The Scholars Programme inspires a love of learning in students aged 8-18, providing practical experience of higher education and helping students develop the skills needed to thrive in academia and their careers.
We’re proud of the impact our programme has on both GCSE attainment and university progression; we’re also incredibly proud of what students have gone on to achieve since taking part in The Scholars Programme. In this vein, we wanted to share student ambassador Maheea’s story with you.
“I grew up in quite a low-income area where not a lot of people went to Sixth Form or university. When I was at school, a lot of teachers were leaving the area, which really impacted my education. It meant that the subjects we were taught were very limited, and therefore The Scholars Programme was vital in providing me with a varied education.
“I completed the Scholars Programme when I was in Year 12 and my course focused on opioids and how we can change the structure of drugs using technology. Studying the course, I realised that healthcare isn’t just taking care of people, and that there was a more scientific part where you actually get to design things, and my interest stemmed from there. I’m now studying Pharmacy at UCL.
“At first, I found the reading challenging and writing a university style essay seemed quite daunting, but my PhD tutor was really supportive. My tutor was quite young and really easy to talk to. She was kind of like an elder sister because a lot of us were the oldest in our families and were the first to go to university.
“I managed to get a First in my essay, and that was huge to me because I didn’t think that I was capable of that. It pushed me to think that maybe I could go to a top university, and I think it’s a big reason as to why I ended up going to UCL. I actually learned how to reference from The Scholars Programme because I’d never done that before and you don’t get taught it at university.
“Programmes like The Scholars Programme are so important, especially for people who haven’t really left their hometown. There’s a mental block for a lot of students, and they think ‘I can’t even apply there because I would never get in’. My community is quite tight-knit, and you’re not encouraged to leave, so having someone from outside of the area come and speak to you and show you that there’s a whole world out there, it breaks that fourth wall for you and encourages you to explore and try new things.”
Abigail’s story: how taking part in The Scholars Programme within her Welsh valleys school helped her pursue higher education.
Stallan’s story: how The Scholars Programme helped him pursue a Sociology degree at the University of Bristol.