“In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,”” says 39-year-old Sunny Dhadley who studied for a diploma in management at the college a few years ago.
Sunny, who was working in a management role at the time and wanted to gain a recognised qualification, added: “Not only had I been out of education for a while but, having operated on the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ for quite some time, I’d managed to break free from that lifestyle, got a job and dedicated myself to helping those who were going through what I had been through.
“Returning to education as a mature student dovetailed with my desire to achieve excellence within my role and to create lasting positive social impact.
“After completing the qualification I became an associate member of CMI (Chartered Management Institute), became a Chartered Manager and was awarded Chartered Manager of the Year.
“I also received a Dedication to the City Award, completed a Parliamentary Shadowing Programme, was runner up at The Guardian Public Service Awards (in the category for Public Servant of the Year) and the charity that I was leading received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the MBE for groups and the highest accolade available in the UK for a community or voluntary organisation.
“I now work as a freelance consultant, undertaking innovative projects with a variety of organisations, and am also a policy spokesperson, motivational speaker and give talk at different conferences, seminars and events. I was one of the speakers at first TEDx Wolverhampton in 2019 and gave a talk entitled ‘Activating Lived Experience to Create Social Change’.
“I am also a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), an alumnus of Windsor Leadership Trust and Operation Black Vote, as well as proudly being alumni of City of Wolverhampton College.
“You are never too old to enhance your level of education. Whether to change your own immediate world or, if you have greater ambitions, engaging in education will not only teach you things you don’t know, but it also has the power to help you to transform the lives of others.”
“I hope that my journey demonstrates that your starting point does not have to determine how you finish. We each have the opportunity to achieve all that we desire, so find your passion, thirst for knowledge and believe in your ability to succeed.”
