A STUDENT who left her home in Somalia as a child and had to learn to read and write in England is celebrating her success after confronting the trauma of her youth.
After collecting a foundation degree in counselling, student Mako Ahmed also had the honour of giving the valedictory address at an annual graduation ceremony staged jointly by Darlington College and Teesside University.
“I never imagined I would be standing here today, let alone having successfully attained a degree,” the Egglescliffe single mother of four told fellow Darlington College students and their families at the ceremony at the Hippodrome.
“I never felt good enough academically, not because I didn't want to learn, but because that opportunity was taken away from me. Others had their own plans for my life.
“Not attending school until the age of 14, and English being my second language, presented its own challenges. Reading and writing were always a struggle and I often felt like I had to work twice as hard to keep up with my peers. Then, at the age of 49, during this course, I was diagnosed with dyslexia, and suddenly, everything started to make sense. It was as if all the missing pieces finally came together.”
She said studying taught her to ‘swerve, navigate and notice’ when she had lost her way.
“I was carrying around long-held trauma and emotional baggage,” the 50-year-old said. “I never wanted anyone to go through what I went through, especially my children, but I didn't show that same compassion to myself. Internally, this persistent inner voice was like living in a tiny room about the size of my head. It was like living with a bully 24/7, except the bully was me.
“Now, I'm reparenting my inner child by consciously engaging with my past, and I am leaning into what it was genuinely like for me as a child. This journey of self-healing is empowering because I am giving my inner child permission to heal.”
She said her degree was different from any other. “We didn't just earn a degree; we were peeled back, layer by layer, and discovered who we truly were. We learned that to hold space for someone else's pain, we first had to make space for our own.”
Courses also celebrated included building studies, electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering, digital and computing skills, education and training, early years and public services.
At the ceremony, hosted by journalist Peter Barron, Darlington College principal and chief executive David Gartland and Teesside University’s dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies Chrisina (NB: no ‘t’ is correct) Jayne presented the certificates.
Dean Jayne told graduates: “You should be very proud as you look to the future and the impact you will make on society. The success of the college and university partnership is evident from the achievements you are celebrating today.”
Mr Gartland added: “These qualifications are not easy, particularly when you have been juggling everything life has thrown at you, and you have done amazingly well. You should feel really proud of what you have achieved.
“Take time to reflect on this, what you have learned and the friendships you have forged. Think about what you can do now to better yourself and the lives of your family and society in general as you can make a difference. Education does this, it is so powerful at opening doors and facilitating change.”
For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.