Maximising opportunities
A scholarship opens the door for someone who otherwise wouldn’t get the opportunity to benefit from all that our University has to offer. When a student grabs the opportunity wholeheartedly it is all the more fulfilling.We hear from three students who have gone the extra mile to make the most of their time at Nottingham.
The explorer
Hannah Kemp (Geography, 2019)
For many of us the prospect of travelling to explore the world first-hand is an aspiration we might only achieve later in life.
Hannah has already taken the opportunity during her studies to visit the USA, Mexico, Lake District and will soon be heading to Berlin!
"Being the recipient of a scholarship meant never having to worry that a lack of money would limit my opportunities or stop me taking part.”
Thanks to the financial security afforded by a scholarship, Hannah was able to fully embrace her studies by visiting Mount Saint Helens in Washington State to work for the US Geological Survey, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to investigate new water sources and Lake Windermere as part of her dissertation on organic carbon accumulation. So inspired was she by these trips that she became an ambassador for the School of Geography, presenting at UCAS open days on behalf of the University.
If this wasn’t enough Hannah also made the most of other extracurricular activities: performing as 1st Oboe in the wind orchestra ‘Blowsoc’, touring to Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona (for which she also took on publicity and marketing), as well as being a member of the A Cappella and Latin and Ballroom Dancing societies and Geog Soc.
And she carried all of this out inspite of living with Meares Irlen Syndrome – a visual perceptual dysfunction – which requires her to print and enlarge work and pay for special lenses. This proved no barrier to Hannah thanks to your support, which enabled her to fulfil her potential.
The creative
George Smith (Geography, 2019)
The genesis of George Smith’s Floreat Project came about while studying at the University of Nottingham.
Music had always played an integral part in his life, but only when on campus did he realise the role it played in enhancing both his studies and extra-curricular commitments.
"I look back very gratefully on my time at university, because I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and guidance of my peers and mentors in Nottingham.”
Fast forward to today and Floreat Studios is a buzzing space in the heart of Wolverhampton, serving as a base of operations for his music and media collective which specialises in research in the creative sector. While his dissertation saw him investigating the spaces of education, simultaneously the support and guidance received from mentors, lecturers and peers through the Witty Entrepreneurial Scholarship programme means that today George is undertaking meaningful research into music and creativity.
Through the Witty Entrepreneurial Scholarship, George was able to attend seminars and round tables which saw him develop a keen eye for strategies. Then competing in international business competitions such as Universitas 21 where he was runner-up and the Ingenuity Global Business Challenge which he won, he was able to apply for funding to get his business off the ground. Although these commitments and efforts didn’t contribute towards his degree qualification, it is without question that they strongly helped to develop a direction for his post-university life.
The fundraiser
Seair Qadery (Civil Engineering, 2019)
Arriving in the UK from war-torn Afghanistan, Seair found adapting to his new life a struggle initially.
Living on an estate “where the sound of police sirens was not unusual” he describes a struggle in adjusting, trying to fit in and most importantly receiving an education.
"As clichéd as it sounds,I feel the need to give back for everything I have been blessed with.
"Growing up in Afghanistan and having experienced the way of life there, I aspired to be useful to those around me and those that are less fortunate.”
His secondary school was renowned for unruly pupils, below average test results and even teachers being absent, leaving him to study on his own accord. Struggling through his GCSEs and then his AS-levels, he received poor results.
This was the wake-up call Seair needed and he soon began to turn things around, determined to secure a place at university. Still struggling for direction, a conversation with an engineer at a careers fair opened his eyes to working in the industry, setting him on his future path. It was at the same time he began participating in extracurricular activity to atone for his poor grades, raising £1,000 for charity through the National Citizen Service.
During his time at Nottingham Seair continued in the same pursuit, setting up his own Afghan Society,bringing together students, teaching others about Afghan culture and fundraising. He co-ordinated the University’s charity week, raising £24,000 for projects supporting families in similar circumstances to his own childhood. Fast forward to the present day, Seair has graduated with a First, landing a top job with one of the world’s leading engineering consultancies in the process, while continuing his charitable efforts.
Give others the chance to maximise their potential
Only thanks to your support are we able to give hundreds of new students the chance each September to make the most of all the opportunities the University has to offer through a scholarship.
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