Over 4000 Students graduate at SETU

Among the 4,000 South East Technical University students graduating from the Waterford campus today are Professional jockey Katie O'Farrell and asylum seeker Imran Ullah.

Professional jump jockey Katie O’Farrell has graduated from SETU's Waterford Campus with a Master of Science (MSc) in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology in which she carried out groundbreaking research into the mental health and coping strategies of jockeys in Ireland and the UK.

The research project was fully funded by SETU and The Injured Jockeys Fund, UK and is the first collaboration between Ireland and UK regarding jockey research. In a full circle moment, Katie's big break came on a horse trained by the leading horse trainer, Willie Mullins who is set to receive a honorary doctorate from SETU this week.

As Katie came to the end of her career began to look towards what would come next, deciding to return to SETU to study sport psychology at master’s level, "When I was faced with that crossroads of transitioning out of my sport, I thought of how I would like to be the person that my sport psychologist had been to me during that chapter of my life. I’d be lying if I said I was sure I was doing the right thing when I chose this path but, thankfully, now that I’ve gotten this far, I know that I am.

“It was a difficult time for me moving away from the sport that I loved and entering back into the world of education," she explained, "It was very challenging for me to go from a life where my body did the work, now to a life where my brain was doing the work. It took time to find my feet, but I got there, and my family provided all the support that I needed to help me during that time.”

29-year-old Imran Ullah came to Ireland as an asylum seeker from Pakistan, a Sanctuary Scholarship from SETU allowed him to pursue his dream of a Master of Business in Management.

“My proudest achievement at SETU was receiving the 100% Sanctuary Scholarship, which allowed me to pursue my master’s despite the challenges I faced as an asylum seeker," he said, "It reaffirmed my belief in perseverance and gave me the opportunity to excel academically while also contributing to the community through volunteering."

Imran credited the university for their assistance with the challenges his circumstances posed during his time in SETU. “Dealing with visa restrictions and uncertainty during an international study trip to Belgium was particularly challenging. However, with the support of the university, and a lecturer who advocated on my behalf, I was able to overcome these obstacles and fully participate in my academic journey.”