Our Amazing Alumni

Real life stories from our inspirational graduates

It’s true, our Alumni are amazing and we regularly catch up with graduates to find out what they have been up to since completing their studies with us.  Your stories are inspiring, whether you have only just started your career or you have made it to where you want to be, even if you have gone in a completely new and exciting direction we want to tell the world   

Want to get involved?  Contact the Alumni Relations and Development Team by email Alumni@uos.ac.uk or on 01473 338067.

Our Alumni Stories

I graduated from the University of Suffolk in 2022 with a First Class BA (Hons) degree in English Literature with Creative Writing. You can find me at www.christiankilleen.com where I regularly post essays and articles about things that interest me, all with the aim of improving my ...

It is funny to imagine at the end of four years studying at Suffolk that I once hesitated at the thought of attending university, and now I do not ever want to leave academia! Despite a lack of confidence in my writing following a disheartening couple of years studying towards my A ...

Going back to education at 23 was a struggle but choosing to study as a mature student was one of the best choices I have made. Having graduated in 2019 with a 2:1 Business Management degree I look back on my time at the University of Suffolk with happy memories.  ...

My name is Sarah Clark, and I graduated from the University of Suffolk with a BA(Hons) English first class degree in 2021 and went on to graduate with a Distinction in the MA Creative and Critical Writing in 2022. I had always wanted to study English, but circumstances had meant th...

My name is Jemma Yarnton-Peacock and I graduated from the University of Suffolk in 2014 with a 1st class BSc (Hons) degree in Radiotherapy and Oncology. Training to become a Therapeutic Radiographer was the start of my journey in healthcare, and the start of my journey as an educat...

I began my journey with the University of Suffolk back in 2016. After attending a few open days and meeting the fantastic English team, my decision to study here was easily made. I studied the BA (Hons) English course for three years and enjoyed every minute. All the worries I had a...

I graduated from the Fine Art course at the University of Suffolk in 2020. Before graduating I was shortlisted for the BP Portrait Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and I exhibited in the society of Women Artists Exhibition.  I am technically from Essex, as my parents li...

I stand here today reflecting upon my life, particularly my academic life that has influenced who I am and what I have become.  As a woman I fit into many of the political and economic stereotypes.  I did not do well at school and the expectations of those in a position to encoura...

My name is Clare Macro and I live in Ipswich.  I graduated with a First-Class Degree in Counselling in 2016.  I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and I set up my own business in 2017. ...

I initially started at the University of East Anglia pursuing an education in Biological Sciences however, things do not always go to plan and after a year and half of commuting to Norwich, I decided I wanted to pursue a different career path and transferred to the University of Suf...

My name is Vanessa Teixeira and I finished my BA(Hons) Person-Centred Counselling degree in 2021 at the University of Suffolk. This has led to an amazing professional journey. ...

I’ve recently finished my 4-year Apprenticeship programme with BT, during which I completed a BSc (Hons) in Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering) at the University of Suffolk. Since finishing, I have moved into a new role as a Test Professional within BT’s Corp...

I chose UCS/ Uni of Suffolk because my college (City College Norwich) has very good relationship with them. After visiting the campus and the lecturers I really felt like it was somewhere I could settle. Ipswich and the University seemed very up and coming and I found that very attr...

Going back to ‘school’ later in life as a mature student was quite daunting to be honest, but at the University of Suffolk I was always made to feel that my life experiences meant something.  I didn’t do very well at school. I got the minimum grades I needed to be able to...

Part of why I chose University of Suffolk was because of the location. I had young children at Primary School in Suffolk, so for me the choice of where to go was limited. It was so fortunate that the University offered the course I wanted and the 10 week FdA course I did there first...

Not wanting to stop my educational journey at UCS after graduating from BSc Human Health and Nutrition, I decided to study MSc Regenerative Medicine. I wanted something which would set me apart from other potential candidates when it came to interviews and had already enjoyed my yea...

I chose to study at University of Suffolk (then UCS) because they offered an integrative counselling degree course. Living in North Norfolk at that time, there were courses I could attend much closer to home but the diversity of the UCS course content really appealed to me. In hinds...

My name is Yasmin Fryer and I graduated from UCS, now University of Suffolk, in 2015 having completed 3 years studying Person-centred Counselling under the brilliant tutelage of Mr Peter Baumbach. I attended my graduation ceremony and received a B.A. Hons. I felt such a sense of pri...

Mauro Cardoso from Great Yarmouth, completed his degree in BSc (Hon) Sport Performance Analysis. In his final year Mauro was elected Vice-President of the University’s Students’ Union.  ...

Sally Jackson graduated from BA (Hons) Fine Art and the Fine Art Student of the Year winner, given for the best overall studentship demonstrated by a Fine Art student, and recognising art practice, academic pursuit and commitment, peer support and generosity, and contribution to ...

