Cailean Carvalho

"Many students travel to find the right university for them. That wasn’t an option for me as I didn’t have the family support or the finances to move away. I first went to an open day when I was 16, eager to see what higher learning felt like on campus.

I entered the University of Sunderland through Clearing on the basis of my business experience, not just my UCAS points. It was a really special moment when someone made that decision to offer me a place that made the career I have come to enjoy. Before I came to university I was studying at college and running my own business in motivational training. Sunderland gave me the flexibility to put my learning into practice to power up my business.

My favourite part of the course was delivering presentations for assessments. For all of us, it built communication, collaboration, and soft skills that are so critical to the workplace. The University is a terrific place to laugh, learn, and live, there is such a community and you never feel like just a number. The support services are exceptional and there is a real focus on giving you all you need to succeed.

Thanks to the University, I was able to secure a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) as a graduate that lit up my entire career. I have spent the past 12 years in education, making a difference to the nation. Thanks to the skills I gained at the University, I have lived and worked in 16 countries, working for international titans like IBM, Portal, and UCAS.

Today, I am Managing Director of a marketing agency that supports national access to Higher Education, coming full circle to benefit young people like me that struggle to access Higher Education. Without the skills and life lessons learned at the University, I am not sure I would be here."