Esther Adewole - BSc Events Management with Arts and Entertainment (2016)

Esther graduated in 2016 with a BSc Events Management with Arts and Entertainment. She spent time in the UK and Nigeria as a young child and lived with her aunt in London from the age of ten before going into foster care at 14.

‘My first year at university was spent settling in and trying to get used to a new subject that I’d never studied before, as well as the Sheffield lifestyle and university life. Just little things like registering with the medical centre were new to me and I felt quite alone at times.

‘Going into the second year, things were more settled in Sheffield but I found it difficult juggling family relationships and personal issues along with my education. When I lived with my foster mum, I knew I could visit my social workers at the drop-in centre whenever I wanted, but at uni I felt very alone.

‘I sometimes do find it hard to get support because I don’t want people to label me as a foster kid or give me special treatment just because I’m a care leaver.‘

My goal now is to achieve a 2:1 in my final year and go on to do a masters as well as working one-to-one with other care leavers. I recently got a job as a student ambassador at Sheffield Hallam and am hoping that will give me the chance to meet young people in care at events.

‘My advice to care leavers is: do what you want to do, not what your family want you to do, make time for yourself, look ahead and follow your dreams. If your dream doesn’t scare you, you’re not dreaming big enough!’ ‘My advice to care leavers is: follow your dreams.’

Chris Hoyle - Graduate Diploma in Youth Work (2011 - 2012)

I came to Hallam to do my second degree – I did my first degree (in Computer Science) at the University of York. When I came to do my Graduate Diploma I had concerns over my ability to write academically, as my previous course was very exam-based, but I attended study skills sessions and got a lot of support through my course.

As a care leaver, I had concerns over sharing my own experiences – I wondered how that would be taken but in fact it helped people to take more notice when issues around care leavers came up on the course. When I first went to university in York, I wondered what everyone else going to uni would be like and whether I’d fit in. I also worried where I’d stay in the holidays (luckily my girlfriend’s family were great and I stayed with them!)

I like it at Hallam because there’s a mixed cohort of students and they support diversity. I was accepted and encouraged to share my experiences. In fact, after I graduated, I was asked to come back and deliver a lecture about care leavers to undergraduate students in Health and Wellbeing.

When problems came up which were affecting my studies, my Course Leader was great and put me in touch with my faculty student support and I was supported in submitting Extenuating Circumstances. Without support I would have dropped out but my Course Leader was really encouraging. Then, I handed my work in over the summer, got my results and applied for an internship. I got support from a Careers Adviser who helped me with my application form and gave me interview practice. I was offered the internship and started working here at Hallam in February 2013!

My advice to other students who are care leavers is don’t think the services here are the same as services you’ve received elsewhere. The support services here want to be here when you need them, but don’t want to intrude when you don’t. And finally – engage with as many things as you can while you’re here – there’s so many opportunities at uni that you may not have had before.