Unlocking Potential: How Adult Learning at University Empowered Timmy Long's Transformation

Subsequently, addiction problems, mental health issues, poverty and violence became constant companions in Timmy’s life, as he spiralled from treatment centre to prison.

It was during his time in prison that he learned to read and write, starting with the alphabet and the months of the year.

Aged 32, Timmy decided to finish secondary education and worked hard to complete his leaving certificate while incarcerated.

At the same time, Timmy embarked upon a journey of personal recovery.

‘What happens when you stop the drinking and drugging and whatever the addictions may be, you’re left with your past, you’re left with your childhood, you’re left with all forms of trauma, you're left with all your actions from addiction. There's a lot of fear and shame and guilt with that. I suffered really badly with these things at the beginning and I didn’t know how to cope.’

In prison, a psychologist introduced him to meditation, and Timmy quickly realized its potential as a path toward his own well-being.

Timmy's educational journey continued beyond prison walls. He successfully completed a carpentry apprenticeship and pursued a degree in construction management at MTU Cork.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. He noticed that his classmates comprehended concepts faster and more readily than he did. It was only then, in his late 30s, that Timmy received a life-altering diagnosis: dyslexia.

‘When I was diagnosed with dyslexia, my life changed. All my core beliefs I had since I was a kid around being stupid and not able academically, they all changed. From that moment on, I started to gain a sense of awareness and I started to accept everything that was going on in my life in terms of my negative thoughts, the lack of worthiness, the lack of self-esteem and confidence, just the complete lack of worth in general I had around myself as a human being.’

When he founded his own property maintenance and construction company, providing employment opportunities to individuals in recovery, Timmy thought he was done with education. But when a master’s program in mindfulness-based wellbeing at University College Cork caught his attention, he knew it was for him. He signed up.

Although Timmy describes the course as 80 per cent practice and 20 per cent theory, the academic aspect still poses a challenge.

‘I could study for five or six days around one subject. I would go into the exam and then my mind would go blank because I'd get stressed. But somehow, I got through it and every time I got through something, every exam that I passed, every high grade that I got, my confidence started to grow, and my self-esteem started to grow, and I started to believe that I can actually do this. Yes, I do have to work four, five times harder than everybody else but I'm getting it done and I have a lot to offer here.’

Timmy appreciates the support of programme coordinators Pat O’Leary and Pascale De Coninck.

‘I'm very lucky that Pat and Pascale are very accommodating, they’re empathetic to my situation, they understand what’s going on for me, and they give me that extra little bit of space.’

Timmy also advocates for ongoing advancements in teaching methods that cater to individuals in similar situations. He highlights the difficulties individuals with ADHD or dyslexia encounter with reading books and sitting still for extended periods, emphasizing that these challenges can significantly impede progress in a course.

The UCC course has undeniably transformed Timmy's life.

‘The course has helped me understand what I really want to be doing with my life and what's important to me, where my strengths are, where my weaknesses are, and how much I really want to become a mindfulness teacher and share my experiences for others coming through all walks of life, who have their own mental health struggles and addiction issues.’

As he approaches the midway point of his two-year master’s programme, Timmy has begun a teaching placement at a school. When listening to his story, it is difficult to imagine him failing to persuade anyone of the benefits of mindfulness.

Timmy has triumphed over the multitude of fears and anxieties that once plagued him in relation to education.

‘I had lots of fear when I started my own academic journey. I had fear around not being good enough, getting poor marks, or not being able academically for the reading. But just tell yourself, we’ll see how we get on today and then we’ll do tomorrow, and don’t give up. You don’t want to be 80 years of age and looking back at the time you could’ve done a course in UCC but you didn’t do it. I’m fortunate that I don’t have those regrets and I did put my foot in. It was really tough, but I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.’

The Adult Continuing Education (ACE) Centre of University College Cork, Ireland, features as a case study in the publication Institutional practices of implementing lifelong learning in higher education by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and Shanghai Open University. Alongside the publication International trends of lifelong learning in higher education, the report demonstrates the crucial role that higher education institutions play in offering lifelong learning opportunities.

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