Cancer survivor who retook GCSEs while recovering tells young people - ‘Don’t give up on your dream’

‘Don’t give up on your dream’ - that’s the inspirational message from cancer survivor Kamaria Mohamed who went back to the classroom to retake her GCSEs while healing from the side effects of her medical treatment.

As thousands of young people await their GCSE results tomorrow (22 August), Kamaria, from Ward End, Birmingham says, don’t give up on your dream career, even if you don’t get the results you need first time.

Kamaria, now aged 29, didn’t get the grades she needed when she was 16, but was determined to retake her GCSEs at some point.

Then, at the age of just 25 she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and started an intense course of treatment that involved chemotherapy, an operation and radio therapy.

Despite this, she decided to go back to studying and this time achieved the grades she needed.

It was the support that Kamaria received from counsellors during her treatment that inspired her to pursue a career in which she could help others going through difficult times.

After gaining her Maths and English GCSE, Kamaria went on to complete the Access to Higher Education Diploma in Social Sciences and Health*, achieving distinctions in all of her assignments and impressing her tutors with her resilience and enthusiasm.

Kamaria, who starts a Psychology and Counselling degree in September, said: “I always knew that I wanted to be in a job where I could help people from all walks of life. Going through cancer treatment made me even more determined to achieve my goal.

“When I came across the pre-access course, although I was nervous, the tutor talked me through the process which put my mind at ease and gave me the confidence to pursue this route.

“My advice to young people still unsure of what they want to do in life is to keep a positive mindset and find something you have a passion for. You may not have the grades you need but you can retake and look into other routes you can pursue to get to where you want to be.

“Whatever happens, don’t give up on your dream.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “Kamaria’s determination and emotional journey is truly inspirational.

“Her experience is proof that with perseverance and the right support you can achieve your dreams.

“As Mayor, I will make it easier for people to get back into learning and get the job they want - no matter how they do in their exams.”

In the academic year 2022/23, the WMCA invested £55.9m in level 2 and 3 qualifications, supporting 27,301 learners in the region.

Maria and Mehnaz have also completed the Pre-access and Access to Higher Education (Social Science and Health) course and met the Mayor alongside Kamaria at a recent visit to University College Birmingham.

WMCA has developed a post exam guide full of useful information and advice for young people thinking about what to do next - available to download from the WMCA website: What can I do with my exam results? (wmca.org.uk)

What Next? Careers & Employment Fairs are on offer to inspire and inform young people and adults of career pathways, local opportunities for training and jobs and to provide insight on health and community support services.

The events will be open to attendees between 10.30am and 4pm at the following locations and booking information is available at the links below:

• Tuesday 27th August 2024 | Walsall | Walsall Football Club
• Thursday 29th August 2024 | Wolverhampton | Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club
• Monday 9th September 2024 | Sandwell | Brasshouse Community Centre

*Access to Higher Education (Social Sciences and Health) course at University College Birmingham is now called the Access to HE (Health Professions) course (from August 2024)

Research from Cancer research UK shows that more young adults are being diagnosed with early onset cancer than previously. Between the early 1990s and 2018, cancer incidence rates in 25 to 49-year-olds in the UK increased by 22%