64 y.o Nigerian father of 5, John Adesoye graduates as a Nurse after studying alongside his son

A dad of five has just graduated from college at the age of 64.

After completing a nurse degree apprenticeship at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol, England, John Adesoye celebrated his hard work at his graduation ceremony on Wednesday, July 15, according to a university press release. 

Adesoye retrained as a nurse after starting his working life as an electronics technician in Greece, before moving to the U.K. He grew up in Nigeria and became interested in electronics as a child, when he was fascinated by the radio.

“Beforehand, I was caring for electronic devices and I was happy when I could get broken devices working again,” he said, per the release. “In my work in healthcare, when patients get better, it gives me great joy and satisfaction.”

While studying, Adesoye attended UWE alongside his son, Daniel, who was taking a degree in creative music technology. He spent one day a week on campus and the rest of the week training at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital. 

Adesoye originally changed careers in 2013, when he began work at Southmead as a healthcare assistant, per the release. He then took on a nursing associate course before completing his nurse degree apprenticeship and becoming a registered nurse this summer.  

Per the release, Adesoye has secured a nursing role at Southmead and hasn’t ruled out studying for a master’s degree in the future. He has worked in a number of different departments at Southmead, including the emergency room, cardiology, orthopedics and intensive care. Jacqui Caskey and Caroline Bromwich, the leads for his course, called him “very dedicated” and proof that “hard work and perseverance can enable you to achieve your goal,” per the release. 

They added of their students, “Being a nurse apprentice is no mean feat — to study on a full-time program while working in your usual role is not easy. They all juggle this with busy lives, along with family and caring commitments.” 

Addressing other adults who might be thinking of returning to education, Adesoye himself said in the release, “Don’t listen to people who say you’re too old for university. If I can do it, others can too. People are more brilliant than they think and they’re stronger than they think.” He continued, “I didn’t think I’d ever go to university, to be honest. But I have passion for learning. Even when I was small, I was so curious. When I got the chance to go to university, I didn’t take it for granted — I followed it with my heart.”