“Hand on my heart studying in UCD was fantastic. I’d love to go back. The scholarship really helped me to be able to study while living in Dublin. I was working at the weekends in a bar but it wouldn’t have been close to being able to pay rent and bills along with books and the other expenses that come with college. I moved up to Dublin, largely because of the scholarship instead of commuting 3 hours to and from Monaghan. The housing crisis was beginning to get really apparent around then and it was difficult to find anywhere affordable near campus. I was able to commute to and from college and actually attend all my lectures without being stuck on a bus for hours on end. To actually have that time to study midweek was brilliant.

For my mental health, not being worried about my finances was huge. A scholarship helps to relieve you of that burden and allow you to actually focus on your future and your studies as opposed to thinking, “am I able to have dinner tonight?” or, “can I afford rent next week?”

If it wasn’t for the scholarship allowing me to have that free time for the extra curriculars I was involved in like the Social Enterprise Society, becoming Business and Careers editor and guesting on a business show that went on to win the Best Business Show in Ireland. Without it I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work in the industry at that early age. To a large extent those extra curriculars have significantly contributed to my career now. Because of my scholarship, it was the experience I gained through UCD that has brought me to the point where I am now.

Your donation, no matter how much, goes a very long way. What that does for a person coming from a lower socioeconomic background or from a completely different path of life is exceptional, and completely changes what they can do in their own future. Thank you!”