Award-winning Aadhi aiming to continue helping others after neurodivergence discovery at University
A multi-award-winning international student who discovered his neurodivergence at the University of Chester has a bright future after using the diagnosis to play to his strengths.
Aadhi Agilan, 25, from Singapore, chose to study a BSc (Hons) Psychology degree with a foundation year at the University, but initially struggled with deadlines and poor grades. Gradually discovering he was neurodivergent, Aadhi’s marks improved each year thanks to adapting his workloads and the support he received.
He explained: “The department was really friendly and supportive, and very approachable when it came to discussing coursework. The University’s Student Services have supported me immensely over the past four years, even before my diagnosis. Student counselling, academic mentors and referrals to the NHS for therapy were particularly helpful, allowing me to reduce stress and improve my grades each year.
“This year, through lectures on ADHD, discussions with lecturers, and my therapist from the NHS, I began to recognise my behaviours, which ultimately led to being placed on a waitlist for an official diagnosis. In the meantime, increased psychoeducation helped me to better understand and work with my strengths, such as performing well under pressure and close to deadlines when I can hyperfocus, and be creative in my approach of doing work while reducing the guilt of not working in the same way as neurotypical students.
“This shift allowed me to use my time more effectively for pursuing other opportunities while avoiding burnout. Having an Inclusion Plan also reassured me that my lecturers understood my needs and could scaffold my learning and assessments accordingly.”
Taking what he had learned, Aadhi has since been able to support others, as he was elected as the Neurodiversity Student Officer for two years. He said: “This led me to work with the council to develop neurodiverse-friendly campaigns, such as NeurodiversiTea. This was an annual drop-in session held in a sensory-safe space where neurodiverse students could paint mugs and have candid discussions with me about their university experiences.
“From these sessions, I was able to gather valuable feedback, which I then brought forward to council meetings to raise awareness of the support students needed. I also used the primary data I collected to work with the university’s Neurodiversity Special Interest Research Group, providing student representation to ensure the research remained grounded and contributing to civic-related research goals.
“A particular highlight has been serving as an active campus volunteer co-ordinator for four years, which allowed me to give back while staying actively involved in student life.”
In addition, Aadhi has been a Research Assistant at the Centre for Ageing and Mental Health for the past two and a half years through the UniJobs programme, with his contract extended due to good performance.
He said: “It has been the most rewarding opportunity of my degree, allowing me to apply what I have learned in my course, enhance my employability, and strengthen my research and report-writing skills for assessments. Most importantly, it has inspired me to even consider a PhD and future career in academia.
“I have gained valuable experience through involvement in research special interest groups, ranging from mental health to AI. Highlights include presenting my dissertation research on predicting student use of AI and self-declaration behaviour at the SURE conference, running a workshop with my colleagues on building good research culture at the PARC conference, and serving as the Patient and Public Involvement Lead for the University’s volunteer research group, co-ordinating resources, delivering training, and managing finances to enhance research quality and support research applications.”
Aadhi has earned plenty of recognition both at the University and nationally for his hard work, as he explained: “I was a Special Recognition Award winner at the University of Chester’s 1839 Awards in 2024, nominated by students, lecturers, and staff. Nationally, I represented the University of Chester at the Bright Network NextGen Awards in 2023, where I was Runner-Up for Overall Student of the Year UK. I also achieved UCV (University of Chester Volunteering) Platinum Plus for completing more than 350 hours of volunteering.
“In entrepreneurship, I received the Venture Adventure Pitch and Leadership Award in Thailand in 2024, was selected as an Enterprise Development Programme finalist in Scotland the same year, and later became a Venture Pitch Finalist in 2025. Most recently, I was named a finalist in the International IntelliSense InnovateX Contest and a contestant at the WeStart Entrepreneurial Investment Conference in Shanghai.”
Looking to the future, Aadhi is aiming to become an Occupational Psychologist and work as a consultant, which he said would be his “dream career”.
Dr Mandy Yilmaz, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, said: “Aadhi was a dedicated and enthusiastic member of our Student as Partners group. He cared deeply and passionately about every aspect of the student experience. He also loved eating cake!”
For more information about studying Psychology at the University of Chester, visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/psychology/
