A 68-year-old grandfather of 12 from Greenwich has graduated with a first-class degree in social work.
Chris Osagbaekhoe, from Thamesmead in South East London, collected his BA from Goldsmiths, University of London at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster on Wednesday, September 2.
Chris, who was born and raised in Nigeria, had previously studied psychology and counselling between 2013 and 2015. He has four children and is a grandfather of 12.
At the age of 64, he decided to pursue a social work degree as a mature student, which was inspired by his desire to help the most vulnerable people in society. In 2024, he transferred to Goldsmiths in New Cross after experiencing some setbacks while also living with a disability.
Chris, who lives with pain as a result of having one leg shorter than the other which rocks his spinal cord, said he felt encouraged to advocate for others and empower them. He hopes his graduation will inspire others, especially mature students and people with disabilities to follow their passions – whatever stage they are at in life.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on the morning of his graduation, Chris said: “I’m a person that lives with a disability.
Part of the inspiration was to empower people to empower themselves, and 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 the support from Goldsmiths University, we are celebrating success today.”
Chris’s disability means he is often in a lot of pain. He said Goldsmiths and his tutors helped to accommodate his disability by providing a suitable parking space, which he said was a “massive and major support”.
He struggles to walk long distances so even with Goldsmiths being located close to New Cross Gate station, the journey by public transport would have been very uncomfortable and risked disrupting his studies.
He said: “The nearest train station to the school is not within easy walking distance for me. The struggle of jumping in and out of the bus and train, especially during that morning rush hour—sometimes I don’t get a seat, but driving to [Goldsmiths] makes life easier for me.”
Asked what he plans to do next, Chris said he’d like to launch a community-based project or open a community centre to help young people and keep them away from a life of crime.
A multi-instrumentalist who can play the drums, the keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and the trumpet, Chris also wants to use his musical talents to inspire the next generation. But first, he says, he has set his sights on finding his first job as a qualified social worker.
Chris says his phone “hasn’t stopped ringing” from family, friends and the local community.
“They now see me as an inspiration, they see me as having set the pace,” he says.
“They said, ‘the pace that you set is so high, we’ll try and catch you up on that’. So, that gladdens my heart, that my story is motivating people within my family and outside my family, and to know 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 stage of life.
“His story has given me a powerful reminder of why we are here at Goldsmiths, why we do what we do every day.
“It speaks to the values that underpin social work and our education at Goldsmiths alike: belief in people’s potential, resilience, and the power of hope.”
