Rebuilding a life through adult education: Nataliia’s story

When Nataliia arrived in London from Ukraine in 2022 with her two daughters, she spoke almost no English. But while she left behind the life and career she knew, she held onto her determination to learn, work and build a future for herself and her family.

Nataliia quickly enrolled on a pre-entry ESOL course at WM College. She also continued to work remotely as a Business Management tutor at Kyiv University, teaching her students online from London despite the disruption caused by the war, and took evening shifts as an office cleaner to help support her family.  

Her days were intense: early university teaching, followed by ESOL classes at WM College and paid work in the evenings. And yet she remained committed to her education, steadily progressing through the ESOL levels and gaining the English skills and confidence she needed to establish herself in the UK.

Even serious health problems did not stop her. After undergoing knee surgery, Nataliia spent around six months using crutches. Throughout her recovery, she continued both teaching her students in Ukraine and attending her English classes.

And while learning a new language, working and caring for her family, Nataliia pursued another academic goal. In May 2025, she completed her PhD in Business Management, the culmination of three years of doctoral study while living in London. Alongside her academic work, she has published research, mentored students and organised large-scale events in Ukraine. Her achievements were recognised in 2025 when she was named Inspirational Learner of the Year at the WM College Learner Awards.

For Nataliia, learning English helped turn the possibility of rebuilding her career into a realistic ambition. Her goal is to return to university teaching, this time in the UK, and every step forward in her English brings that future closer.

Nataliia’s story shows the transformative power of adult education. It can give people the tools to rebuild after circumstances beyond their control have changed their lives, opening routes back into work, independence and the careers in which they have so much to contribute. For Nataliia, education has been both a constant connection to the life she built in Ukraine and the means through which she is creating a new one in Britain.