Army officer who left school with few qualifications now averaging 81% at Bucks New University

A Buckinghamshire man who left school at 16 with few qualifications is averaging 81% in his degree at Bucks New University, after a chance conversation outside an army recruiting office changed the course of his life. 

Captain Alexander Pavlopoulos, 35, was delivering tyres for a friend in Milton Keynes in 2015 when he stopped outside the office and got chatting to a soldier there. Six months later, he was undertaking basic training.  

Before joining the army, Alex had drifted through a string of low-paid jobs and was dismissed from several of them, which he attributes to a lack of motivation and self-discipline. University was not on his radar. 

Alex spent four years within the enlisted ranks, where he was recommended for officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He attended the academy in 2020 and was commissioned into the Royal Logistics Corps the following year. 

He continued to take on greater responsibility. In 2023, he led around 120 personnel while serving as acting officer commanding a training squadron at the Defence School of Transport. 

Now he is back in education through the army’s In-Service Degree Officer Programme, which supports officers who did not take the traditional university route before commissioning.  

“I was not someone who would have fit in at the university at all in those days,” he said.  

Having grown up in Bucks, Alex was keen to return to the area after spending five years serving in Yorkshire. He chose Bucks New University because its courses aligned with his career in army logistics.  

He is now in his second year after achieving an average of 81% in his first year, including three modules in which he achieved marks above 90%.  

“I consider it a privilege to be at university,” he said. “Education is paramount.”  

Alongside his studies and military commitments, Alex has founded Bucks’ Defence and Civil Engagement Society, which aims to help students understand the links between defence and civilian life and develop skills that could improve their future employability.  

He hopes the society will continue beyond his time at university, becoming part of a larger, established student organisation so that its work and benefits can continue.  

Alex also works with students through the University Officer Training Corps, supporting those considering a career as an army officer. He regularly supports army recruiting events and delivers talks on leadership and personal development to students at BNU and organisations across the country. He undertakes this additional work voluntarily, declining reimbursement because he wants to share his knowledge and experiences with others. 

One of the lessons he shares uses a £5 note. He asks his audience who wants it, then crumples it up and puts it on the floor before asking again. Despite being crumpled and on the floor, the note’s value hasn’t changed. Alex uses the example to show that setbacks and difficult experiences do not diminish a person's worth or potential. 

Alex added: “Your educational needs and your future have inherent value. Regardless of your feelings, you can attend. Bucks is very good at making people feel valuable, in my experience.”  

He praised the support he has received from university staff, describing his tutors as “wonderful” and highlighting the individual guidance and feedback they have provided throughout his studies. Alex is due to graduate in 2028.