Meet our students
Robyn Kerr
Despite being dyslexic, Robyn Kerr (33) was determined to become a writer. That ambition led to her studying at UHI Inverness and now she’s celebrating achieving a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing in the Highlands and Islands.
Robyn, a former au pair in America who studied online from her home in Glasgow, has released her first book 'Failing Adult' and is now writing her second book.
She said: "Without studying creative writing, I would never have written my first book or known anything about self-publishing. I’m currently working on my second and hope to continue studies next year in teaching.
“I loved receiving and giving feedback on creative work. I love the people I met throughout my course, not only my classmates, but people from my work experience and I loved that I was able to still work and study.”
Meilan Simanjuntak, BA (Hons) Literature
A move from Belgium to Inverness proved to be the right one for married couple Meilan Simanjuntak and Scott Kinsman who graduated together.
Meilan (41) studied BA (Hons) Literature and her husband, Scott (41) studied BSc Networking and Cyber security.
Meilan said: “We lived in Belgium and in the summer of 2019 we moved to Inverness, where my husband grew up, so he could start his course in Computer Science. I decided a year later to also follow my passion to get that degree I always dreamed of.
“I loved discovering new books, authors and genres; things I would never pick up in a bookstore myself. Doing this course definitely broadened my world. I’m also thankful for the other students in my course. I might be what is called a mature student, but they never made me feel like I did not belong. I always felt included, and I get on very well with them all.”
Meilan started the degree as a hobby, but is now studying an MA in Victorian Gothic at the University of Portsmouth.
Sean Lawless, BA (Hons) Scottish History and Politics
Sean Lawless (32) joined UHI Inverness when he realised after the pandemic that he wanted to take his life in a different direction. This life-changing decision has led to him graduating with BA (Hons) Scottish History and Politics.
Before studying, Sean was made redundant during Covid and the debilitating effects of his disability meant he could not continue working in logistics and delivery.
“I realised I needed to rethink what I wanted out of life and turn these hard years into an opportunity to achieve something new and better for myself and my future,” said Sean.
“I decided to take the plunge into full-time education by studying for a degree in Scottish History and Politics to further that new ambition. I enjoyed learning about a variety of different aspects of history and politics that I wasn’t aware of before starting my degree. Most lectures ended with me feeling I had learned something new that I would have never thought of before or seeing something I thought I knew in a new light."
Sean found his lecturers and student support staff to be very helpful, particularly with regard to his medical issues.
He said: “They were able to coordinate and assist me to accommodate my condition, so it did not impact my learning when at its worst. I hope that my degree will open me up to new opportunities and give me the confidence to seize them when they present themselves to me."
Robyn Moffat, BA (Hons) History and Criminology
Robyn Moffat (25) from Inverness, a BA (Hons) History and Criminology graduate, said: “Many times I did not believe I would be able to graduate due to personal reasons. However, with the encouragement and support from the staff and lecturers, here I am graduating! I will forever be grateful to them. Currently, I am working full time and plan on going travelling. Thank you to all who helped me achieve my degree.”