Alumna of the Year Hope Nwosu is an active advocate for equality and diversity
Bachelor of Social Services Hope Nwosu was selected as Laurea's Alumna of the Year for 2025.
Bachelor of Social Services Hope Nwosu was selected as Laurea's Alumna of the Year for 2025. Nwosu, who moved to Finland in 2012, is an active advocate for equality and multiculturalism and has worked to empower immigrant women in particular through her own example. In her work as an employment services specialist for the city of Vantaa, she guides and supports immigrants in their job search.
"I started my life in Finland almost from scratch, so this recognition means a lot to me," says Hope, who is originally from Nigeria and now lives in Vantaa.
The most important skill for a social worker is interacting with people
Hope learned Finnish herself with the help of her Finnish friends. In 2020, she began studying in the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Social Services at Laurea University of Applied Sciences and she graduated in 2024. She started her current job as an employment specialist while still in the final stages of her studies.
Nwosu is very grateful for the help she received when she moved to Finland, and as a Bachelor of Social Services, she now wants to offer her own help to those in need. One of the most valuable lessons Hope learned from her social work studies at Laurea is the skill of interacting with people:
"A customer-oriented approach was one of the most important things in my social work studies and work. We don't make decisions for people, but support them and give them the opportunity to influence their own situation and life," Hope says.
"And now, in my own work, I want to help, support, and empower my clients.”
In Finland, Nwosu has also been a speaker and active social commentator, working in particular on behalf of immigrant women. Hope, a mother of four, has also written a novel, SoldOut, which deals with the life of a Nigerian woman who falls victim to human trafficking in Europe.
Alumna of the Year serves as a role model for students
Laurea selected its Alumni of the Year for the 18th time this year. Laurea staff, students, graduates, and university stakeholders were invited to nominate alum for the award. The Alum of the Year award is given to a Laurea graduate who serves as a source of inspiration for students and other alumni and who showcases Laurea's expertise in working life and society.
In the nominations, Hope Nwosu was described as an ambitious and empathetic powerhouse and an active social influencer.
"As Alumna of the Year, I want to be a role model for students and show them that anything is possible. You just have to be willing to work hard to make your dreams come true," Hope sums up.