During my A-levels I hardly went to school because my mental health was so bad, so I had to teach myself and I came out with grades that were lower than predicted and during that time I was still struggling with leaving the house, catching buses and talking to people amongst a myriad of other things. At the moment I got my results I was disappointed but as I look back now, my results were not as bad as I thought at the time. In that moment I decided to still go to university and that was the step forward that changed my future. During and before this time, I had put so much effort into making myself better, whether that be getting doctors to listen to me, getting counselling from different people, doing things out of my comfort zone or taking medication. But, it all really kicked off from that moment forward. With a lot of hard work, help with medication and counselling I managed to make university a positive and enjoyable experience and one that I would quite happily repeat. Of course there were some down moments as there is when you struggle with mental health, let alone the other issues you may face at university, but the majority of my time there has been amazing.
My degree represents so much more than what it is. It represents me overcoming the challenges that my mental health gave me and moving on from the trauma I had faced in the past and at home. It's shown me my strength and determination. It's also proven to me that against all odds, you can get to where you want to and that even in the darkest of times when you have no hope left and you just cannot face the hell that surrounds you, just holding on and persevering can make all of the difference. I know that if I can do it, so can you.
I also just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has supported me on my journey. Without you, I wouldn't be here today, let alone getting first class honours.
It's now time to celebrate and get my cap and gown ready for graduation!
Show the world what you're made of.
