that I would complete my university placement in the town experiencing working in one of the most deprived areas in the country.

“I was successful in securing a role there after my placement and feel that I am already making a positive impact to the referred clients.”

The mum of three had also always found studying difficult in the past but being diagnosed with learning difficulties during her time at UCLan helped her overcome her struggles.

Michelle said: “The diagnosis helped me understand that despite my struggles I could achieve my goals with the right support.

“I was given the right tools to help me, such as a specialist support worker and software to help me structure my ideas for assignments.

“I wouldn’t have been able to complete my degree without the support from my family and the tutors at the University of Central Lancashire. As someone who struggled throughout schooling, I’ve learnt anything can be achieved if you have the passion and support network around you.”