From Setback to Success: Matthew’s Journey to Mental Health Advocacy

When Matthew from Holywood crosses the stage at The Open University’s Belfast Degree Ceremony 2025, it will be more than a culmination of a degree but a celebration of resilience, determination, and a new career dedicated to helping others.  

At 31, Matthew is set to graduate with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, an achievement he once thought was out of reach. "As a university drop-out, Spanish Baccalaureate was previously my highest qualification,” he admits. For years, education had felt unfinished. The OU gave him the second chance that he needed.  

That changed when he took a leap of faith, not only back into study but into an entirely new career path.  

In the final year of his OU degree, Matthew transitioned into the mental health field. “It took a lot of faith in what I was doing,” he recalls. But the leap paid off. Today, he works as a mental health project worker, has already been promoted from support worker, and has begun a Postgraduate Certificate with ambitions to one day complete a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. 

This transformation was made possible by his determination and by returning to study after a seven-year gap. “The flexibility it provides as I work full time is great. I did research when considering going back into academia. It also appeared on the British Psychological Society accredited course list.” This gave him confidence in its credibility. 

Like many OU students, Matthew had to balance study with life’s ups and downs. Along the way he met his fiancé, changed jobs, moved house twice, lost close family members, and embarked on a fitness journey that saw him lose 20kg. “My main support came from my fiancé, who I am marrying in August 2026. I met her at the very beginning of my studies, and she was incredible throughout the entire time.” 

Discipline and consistency became his anchors. “If I wasn’t training in jiu-jitsu, at the gym or at work, I was studying and writing,” he says. Volunteering for a local mental health charity and drawing on skills from a previous career as a chef also helped him balance the demands of study and life. 

Looking back, Matthew sees consistency as the defining quality of his journey. Looking forward, he sees possibility to keep learning, to qualify as a clinical psychologist, and to use his experiences to make a difference in people’s lives. 

Through it all, the OU provided the structure and flexibility he needed, but the heart of Matthew’s story is his fighting spirit and his growing voice in mental health.