We’re delighted to announce that committee member Lauren Monaghan recently graduated from Ulster University with a first class degree in Computer Science! Lauren was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma when she was 12 and missed a lot of school as a result.
Soon after her diagnosis, Lauren went through two surgeries with the second leading to a number of complications and further medical conditions. She had to take time out of school to travel to the USA for clinical trials and radiotherapy, as well as to adjust to new medications.
Battling through her health issues, Lauren worked with a tutor from home to continue her studies when she was advised by her consultants to leave education after her GCSEs. Despite the doctors’ advice, Lauren wanted to keep going; she wanted to do her A-Levels and go on to higher education. The complications from the surgery and radiotherapy treatment were challenging but she worked hard to catch up with classmates and get the grades she needed.
Lauren caught up with her classmates with the help of teachers and support staff, despite everything she had overcome, and was on track to sit her A-Levels when another health issue, not connected to the brain tumour, was discovered. Lauren received the necessary treatment, went back to school to sit her A-Levels before starting at Ulster University in 2019. Lauren found her lecturers very supportive and helped make the transition easier, along with support from Student Wellbeing.
You can read more of Lauren’s story here.