From BA to BSc: Gabriella’s journey to Mental Health Nursing
When Gabriella Sweeney, a Ted Adams Trust Scholar, made the decision to leave her 12-year career as British Airways cabin crew, she never imagined where the path would take her.
“I loved my job,” she reflects, “but something changed. I didn’t want to travel as much, and I wanted to give back in a different way.”
That change of direction brought her to working in supported living just before the pandemic – a time of intense challenge and transformation. Working with neurodivergent young adults, some non-verbal and managing complex mental health needs, Gabriella was thrown into a high-pressure environment. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done,” she says, “but it taught me that I thrive in crisis. I want to help people through their hardest moments.”
The experience sparked a new ambition: to retrain as a mental health nurse. Encouraged by friends, family, and her own lived experience – including the tragic loss of her baby daughter Isabella Eden in 2014 – Gabriella embarked on an access course and applied to Surrey. “When I visited on the open day, I knew. The facilities were outstanding. The students in uniform looked so professional. I could see myself there.”
Now in the first year of her degree, Gabriella speaks with warmth and conviction about the road she’s taken. “This isn’t the future I thought I’d have,” she says. “But it’s the right one. My life now is about turning pain into purpose.”
The support of a Ted Adams Trust Nursing Scholarship, which provides eligible students with £4,000 a year for a maximum of three years, has been pivotal. Like many mature students, Gabriella faced the financial reality of leaving full-time work. The scholarship helped ease the pressure – especially the cost of maintaining her car, which she relies on for long commutes to placement. “It’s more than financial support,” she says. “It’s a piece of the puzzle that’s helping me build this new life.”
Beyond her studies, Gabriella volunteers for a student support service and hosts The Baby Loss Podcast, creating space for others affected by loss. “I wanted to give people a voice,” she explains. “We need to break the stigma around grief. No one should feel alone.”
Gabriella’s dream is to specialise in bereavement care within the NHS. It’s a dream rooted in personal experience and sustained by education, empathy, and resilience. “There are so many people who supported me through the darkest time. Now I want to be that person for someone else.”
Meeting the Ted Adams Trustees at a recent scholar’s lunch was a meaningful moment. “One of them remembered my application,” Gabriella recalls. “That really touched me. It meant they saw something in me.