Failing her Leaving Cert hasn't stopped Suzie O'Neill from succeeding in business.
The founder and CEO of Irish brand Ayu Cosmetics wants the Class of 2026 to know that there are alternative paths if they do not get the results they want.
"Having failed my Leaving Cert, I've still been able to do the courses I wanted to do, start the business I wanted to start, and live the life I wanted to live," she told RTÉ News.
"There are ways of getting into your courses later on. When you've a passion for something, that is what will get you further."
After finishing school, Suzie got a job while she decided what she wanted to do next.
She went on to do a beauty course, had her own salon for a while, and began working as a teacher with international make-up brands and in colleges.
Suzie founded her own company in 2014 and said she used her Leaving Cert failure as motivation to achieve her dreams.
"From the days of the Leaving Cert, there are a lot of people who think you’re a waster or you’re not good enough or you don’t know how to work.
"But that has also been my driver - I'll show you what I can do, I'll show you that I am capable.
"It’s obviously easy for me to say not to worry too much, but just to remember that the Leaving Cert is not the be-all and end-all."
