New campaign highlights the success stories of local students who were the first in their family to attend university

University of Cumbria alumni Kelly Cornwell, from Lancashire, and Katie Slavin-Trower, from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, feature in the new 100 Faces campaign.

Kelly Cornwell – Registered Mental Health Nurse

Family commitments over the years delayed Kelly’s dreams to train as a nurse but she finally went on to study mental health nursing at University of Cumbria, graduating with a first-class degree last year.

Her final year of study was significantly disrupted when her husband, a humanitarian aid worker, was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Shortly after, Kelly herself had to undergo major surgery, which forced her to put on hold a professional placement that she had to complete to be eligible to complete her degree.

Following her own recovery and using the skills learned at university, Kelly successfully fought for her husband’s release. He was freed just a few weeks before her graduation in Carlisle last November. She has now started her nursing career, helping those accessing support at a substance misuse detox facility in Lancaster.

Kelly said: 

“A mature first-generation student going to university can be a powerful catalyst for personal and societal transformation, unlocking new possibilities and setting the stage for a more enriched and impactful life. Everything you learn is universal - all the skills and knowledge you gain can be applied anywhere."

She added: "I'd been waiting for the moment for years and when the time was right, I wasn't going to let anything hold me back. University has given me the chance to acquire formal education and skills I may not have been able to get earlier due to family obligations. This empowerment has led to increased self-confidence and personal achievement. 

“Being a first-generation student has helped me become a role model for our kids and grandchildren, showing them how important lifelong learning is. Hopefully, this will inspire our younger generations to pursue their education goals.”

When she’s not working, Kelly is also putting her expertise to good use as a volunteer serving as a Safeguarding Officer and Mental Health Advisor at her son’s Taekwondo club –leadership roles she would not have done previously.

Katie Slavin-Trower – founder/director of theatre school for children with additional support needs

Katie has had a stammer from a young age. Afraid to speak, she found confidence through drama which increased after studying for a degree at the University of Cumbria where she graduated in 2014 with a BA (Hons) degree in Drama, Performance and Technical Theatre. 

With ambitions to have a theatre school to enable young people with additional support needs fulfil their potential, Katie opened Shining Stars AS Theatre School in her hometown of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.

Starting with five pupils, Shining Stars now has well over 100 children and adults regularly accessing its classes aged from seven to 69 years old. Shining Stars also works in partnership with care organisations, special education needs schools and others working to support those with additional needs.

Katie said:

“Going to university really helped me grow, and grow up, quickly. Not only did I form new friendship groups, I was able to learn new skills that I don’t think I would have got from any other experience.”

• UUK’s ‘100 Faces campaign’ aims to champion and celebrate the positive impact of ‘first-in-the-family’ (FitF) graduates on the UK – including England footballer Beth Mead, Lord David Blunkett, Nobel Prize winner Sir Chris Pissarides and actor Amit Shah - in order to highlight the need for access to support, and ensure the next generation can reach their graduate potential.
• As part of the campaign, new research reveals the transformative impact of going to university on ambition (74%), with almost three quarters (73%) of FitF students agreeing their degree gave them the confidence to apply for jobs without feeling like an imposter
• The research also highlights FitF students’ reliance on depreciating financial support - without financial support, over 4 in 10 FitF graduates couldn’t have afforded to go to university at all. This is equivalent to around 1.1 million 24–40-year-olds in England and Wales.
• With financial provisions dwindling and the cost of living rising, UUK is calling for government to reinstate maintenance grants and increase support for future students.

These findings come from extensive new research, commissioned by Universities UK, into the experiences of 6,004 UK graduates and 4,006 non-graduates, aged 24-40, from across the UK.

The success of students like Kelly and Katie is testament to the extraordinary role university can play – particularly for those students who are the first in their family to attend and face significant barriers before they even set foot on campus. Despite this inequality, FitF students flourish at university – with three quarters of FitF respondents saying that their experiences at university made them more confident and ambitious, gave them broader life experiences and crucial life skills which continue to be impactful long after graduation.

However, the research also pointed to the need for uplifted financial support to ensure that FitF students are able to progress. Over 4 in 10 (41%) FitF students believe that without financial assistance they wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to university, and when non-graduates from across the UK were asked what might have persuaded them to attend university, almost half (48%) responded more financial support.

Many graduates responding to this survey were eligible for non-repayable maintenance grants as students, which were replaced by repayable loans, in England in 2016, although maintenance grants continue to operate in Wales, Scotland and for some healthcare courses in England.

In light of this, UUK is campaigning to highlight the achievements of the extraordinary first in family graduates in every community, and to ensure that future generations don’t miss out on the transformative impact of a university education.  

Professor Julie Mennell, Vice Chancellor, University of Cumbria said:

“It is a tremendous achievement for not one, but two of our alumni to be featured in the 100 Faces campaign.

“We’re very proud of our students and graduates who use the higher-level skills they have developed with us to go on and make a positive difference to people, lives and communities. Kelly and Katie are just two of examples of the contribution our alumni, staff and students are making in supporting our communities to thrive, wherever they are in the world and in their chosen careers.

“The Universities UK campaign is an important one, showcasing how higher education can transform lives and livelihoods.”

Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK, commented: “There are those who say that too many people go to university. I disagree. These stories tell you why. In this country you are still twice as likely to go to university if you are from the wealthiest background, compared to the least wealthy. That’s not right.”

Vivienne Stern MBE added: “The experiences of students who are the first in their families to have been to university tell a powerful story. I am amazed by how many graduates talked about having imposter syndrome – and the way that earning a degree helped to banish that feeling. I believe we have a responsibility to keep working to ensure a wider range of people in this country get access to the potentially transformative experience of going to university. For that to happen, we really do need to see an improvement in maintenance support to support those from the least privileged backgrounds.”

• Meet all of Universities UK's 100 Faces at https://100faces.universitiesuk.ac.uk/
• Those interested in studying at University of Cumbria can find out more at www.cumbria.ac.uk

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