UHI Inverness graduates - including brave cancer survivor - share their stories
Graduation day is particularly special for Courtney Lacey who gained BSc Oral Health Science with distinction despite being diagnosed with cancer last year.
Courtney, from Stoke-on-Trent, won the UHI Inverness Higher Education Student of the Year Award last year for completing her second year with flying colours after putting in extra hours to finish her coursework while undergoing treatment for Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Courtney was diagnosed in early 2023 and underwent 16 infusions of intensive chemotherapy. She found out she was in remission a year ago and returned to her studies.
• UHI Inverness students show ‘immense resilience’ to be honoured at graduation ceremony
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Courtney said: “I am so lucky to have studied at UHI Inverness. The course has been so well organised, and we were allowed to do lectures via video calls - this meant that I only had to go up to Scotland for clinical skills sessions and to see patients.
“The programme director, Gillian Ford, was extremely supportive throughout and nothing was too much trouble for her. Similarly, the tutors and module leaders have only ever been an email away. They are so helpful and want us to be successful. I am truly grateful for my experience at this university and have already recommended it to peers interested in becoming a dental therapist!”
Courtney is now working autonomously as a dental therapist in the practice where she used to work as a dental nurse.
Forever grateful
It’s been a long but rewarding learning journey for Nadine Murray, who has graduated with a first-class BSc (Hons) Psychology after eight years of part-time study online at UHI Inverness. Now she plans to study psychology at Masters level, focusing on mental health.
Nadine (44) from Inverness said: ”Before I started university, I was a mum to three children and worked a part-time job. However, as my children were growing up, they needed me less and I felt I needed to do something for myself, and I was always fascinated by psychology. I went to an open evening and met Marie Todd who asked about my interests. I ended up enrolling for an introduction into social care course and after that the psychology programme, and the rest is history.
“I had been out of education for 20 years and things had changed considerably since I had been in school. Despite the challenges I faced, I enjoyed adapting and learning new skills alongside meeting new people.
“I will be forever grateful to all the lecturers at UHI Inverness, I would not have been able to complete this journey without their help, always making themselves available and supporting me at every opportunity. Especially my personal academic tutor, Mari, a truly inspirational lady who never doubted my abilities even when I didn’t have the confidence in myself.
“I have now applied to do my Masters of Research in Psychology, specifically concentrating on mental illness as it is an area within psychology that has always interested me, and I feel that we can make a difference within society by gaining a greater understanding of mental health.”
Memorable experiences
Michael Perera (60) had no intention of taking a break after a lifetime working for the NHS. Studying an online BA (Hons) Scottish history and archaeology with UHI Inverness was in his retiral plan for about 10 years.
The 60-year-old - who represented Labour as a candidate in the general election and at a more recent Highland Council by-election - retired as general manager for mental health, learning disabilities and substance misuse services in March 2020 after 39 years in the NHS. Now he has completed his studies, Michael, from Inverness, is considering further study after a short break.
Michael said: “The Scottish history residential weekend in Strathspey, the Culloden Battlefield tour, the excavation skills field school and the practical environmental archaeology residential course at the Orkney Archaeology Institute were all memorable. My favourite was the chance to attend the archaeological investigation of Culloden Battlefield which was an ideal combination of archaeology and Scottish history.”
I can dedicate myself what I really want to do
Rocio Suarez Rubiales did not know a single word of English when she moved from Spain to Inverness. This led to her studying English for speakers of other languages and then sports studies at UHI Inverness, and four years on she has graduated with HNC soft tissue therapy and is working as a therapist.
Rocio (31) said: “I couldn't put into words how grateful I am for the support I have received at UHI Inverness. In my life I have seen nothing like it. Every time I tell my family in Spain, they don't even believe it. It is incredible how this place is exclusively designed for people to grow; I really have no words to express this. Thanks to this university, today I can dedicate myself what I really want to do.”
Staff are helpful and inclusive
BA (Hons) Literature graduate Emily Gray (35), from Strathpeffer, who is visually impaired, navigated being a student at UHI Inverness with determination, humour and her guide dog April by her side.
“Walking through the campus canteen with my guide dog to reach the lecture theatre could be fun as she was always on the lookout for food,” Emily said.
“As a visually impaired student I found all the staff helpful and inclusive. Any modifications I needed were catered for. The library staff were invaluable in finding texts and articles in an accessible format for me, and I would have struggled immensely with the referencing system and proof reading without the input from my learning support point of contact, Heather.
“The lecturers were engaging and conveyed a real passion for literature, which added to my enjoyment of the modules I studied. I have always been a voracious reader, and was, at times, taken out of my comfort zone in terms of genres, and ‘forced’ me to read texts I would never have discovered otherwise.”
Emily spends four hours a week volunteering as a DJ for a community radio station. She has grown her listeners and says it would be fantastic to have a career in radio.
