First class celebrations for former Belfast High School student after serious health battles
A former Belfast High School student has battled serious health issues and his own imposter syndrome to graduate with first class honours in Accounting.
Jay Johnston’s personal triumph was highlighted as Queen’s University of Belfast’s summer graduation season commenced on Thursday (June 25).
At the end of last summer, the 22-year-old ended up in hospital for almost two weeks with an acute attack of inflammatory bowel disease.
A fitness lover who runs a personal-training business outside of his studies, Jay had completed the Belfast Marathon in May 2025 but it wasn’t until he attempted a couple of half-marathons later that summer that he realised something wasn’t right.
“I couldn’t eat, I was losing weight quickly,” he explains. “I ended up in hospital where I was told my inflammation was nine times higher than it should have been.”
Having embarked on the Master’s course directly after three years of undergraduate study at Queen’s Business School, Jay was advised by many to take this past year out – but he was determined to push through.
To not only complete his Master of Science in Accounting but graduate with a first is a remarkable achievement.
“I’m pretty stubborn,” he admits. “I’m the first in my family to go to university and it wouldn’t have been the expected route – my dad’s a painter with Bombardier while my mum works in Boots.
“Even at grammar school (Belfast High School in Jordanstown), I felt like an imposter because of my working-class background but it just made me more determined.
Jay hadn’t actually considered university at all, but after scoring highly in his A Levels, he thought he “may as well apply”.
He explains: “I really didn’t think uni was for me. I thought I wouldn’t fit in – but I couldn’t have been more wrong. You were treated like an adult and I really liked that; now I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.”
Having missed the start of term last September, Jay had a lot of catching up to do to make sure he could graduate this summer.
“I’d lost 12kg in a fortnight,” he recalls. “Even when I’d recovered enough to go back to lectures and classes, I remember trying to cross the road one day and my legs buckling. I was weak for a long time.
“Looking back, I think the bowel flare-up was a culmination of things – a relationship break-up, plus just pushing myself too hard, physically and mentally.
"I was unhappy, overworked and stressed. I’ve always been so driven but I guess it was a bit of a wake-up call to take things easier.”
With the right medication and a fitness plan tailored to recovery – rather than continuing to push himself to the limit – Jay built his strength back up and is now feeling well and looking to the future.
Jay is hoping to ultimately qualify as a chartered accountant and become self-employed, while keeping up his body-transformation coaching business.
QUB celebrates the success of its students with summer graduations running over an eight-day period.