How university changed my life: the Brighton graduates whose unexpected journeys shaped their futures

There are few moments when the future feels quite as immediate as results day, where years of hard work come down to a handful of grades, followed by a decision which could define everything that comes next.

In a jobs market where youth unemployment has reached 16.2 per cent, its highest level in more than a decade, the pressure on young people to get their next step right can feel greater than ever. While many parents wonder whether university is even worth it, the latest data from the Department of Education shows that among 21- to 30-year-olds, graduates remain at least twice more likely to be employed than their non-graduate peers.

Deputy Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Tobias Sheard

Behind those statistics are the people whose university experiences have changed the direction of their lives.

For instance, Deputy Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Tobias Sheard, who graduated with a BA(Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Ethics in 2020, says his time at Brighton gave him the confidence to pursue a career in public life and shaped his belief in the power of politics to improve people’s lives.

Graduating at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tobias left university at a time of profound uncertainty about what the future would hold. Six years on, he returned to Brighton this summer not as a student, but as the city’s youngest ever Deputy Mayor, joining the latest generation of graduates as they celebrated their own achievements.

Reflecting on the journey, Tobias said: “If not for Brighton, I would not be standing here as Deputy Mayor of Brighton & Hove. I cannot truly put into words how this university changed my life. Brighton gave me the confidence to dream and the audacity to believe that all of it was possible. University of Brighton gave me some of my most important relationships and I have kept in touch with some of those friends now. Being able to go on to pursue a career in politics shows just how much of an impact my university course has had on me.”

For Peter Munroe who graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Secondary Science in 2014, university provided the foundations for a career that has grown well beyond his original qualification. Now an award-winning educator and Head of Chemistry at a state secondary school, Peter believes the practical experience and support he received during his teacher training helped him develop the confidence to thrive in the classroom.

“Brighton Uni provided great support at brilliant placements, and I now work at one of the schools I did a teacher training placement at during my PGCE course. The training on the course enabled me to thrive in teaching and share my love of science with probably thousands of students.”

But while Tobias and Peter arrived at Brighton through relatively conventional routes, not every student gets the results they hoped for, and that does not mean their university story has to end there.

Peter Munroe

Will Goddard

For Peter Munroe who graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Secondary Science in 2014, university provided the foundations for a career that has grown well beyond his original qualification. Now an award-winning educator and Head of Chemistry at a state secondary school, Peter believes the practical experience and support he received during his teacher training helped him develop the confidence to thrive in the classroom.

“Brighton Uni provided great support at brilliant placements, and I now work at one of the schools I did a teacher training placement at during my PGCE course. The training on the course enabled me to thrive in teaching and share my love of science with probably thousands of students.”

But while Tobias and Peter arrived at Brighton through relatively conventional routes, not every student gets the results they hoped for, and that does not mean their university story has to end there.

“I didn't get my first-choice university and thought my life was over,” said Product Design graduate, Will Goddard, who has developed FootPrint, an innovative 3D-printed prosthetic foot designed specifically for growing children.

The product which is a direct outcome of his university project could reduce the time needed to produce a correctly sized prosthesis from around six weeks to seven days and cut costs by more than 90 percent, potentially making a significant difference to children who outgrow their prostheses every few months.

But Will was not always confident of his path. When his A-Levels results fell short of his expectations, he immediately went into panic mode, wondering what’s next, until he called the University of Brighton Clearing lines and spoke to a lecturer who explained his options to him.

“Ultimately that call has been the most important event in my life so far,” he said.

“From not knowing what I was going to do to now developing a product that could help transform the quality of life for millions of children with prosthetic needs. The Product Design course at the University of Brighton was really instrumental in nurturing my creative interests and helped to channel that into something that will benefit the world.”

This story is all too familiar for Bamidele Farinre, whose original plan was to study pharmacy. But when her college results did not give her the grades she needed, she was left facing an uncertain future. She was advised to consider Clearing and look for a science-based course that could act as a stepping stone.

Bamidele Farinre

Looking back, she sees what initially felt like a disappointment very differently.

“What I thought was a failure turned out to be a powerful redirection. That path eventually led me to transition into Biomedical Sciences, opening doors I never knew existed. Since graduating, my journey has been a continuous cycle of learning, unlearning, winning, and growing through setbacks.”

Today, Bamidele is a multi-award-winning Chartered Biomedical Scientist, Agile Project Manager, author, global mentor, STEM leader and advocate for equity in STEM and AI.

Her journey has been defined by exactly the kind of twists and turns that can feel daunting on results day.

From the youngest ever Deputy Mayor of Brighton & Hove to a biomedical scientist, teacher and product designer developing technology for children with limb loss, University of Brighton graduates have taken very different routes to where they are today.

Their stories show that university is not simply about securing a qualification or landing a first job. It can be a place to discover ambition, build confidence and develop the skills to turn an unexpected opportunity, or even an unexpected setback, into a new direction.

Thinking about university this September? Whether you've changed your mind, are waiting for your results or are exploring your options, there's still time to join the University of Brighton through Clearing. Discover our courses, speak to our friendly Clearing team and find out more at brighton.ac.uk/clearing.