Kenny Fakeye

A student who returned to education after more than two decades to realise his ambition of becoming a mental health nurse is to graduate.

Kenny Fakeye

Kenny Fakeye, who grew up in Nigeria but moved to the UK in 2007, studied Mental Health Nursing at the University of Worcester and worked in a local hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.    

Now Kenny works as a community psychiatric nurse for the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, in its home treatment team.

“I pursued my passion, relished every opportunity, time and seconds of my training and, in the end, I felt satisfied and finally realized my life's goal as a result,” said the 43-year-old, of Rednal, Birmingham.

Kenny originally came to the UK to study accountancy, but later diversified into the social care sector and developed an interest in mental health. During his studies at Worcester, Kenny worked as a healthcare assistant at a local hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, working in the emergency department, the high dependency unit and the intensive care unit.

He was the only person in his cohort to represent the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Student Leadership Programme (SLP) in March 2020. As a result of this, he was invited to join the Health Education England (HEE) group that was responsible for creating the online placement simulation for nursing students during the pandemic. In addition, he established a charitable organization known as Space2Care, which helps vulnerable young people who are a part of underprivileged communities.

Long term, Kenny’s wants to further expand his clinical abilities and knowledge through more specialised training. He told how he chose the University as he believed it would enhance his skills and help him realise his potential.

“My university journey was an eventful adventure brimming with many wonderful experiences and memories to look back on,” he said. “As a nervous adult learner who hadn't participated in any kind of academic pursuit for more than twenty years, the induction tutors made the transition to an academic environment more relaxed, engaging, and helpful.

“Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) interactions on a consistent basis were another helpful and crucial support system that the institution offered and delivered, and they were valuable to me. I found that participating in the many different student activities that the University offers to all its students was extremely enjoyable to me.”

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