My degree of difference

Helping people to escape the stereotype and tell their own story

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Nathaniel Hawley, BA (Hons) Television Production graduate

One of the reasons I chose to study the Television Production degree at BU was because the assessment was largely practical. That really spoke to me because it matched my own strengths and the way I like to learn. My dyslexia means that I learn differently to most people, so the course really suited me – as did the support I received from BU to help me as I studied.

In fact, it’s probably fair to say that the way I learn has had an even bigger influence on my life than what I learned, both at school and at BU. Since graduating, I have found myself working hard to raise awareness of neurodiversity, making sure that employers and educators appreciate the differences that dyslexic, dyspraxic and autistic people have in the way they learn and develop. When those differences are understood, these incredible skills can then be harnessed and used, instead of being wasted.

A great example that combines my passion for neurodiversity and my interests in television production and in storytelling comes in the fact that I’ve enjoyed considerable success in teaching groups that others can find hard to reach. I’ve been able to pass on my skills by teaching groups of refugee children and those with terminal illnesses about ways they can tell their own story.

To do so is really important because it gives them ownership of their own narrative. We can move away from clichés and challenge stereotypes by placing the power in their own hands. We think of refugee children as sad and depressed, but by learning how to film their own stories they can show the world that they have hopes and dreams too, that they love to play football or hang out with their friends like anyone else.

The same applies to the terminally ill. The cliché is miserable people waiting to die but I actually met some of the most optimistic and inspirational people I've ever encountered. It's about giving people the tools they need so they can tell their story their way. And that's what I'm most passionate about really, in all that I do.