After a sudden life changing illness left him blind and paralysed, Farhad joined the New Beginnings programme at University of East London. He excelled at the course, making incredible progress physically, personally and academically. He quickly progressed to a BSc Banking and Finance and has now secured a highly competitive internship with Barclays Bank.  

“I worked in banking for over 15 years and want to get back. I thought it best to gain further knowledge about the changing financial sector and learn new skills in the industry I love.

“I had second thoughts about studying at university but was eager to do a degree as I never had the chance before. My family have professional degrees and I wanted to uphold the family tradition and show them I can also achieve exceptional things even from a wheelchair.

“My confidence grew dramatically during New Beginnings. I had fire inside me to do something with my mind and prove that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. My health has improved, university gave me a healthier mindset and made me hungry to achieve greatness in my future. After gaining confidence from group presentations, I joined a Kung-Fu club. A wheelchair doesn’t stop me from engaging and fighting for a brighter future.

“Going to university gave me a purpose in life and a reason to fight, as I have an end-goal in sight. I won’t let anything get in my way as I believe it’s my second chance in life for which I am forever grateful. Best of all, I made my parents extremely proud and my mind is occupied and my view of the world forever changing.”