A 68-year-old grandfather from south-east London has graduated with a first-class degree in social work.Chris Osagbaekhoe, from Thamesmead, gained his Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Goldsmiths, University of London at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster, four years after starting his studies.
Chris, who was born and raised in Nigeria, had previously studied psychology and counselling between 2013 and 2015. He has four children and 12 grandchildren.
He said: “Part of the inspiration was to empower people to empower themselves, and part of the motivation was to be a voice to the voiceless – that was my inner drive.”
Chris decided to pursue a social work degree as a mature student when he was 64, which was inspired by his desire to help the most vulnerable people in society.He said he hoped his graduation would inspire others, especially mature students and people with disabilities to follow their passions – whatever stage they are at in life.
Chris, who lives with pain as a result of having one leg shorter than the other which rocks his spinal cord, said he felt encouraged to advocate for others and empower them.
Collecting his degree on 2 September, he said: “I’m happy there were challenges along the way, but because of resilience and faith, and the support from Goldsmiths University, we are celebrating success today.”Asked what he plans to do next, Chris said he wanted to launch a community-based project or community centre to help young people and keep them away from crime.
A multi-instrumentalist who can play the drums, the keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and the trumpet, he also plans to use his musical talents to inspire the next generation.
But first, he said, he was setting his sights on finding his first job as a qualified social worker.
