The thought of walking across a stage to collect a degree would have seemed like an impossible dream to a teenage Ayla Jones.
But a decade later she is now the proud holder of a BSc Nursing (Mental Health) after overcoming the struggles which blighted her life and made her determined to help others.
Ayla first started struggling with her mental health when she was just 12. Always lacking in confidence, she found change challenging and became increasingly anxious and depressed before having her first psychotic episode when she was 15.
“I was experiencing paranoia and mania – I was really unwell, and it affected my schooling very badly. I had to be home schooled, and I left education without any kind of qualification,” said 24-year-old Ayla, from Sandfields, Port Talbot.
As a teenager she spent years trying to find the right kind of medication and treatment which would allow her to lead a fulfilling life.
“I was 18 and I had no friends and no social life. I was just existing not living. The drugs slurred my speech, and I was sleeping during the day. I knew I wanted to take control of my life, I had to break free from the fear.
“I had always wanted to be a nurse and seeing the lack of mental health care in schools myself made me determined to choose this field.”
But to achieve her dream she knew she needed to go to college to gain vital access qualifications.
“I had to learn to function by myself, I was 19 and had never even caught a bus on my own.”
With the help and guidance of her lecturers at Afan College and the love and support of her family, Ayla gained the confidence and knowledge she needed to push forward with her ambitions.
A major turning point was meeting mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin, founder of the charity Beyond, at a conference. After sharing her experiences with him, he invited Ayla to sit on a youth board helping to advise on future campaigns and policy. He also asked her to contribute to The Book of Hope: 101 Voices on Overcoming Adversity which saw Ayla sharing her story alongside celebrities such as Joe Wicks, Dame Kelly Holmes and Zoe Sugg.
“This gave me a huge confidence boost and led to me applying to Swansea to study nursing. When I enrolled and explained my condition to the wellbeing service, I was put in touch with specialist mental health mentor Pamela Johnson who has been wonderful.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without her, I would never have been able to cope. I am so grateful.”
Pamela said: “Ayla has worked incredibly hard throughout her course to manage her mental health while consistently working to the best of her ability in every aspect of her course.
“She has overcome multiple challenges and has received excellent feedback from placement providers and patients. She has overcome her fears and anxieties and has approached her studies with dedication and commitment.”
After completing placements in a variety of settings, now she is qualified Ayla knows just what she would like to do.
She said: “I hope to raise awareness and make changes within schools to help children and young people struggling with mental ill health in a supportive and inclusive way, all the while sharing hope that we can still achieve our dreams.”
She says her own history has been crucial in making her the person she is now – and in shaping her quest to work in mental health.
She added: “I know what it is like to be really unwell and I have the ability to put myself in the shoes of someone going through the same thing.”
Find out more about studying nursing at Swansea University