July

A mother-of-two who balanced caring for a newborn, working in NHS accident and emergency care and studying for a science degree has been named Keele University's Student of the Year.

Lauren Keen, 26, graduated on Wednesday with a degree in Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry after overcoming years of personal and academic challenges, including leaving school at the age of 12 before returning to education as an adult.

Alongside her studies, she worked part-time as a nursing assistant at Royal Stoke University Hospital while raising her two children.

After receiving her degree and being named the Neil and Gina Smith Student of the Year, she said: "It's been incredibly challenging and there were times when I wondered if I could do it.

"Sometimes I felt on top of the world, and other times I felt like I was in the trenches. I'd have an assignment due, one of my children would be ill and I'd have a shift at the hospital, all at the same time.

"It was a lot of juggling, but my lecturers were brilliant and definitely helped me to get through it. It's a special feeling to be graduating."

Lauren's journey to graduation has been anything but conventional. Due to family circumstances, Lauren left school at the age of 12 and moved to Norway when her father relocated there for work. As his job took them across the country, including through the Arctic region, she largely educated herself before enrolling in a school in northern Norway at the age of 14.

Despite having only recently arrived in the country, Lauren sat her exams in Norwegian while living with a local host family, as her own family were based elsewhere at the time.

At 15, she moved to Malta. A year later, she became estranged from her father and found herself living independently in the country without any family or legal guardian. At 17, she travelled through Spain before returning to Malta, where she worked three jobs to save enough money for a flight back to the UK. She returned home in 2018, beginning the next chapter of her life.

After returning to the UK, Lauren contacted her uncle and his family - the only relatives she remained in touch with. She began working as a healthcare assistant in a care home in Cheshire, enrolled on an NVQ Level 2 in Care and completed her GCSEs.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lauren was redeployed to support the Covid ward at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, where she met her future husband. At the same time, she studied for an Access to Higher Education diploma at Cheshire College South & West.

Her daughter was born in 2021 and Lauren began a foundation year at Keele the following year. During the foundation year Lauren fell pregnant again and her son was born in August 2023, just weeks before she was due to return to university for the new academic year. Shortly after birth, he was admitted to intensive care, adding further challenges as Lauren prepared to continue her studies.

Lauren, who lives in Staffordshire, said: "I started my journey in education a bit later than others, and you could say I took a slightly alternative route to most people to get to where I am today. When I came back to the UK at 18, I basically had no useful qualifications, so I was starting from scratch.

"Because of my upbringing, I felt like I was behind the pack from day one at Keele. Many of my classmates had studied science at GCSE and A-level, whereas I hadn't, so I didn't have that basic knowledge of the subject.

"There were times when I struggled, but the support from staff and lecturers made all the difference.

"I've always felt close to nature, and Keele's beautiful campus with the incredible woods and lakes behind Keele Hall became one of my favourite places. I can't tell you how many times I went for a walk down there to clear my head, hash out a subject or think something over."

In the final year of her degree, Lauren's uncle, Michael Keen, passed away unexpectedly. While completing her studies, she also helped support his family in the weeks that followed while grieving the loss herself.

Lauren said: "My uncle has been an inspirational role model throughout my life. From his home full of laughter, to his positive outlook on life, work ethic and dedication to his family, he has played a strong role in shaping my values and the person I am today."

After graduating, Lauren hopes to pursue a career in hospital-based research.

She said: "I feel like being at Keele, I have developed a much stronger research brain. All these things like critical thinking, linking ideas together and writing academically have improved me as a person greatly.

"I want to make a difference to people's lives, and research is one way to do that. You might not see the results instantly but ten years down the line, it could have a massive impact on people and how they live.

"I have found a genuine passion and interest in medicine and how I can try to actively change problems in the future."

Alongside her studies, NHS work and family commitments, Lauren has spent the past two years volunteering at St Giles Church, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where she serves as a safeguarding officer. During that time, she introduced the church's first equality and diversity policy and helped create a safe and supportive environment for both members of the congregation and Keele students on placement.