Last month, our Managing Director, Shumela stood on the stage at the University of Stirling to receive an Honorary Doctorate. It was a proud and emotional moment, not only for Shumela, but for everyone connected to Resilience Learning Partnership. Yet as we’ve reflected on the significance of this recognition, we’ve found ourselves thinking less about the award itself and more about what it represents.

At RLP, we often talk about the importance of recognising the strengths, knowledge and leadership that emerge from lived experience. Shumela’s journey embodies this belief. Having experienced care, left school without qualifications and later returned to education as an adult learner, she went on to build a career dedicated to improving outcomes for others. Today, she is recognised nationally for her work advancing trauma-informed practice and ensuring that lived experience informs policy, services and systems.

What makes this moment especially meaningful is the message it sends. Too often, people who have experienced adversity are defined by their past, rather than their potential. Too often, lived experience is viewed as something to overcome rather than something that can inform, shape and strengthen leadership. We believe something different. We believe that lived experience creates knowledge. It offers insight that cannot be learned from textbooks alone. It helps us understand what systems feel like from the inside. It helps us identify what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change. When organisations create genuine opportunities for people with lived experience to shape services, influence decisions and lead change, better outcomes become possible for everyone. This principle has guided RLP from the very beginning.

Shumela’s honorary doctorate is a celebration of one remarkable journey, but it is also a reminder of what can become possible when people are given opportunities to learn, contribute and lead. Recognition matters because it sends a signal. It tells people that their experiences have value. That their perspectives matter. That leadership can look different. That there is more than one route to success. The challenges facing individuals and communities across Scotland remain significant. But so too is the potential for change when we invest in people, relationships and opportunity.

We are incredibly proud of Shumela and grateful to everyone who has supported her, and RLP, along the way. We hope this moment inspires others to recognise the value of lived experience and the possibilities that open up when people are given the chance to thrive.

Watch the Ceremony here