But those amazing achievements had seemed an unachievable goal when Philosophy, Ethics and Religion student Olive found herself in and out of hospital due to chronic health conditions exacerbated by a difficult pregnancy during her second year at university. 

In addition to managing her own wellbeing, Olive was dealing with the early arrival of her daughter and caring for her son, who was just two at the time. Olive’s autism has also left her battling her own “unreachable standards of perfectionism” throughout her life, adding to the pressures on her learning. Unable to give university her full attention, she became concerned that she would not be able to satisfy her expectations. 

Olive said: “I’m a perfectionist, so I doubt everything I do and always feel like it's not going to be good enough. My head tells me that if something isn’t done 100% right, then it’s not done at all. When my health was bad and I had a lot going on at home, I really struggled, as I knew my university work would suffer.” 

Aware of Olive’s situation, her lecturers worked with Leeds Trinity University’s Student Support and Disability Service teams to create a bespoke support plan that would enable her to catch up on missed teaching through one-to-one tutoring. Olive was also provided with key resources and learning materials to review in her own time and granted extensions to her assignment deadlines. 

“My husband and lecturers reassured me that I was getting the grades I needed, and that if things did start to slip for any reason, I had the support plans in place. If I was struggling, I could just email my lecturers, and they’d help take the burden off. I am so grateful for what they’ve done for me; they gave me the reminders I needed that I had to put myself first.”  

Having overcome the challenges faced during her second year, Olive won the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence, a prize she also collected in her final year. She graduates today with a First and hopes to continue her journey in academia by undertaking a Masters by Research in Philosophy from October. 

Olive said: “I’m really proud of myself. Stigma around autism cam make people think that those who live with it can’t do what others can, but the past three years have shown me that I am capable. My advice to other autistic students is to be open and communicate with the lecturers, student support, friends or family. There are people who can offer support and advice, and I wouldn't have been able to get through university without them.” 

David Ellis, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion at Leeds Trinity University, said: “Olive has exceptional potential; she has consistently received high marks throughout her degree, been awarded the Dean’s Award twice, played a key role in a funded university research project, and was the Secretary for Leeds Trinity University’s Philosophy, Ethics and Religion Society. She is engaging to teach and critical in her views. I am confident she will continue to excel in academia, and I look forward to seeing her research published in the future.”

For more information about the Philosophy, Ethics and Religion degree at Leeds Trinity, visit the University website.