Taryn Moir’s life was once very different to how it is now. Before she was an Open University alumna and Doctor in Psychology, Taryn was living in a refuge with her young child and feeling lost and alone, having escaped an abusive and increasingly violent relationship.

Whilst rebuilding her life, Taryn embarked on a learning journey with the OU which she says has allowed her to do a job she loves and make a difference to other families. Taryn got in touch to share her inspiring story:

“When I was 16, I left school with a small handful of mediocre standard grades,” Taryn explains. “Things were not going great at home with mum and dad and so I started looking for an opportunity to get away. This came in the form of a live-in job as a receptionist in a hotel.”

During this time, Taryn started a relationship and became engaged. It was after they got married that things began to change for the worse, and Taryn started to feel scared in her own home.

Taryn suffered years of emotional and physical abuse, and controlling behaviour from her then-husband, which only escalated after the birth of their child. Despite requiring more and more medical treatment, Taryn describes finding it difficult to get support and understanding from those around her. It wasn’t until a school friend visited and saw what was happening, that Taryn found the strength to leave. With her friend’s help, Taryn and her baby moved to a women’s refuge, where they would live for three months.

“Technically homeless, my mum and dad told me my place was to go back to my husband,” Taryn says. “Living in a refuge not only makes you institutionalised, but the stories women would tell of male violence made me more scared of men than ever before. It was a difficult process.”

Believing in herself 

Over the next few years, Taryn painstakingly pieced her life back together again, finding somewhere to live and returning to work. However, each time Taryn would find a job she enjoyed, she still felt she was being held back by the past.

“I often got despondent when I realised that my lack of qualifications meant that I was limited regarding how I could progress, regardless of how good my work was.”

It was in a new role at a residential school for children with social and emotional needs that Taryn would make a decision that would change the course of her life.

“I met an educational psychologist at work who was truly inspirational. Within weeks I had signed up for The Open University to study a BSc in Psychology. The idea of becoming a psychologist at that point was still too beyond my experience to even contemplate.”

A new outlook on life

Taryn began studying with The Open University in Scotland in 2006 and completed her Honours degree in 2010.

“I loved the journey through my studies,” says Taryn. “The support provided by the lecturers were outstanding and I met lots of wonderful people studying along the way. The whole experience allowed me to break down my mental barriers.”

After completing her degree, Taryn applied for an MSc in Educational Psychology, a funded-course which had hundreds of applicants for only 20 places, and was delighted to be accepted.

“I am now a senior educational psychologist with a Doctorate in Psychology, on a salary that I would never have dared to dream of, doing a job I love and with a man that is loving and supportive. I have had my work published in academic journals eight times and have presented at several conferences including one in Japan.”

“My life has completely changed, and I could not have done it without my partner or The Open University. I now have a career and a profession which allows me to really make a difference for children and families. Thank you, Open University!”