Chris Osagbaekhoe, from Thamesmead in South East London, received his BA from Goldsmiths, University of London at the Queen Elizabeth II Center in Westminster on Wednesday.
Chris is a Nigerian by birth and upbringing and studied psychology and counselling from 2013 to 2015. He has four children and 12 grandchildren.
“When I was 64, I decided to do a social work degree as a mature student because I wanted to work with the most vulnerable in society. Following various setbacks and living with a disability, he arrived at Goldsmiths in New Cross in 2024.
Chris lives with discomfort because one leg is shorter than the other, rocking his spinal cord, and he said he felt compelled to advocate for others and empower them. He hopes his graduation will motivate others to pursue their passions at any stage of life, especially mature students and persons with impairments.
“I’m a person who lives with a disability. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on the morning of his graduation, Chris said: “A part of the inspiration was to empower people to empower themselves and a part of the motivation was to be a voice to the voiceless, that was my inner drive. I’m happy there were challenges along the way but because of resilience and faith and support from Goldsmiths University, we are celebrating success today.
Chris Osagbaekhoe and wife Ayo T Osagbaekhoe shown at his graduation. Chris is wearing a red shirt, pink tie, graduation cap and gown. His wife is wearing a light blue outfit
Chris is often in a great deal of discomfort because of his condition. He said Goldsmiths and his professors were helpful in accommodating his impairment by offering a proper parking place, which he said was a “massive and major support”. He finds it difficult to walk long distances thus although Goldsmiths is situated near New Cross Gate station the commute by public transport would have been quite uncomfortable and could have affected his studies.
He stated, “The nearest railway station to the school is not within comfortable walking distance for me. The problem of jumping on and off the bus and train, especially in that morning rush hour, sometimes I don’t get a seat, but driving there [Goldsmiths] makes things easier for me.
When asked what he’d like to do next, Chris said he’d like to start a community centred initiative or build a community center to serve young people and keep them away from a life of crime.
Chris is a multi-instrumentalist who can play drums, keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and trumpet and he also wants to use his musical talents to encourage the next generation. But first, he explains, he has his eye on his first job as a licensed social worker.
“Family, friends and the local community have been calling non-stop,” Chris says.Now they look at me as an inspiration, they look at me as one who set the pace,” he says.”‘You set the tempo so high, we’ll try to catch you up on that,’ they told us. And it feels good to know that my tale is inspiring individuals in my family and outside my family, knowing that with determination, you will get there.”
Dr Carmen Yau, Lecturer in Social Work at Goldsmiths, said: “Chris’s journey is one of extraordinary determination, courage and hope. He reminds us that education can be transformative at any age.His narrative has powerfully reminded me of why we are at Goldsmiths, why we do what we do each day. It speaks to the ideals at the heart of social work and our teaching at Goldsmiths too: faith in people’s potential, resilience and the power of hope.
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