I am from Downham Market and I now work at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn after graduating from BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography.    I’ve put in a lot of work over this these three years so it’s nice to finally have it recognised after the year we hav...

Donna Crake  Donna from Bury St Edmunds graduated with BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing and started working at West Suffolk Hospital in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic started.   ...

Beatrice McCabe from Lowestoft graduated with a BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography. Beatrice works at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston. As part of her degree Beatrice went to Coimbra in Portugal on an Erasmus exchange programme.   ...

Jessica Howe from Sudbury graduated with a BA (Hons) in English.   ...

I graduated from BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing. After working at Ipswich Hospital, I am now a prison nurse at HMP Warren Hill.    ...

I graduated from BA (Hons) in Business Management and am now working at Synertec, a document creation, distribution and management company in Bristol.    ...

Hello, I’m Jack. Let’s get straight to it: here’s why the University of Suffolk is the right place for you.   I had never been to Ipswich prior to earning a place at Suffolk. I graduated with a First-Class degree in History in 2014, and I haven’t looked back.  As an 18-yea...

I convinced myself that I needed to try something new at University.  I studied Film in college but had been put off by poor experiences.  I moved to Coventry University to study Events Management, only to realise I had made a huge mistake.  A friend of mine had recently joined U...

I am from Bawdsey and I graduated from BSc (Hons) Games Programming. A particular highlight for me was living in the on-campus accommodation, Athena Hall, for the past three years and the friends I met.   ...

After taking a short break from education, I was keen to go to university & kick-start a career – I just needed to choose a course! The varied nature of the courses at University of Suffolk jumped out to me as I still wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do once I graduat...

I graduated from BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing. I attended the Mark Your Achievement event with my daughter, auntie and niece. It was a double celebration as I was also celebrating my 40th Birthday! Before completing the degree I was working in man...

I chose to study Event and Leisure Management as I am an active person and wanted to study and have a career in something I am truly passionate about. The breadth of knowledge and experience I gained during my degree helped me enormously into deciding the industry I wanted to focus ...

Since June 2019 I have worked at St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood, Essex as their first ever Corporate Fundraising Officer. The role was a brand new role, and having just finished University I knew it would be perfect for me. I live in Braintree, Essex, so it’s not far for me to c...

I liked the idea of doing a ‘degree on my doorstep’ and the fact that I could carry on living at home at the time, minimising the amount of student debt I would accumulate. I’d been a student at the Great Yarmouth campus when it was Great Yarmouth College and was happy with th...

After studying A-levels at Suffolk New College, university felt like a natural progression for me. I knew it would be the best route to achieving the qualifications and confidence I needed to pursue a full-time career. Many of my college friends were surprised that I had only applie...

When I look where I've come from and see where life is taking me, it has been one heck of a ride. At age 16, I moved into The Foyer (Supported accommodation for homeless young people) but managed to get through GCSEs and A-levels despite a chaotic lifestyle. I was even accepted to U...

I am hugely proud to call myself a UoS Alumni! I’m 26yrs old and founded my own charity, Project 21, after graduating from the BA (Hons) Special Education Needs & Disability Studies degree at UoS in 2018. As I progressed in to the final year of the course, I decided to write m...

In contrast to other universities I visited when making my choice of where to study, I felt lecturers at the University of Suffolk were more approachable, more involved with their students and generally available to respond to questions and offer support where needed. The class size...

When I started my Foundation Degree in Architectural Technology at UCS, I was excited about retraining as an Architectural Technologist, and using my skills to help other people improve their homes. I had completed a major house renovation before I moved to Suffolk, and I wanted to ...

I am originally from Romania, but ever since I was a little kid I wanted to study abroad and move away. Suffolk was my first choice, but the course that I finished was not. I initially decided to come and study Radiography, but ended up studying Event and Tourism Management, which I...

I am extremely privileged to have completed an apprenticeship. This is something I would not have thought to say before starting, as I was set to study full time at university. However, I also wanted the ability to learn on the job too. Apprenticeships are a platform to show yoursel...

I set up Woolpit Clinics in 2013 for my mother, with the intention to return to ‘my own thing’ once it had become established. At the time, I was working in London, for a company publishing live music magazines and hosting events. After a year of trying to work both at the pract...

I’ve always learnt that to achieve greatness you must put yourself into a situation that challenges you, only then will you see your true qualities and determination and come out of the other end with a smile on your face and your head held high.  Even one year on from graduating...

After working for nearly ten years in Entertainment PR in London and moving to Manningtree, I decided to return to my first love of film and video and finish my degree. I’m a Londoner but it just wasn’t feasible to live and work in the city after the Olympics as everything had g...

I’m originally from Bulgaria but it has always been a dream of mine to study abroad and begin a career in the UK. I have always wanted to specialise in the web development industry. Of course, a degree is important in this industry and enables you to choose what area you would lik...

