Cassandra Boadu

Psychology and Counselling BSc (Hons)

Cassandra came to BCU determined to make her mark at university, despite struggling with self-doubt and undiagnosed ADHD during her studies. With support from staff and university services, she developed confidence, resilience and strong professional skills. She now works at BCU as a Careers Project Officer, helping students navigate their own career journeys. 

"As the eldest sibling, I always wanted to go to university and gain a bit of independence. I had my mind set on BCU, so when I came to the open day, everything just clicked; I felt at home straight away and I knew this was where I was going to make my mark.

At first, I suffered with imposter syndrome, and worried whether I’d make friends on my course. I've struggled a lot with concentrating throughout my academic journey. It honestly made me feel like I wasn’t capable of excelling at uni.

As the workload increased, the symptoms became more obvious and started affecting my confidence as well as my physical and emotional health. It reflected in my second-year grades too, which left me discouraged because I just couldn’t understand why I was struggling.

When I confided in my personal tutor and one of my lecturers about my struggles, they encouraged me to get tested for Dyslexia, which led to an ADHD assessment. Two months after I graduated, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It wasn’t an easy pill to swallow, but I was grateful to finally have clarity and unwavering support throughout the duration of my studies.

I’d always suspected something, but the confirmation helped me tap into the right resources to manage it. The Careers team, Centre of Academic success and the Disability Support team provided me with resources and words of encouragement throughout the process

My experience at BCU was a rollercoaster. But, despite the challenges, I fought through it. During my studies, I worked as a Student Ambassador., supporting at career fairs, open days and attended both internal and external networking events, which helped me build my confidence and grow my connections.

To anyone considering studying at BCU I would say, do it! But you cannot survive the course without a support system. Even if it's two good friends, it'll make all the difference. And if you don’t have friends, become that friend to yourself. The Wellbeing team are great as well, don't feel shy or ashamed to reach out to them.

Now, I’m working at BCU as the Grow Your Own Careers Project Officer. It’s a 12-month role, but I’m hoping to develop my knowledge around careers consulting and how to show up and show out on LinkedIn.

In the background, I'm working on making a comeback with Cazzcareers; a LinkedIn optimisation service. I parked the service during the summer so I can have a break and now that I'm working in an environment where creativity and entrepreneurship is nurtured, it's given me enough motivation to tap back into it.

After graduating, I intentionally took time to rest and enjoy the results of three years of hard work. I didn’t realise the jump from full time education to full time employment could be so overwhelming, so it's important to give your mind time to rest and reset.

While job hunting, I picked up a few shifts here and there from a catering agency I've been with for a few years now. This helped me stay financially afloat while honing my communication, time management, relationship building and conflict resolution skills.

After getting an insight into the worlds of entrepreneurship and higher education, I realised I’m meant to do multiple things that all lead towards one purpose: helping students reach their potential by breaking the mental and emotional barriers they face in their early careers. So far, the journey has been going well. and I feel much better too.

On my course, I got to learn about change and how people react differently to change. I've learned that the more you move up in life, especially in your career journey, you experience a lot of imposter syndrome. It's easy sometimes to fall into that "Am I good enough to be in this workspace?" or "How will I fit into this space? I'm so different" mentality. Especially being neurodiverse, you almost feel like there's no rooms with opportunities for you. But that's the beauty of university, especially at BCU, there's always room and opportunities for people.

I’ve also learned three key interpersonal skills that are used in my day to day at work: active listening, effective communication, attention to detail. Additionally, attending networking events, careers fairs, Black History Month and Windrush events have helped me grow my confidence in speaking to students and staff. Honestly, it rarely feels like ‘work', just a day full of things I genuinely enjoy doing.

It’s almost like being a big sister or a campus parent. Aside from booking students in for appointments, creating flyers or checking emails, you encounter students who need someone to talk to about their 'career fears'. That's when my ‘Counselling’ side shows up. Being a recent graduate helps because I understand exactly how students feel. So, not only do I get the opportunity to provide them with Career related resources but reassure and encourage them too.

I'd say my mindset in response to change and opportunities. Self-doubt, procrastination and burnout creep in and get the best of me at times. Being neurodiverse amplifies all these thoughts which makes things more challenging to overcome. I remind myself that my challenges aren’t tools to harm me, they’re shaping me into the woman I’m becoming.

My proudest achievement since graduating was securing my dream role at BCU, which I worked hard to hone my skills and experience for to make me a strong candidate. Now, I feel proud to see the flyers I’ve created around campus.

To fellow BCU graduates starting out on their career, make sure to celebrate the wins, the losses and the in-betweens. Life moves fast once you start your career and if you’re not careful, you’ll start living someone else’s dream instead of your own. Stay present, stay grounded, and stay true to yourself.

‘I AM BCU’ means embracing BCU’s values while staying rooted in your identity. It’s aligning yourself with what the university offers, what it stands for and the future it envisions for you without losing who you are.”