From Romania to Wales: Nicoleta’s Inspiring Journey to helping Young People

Nicoleta Dinu is graduating from the BSc in Health and Care of Children and Young People this week at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. 

Nicoleta left her homeland in Romania to pursue educational opportunities in Wales and a fresh start.

She says: “Growing up in Romania as the youngest of four children, I faced significant adversity early on, losing my father at the age of four and my mother during my teenage years. Rather than allowing these losses to define me, I used those experiences to build resilience and deepen my empathy for young people facing difficult circumstances.  I chose to channel that experience into something meaningful.”

Before moving to Wales, Nicoleta had already enjoyed a seventeen-year career in sales and customer care, reaching senior coordinator and sales management levels but she had aspirations to broaden her horizons and build a new career.

She says:  “When I moved to the UK, I started afresh, learning a new language, adapting to a different culture, and rebuilding my professional identity in an unfamiliar environment.

“Education became my turning point, demonstrating that it’s never too late to redirect your life with purpose and courage” 

Nicoleta, who lives in Newport but will move to Swansea in September, is full of pride as she graduates from the University’s campus in Swansea and is looking forward to starting the MSc in Applied Psychology, beginning in October 2026. 

She says: “I aim to work in youth mental health and early intervention because I understand, from lived experience, how the right support at the right time can transform a young person’s life”. 

As she continues to champion the health and wellbeing of young people, her vision is encapsulated in a simple but powerful belief: “Healthy students, healthy future, healthy society.”

Further Information

Eleri Beynon

Head
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: e.beynon@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 01267 676790