Marnie graduated from the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degree at the University of Suffolk in 2017, and very quickly secured a role as a physiologist at the world-famous Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire (the UK’s largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital). ...

Anna Palombo from Bury St Edmunds graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing. Anna now works at West Suffolk Hospital on a stroke ward.   ...

Sport and Exercise Science graduate, Tom Fairbrother, has completed his tenth marathon of 2016 to raise awareness of eating disorders in males for Beat – the UK’s eating disorder charity. On New Year’s Eve, the Suffolk-born runner started his ‘Tom Runs Ten’ challenge to r...

The decision to become a nurse was not one I made lightly.  It was back in 2014, I was 35 years old, married with two daughters and had been working for a high street bank since 1997.  If I’m honest, I had wanted to be a nurse when I left school but for one reason or another I w...

I was classed as a ‘mature’ student so had many years of work experience under my belt in the hospitality and retail sectors ranging from junior to management positions. However, as I tried to pursue a career change into events, my lack of experience and depth of business knowle...

I was really impressed with the state-of-the-art facilities at the University of Suffolk and also the family feel. I’m from London so Ipswich was close enough to go home to my parents when I wanted to. The student accommodation, Athena Hall, was my deciding factor as they are mode...

I initially went to another, much larger university before coming to the University of Suffolk. At my former university, I felt I was just a nameless student in a cohort of over a hundred. My experience on the BA (Hons) Screenwriting course at the University of Suffolk couldn’t ha...

Dr Jennifer Coe is a Lecturer in Psychology and Deputy Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Psychology and associated degree routes at the University of Suffolk. She has been working with the Psychology team at University of Suffolk since  October 2014. Jennifer was awarded Fellow status ...

If someone had said to me I would be graduating with a Distinction at Master’s level from the University of Essex, I would have refused to believe them. Yet here I am, and I could not be happier nor prouder of all I have achieved! ...

I chose to study at Suffolk as the course was well spoken of by people who had completed it and the work I had seen from previous years was of a very high quality. Studying there, for me, was incredibly enjoyable because I was able to work towards my personal goals. The course combi...

I was looking for something that utilised both theory and practice and this course offered exactly that. The practical side of the course was the biggest benefit to my development. Learning about techniques is great in theory but there are a lot of places where it stops there. Here ...

Studying BA (Hons) English at the University of Suffolk was truly a whirlwind experience; those three years opened up a whole new world of literary and linguistic study for me, and influenced me to excel in academia in a way I had never done or thought possible before. It was wonder...

After graduating in English from the University of Suffolk, I won a scholarship to UEA and now hold an M.A. in Biography and Creative Non-Fiction. My first literary biography, Into the Mountain: A Life of Nan Shepherd, was published in 2017. I have since edited a volume of Shepher...

Walking along Ipswich Waterfront shortly after graduating, I noticed a quote by George Eliot in one of the university windows ‘It is never too late to be what you might have been.’ Reading this made me quite emotional. As a mature student having spent the last 6 years studying p...

As a mature student with a young family it was a little daunting returning to education, but the English degree lecturers were extremely supportive and guided me every step of the way. ...

I had an accident in 2002 falling off a container ship at Ipswich docks. Before that I was in the military. I left the military one month before I had the accident and the accident actually caused a subdural haematoma in my brain which is a small bleed. After that for many years I...

I chose to study here as it has a great reputation for training nurses, and it is something I have always wanted to study. The services the University offer, such as 24/7 access to the Waterfront Building was very helpful to me, particularly leading up to exams. ...

The University offered an environment providing state of the art facilities, a variety of resources, and subject experts within the scientific field, which is why I chose to study there. Suffolk is a thriving area, full of beautiful scenery, lively towns and great restaurants. The ...

Hear Gemma talking about her experience of studying here and what she has gone on to do since graduating: ...

I am originally from South Tyneside, and I was not a high flyer at school. As a mature student, attaining a First Class Honours degree has always been an ambition as most of the folks I work around seemed to have degrees and I felt my academic background wasn't as strong.  ...

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I chose this course in particular because of the modules it offered, and the fact that I would be able to progress to teacher training after finishing the course. ...

Hear Alastair talking about his experience of studying here and what he has gone on to do since graduating:   ...

James graduated from the University of Suffolk in 2013, after which he took on the role of Head of Academy Analysis at Ipswich Town FC. Following this, James joined Arsenal’s Academy in September 2015. ...

Hear Yviemarie talking about her experience of studying and what she has gone on to do since graduating:   I chose Graphic Design as I have always had a love for it, although I didn t realise it had a name at the time! I still have my very first branding project fro...

I’m from Basildon in Essex originally and before I came to University I was working as an administration assistant at the nuclear medicine department in UCLH. The University of Suffolk was recommended to me by a former work colleague of mine who had studied there previously. I wan...