Anesse Ameer
After struggling to find his way through school, Anesse Ameer said he never dreamed he could one day go to university.
“I was always in the bottom sets in secondary school and I got into a really negative attitude about education,” he said. “I never thought university was for me, I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life.”
Today, 23-year-old Anesse, from Stourbridge, graduates from the University of Worcester with a Business Management degree, having undergone a radical change of mindset while at college.
“I didn’t do well in my GCSEs and so I went to Halesowen College where I re-sat them, and with lots of support I started to realise that I could do it after all,” he said. “I got lots of encouragement and so I decided to do a HNC and then a HND and eventually I thought, maybe I could go to university.”
Anesse joined the University’s Business Management Top-Up and is now considering further study.
“I am applying for a Masters in International Management now, as I would really like to work abroad,” he said.
“I feel shocked and amazed at how I got here,” he added. “If you told me a few years ago I would graduate I wouldn't believe it. But when I came to university, it changed me. I became more confident and started to get more belief in myself.”
Anesse said he has enjoyed making friends and interacting with other students and lecturers at the University.
“I got involved in lots of things at university, such as the Worcester Award, which I achieved a Silver in,” he said. “I even joined the Christian Society, which as a Muslim was maybe a strange thing to do. But it was good to meet other people who shared my belief that faith is important, and I made some really good friends.”
The University’s annual autumn Graduation Ceremonies will take place as planned from September 12-14 in the beautiful and historic Worcester Cathedral, followed by celebration receptions at the City Campus. No Worcester graduates have been affected by the marking and assessment boycott.
Find out more about Worcester Business School