Inspirational students who have overcome often significant challenges to continue with their studies at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have received awards from the Vice-Chancellor’s Fund.
Students who benefitted from this year’s fund said they were overwhelmed by their award and that the money would make a real difference to their lives.
Recipients of the Inspiration Prize had faced tremendous hardship; some had suffered domestic abuse, others were raising families on their own, while others had experienced family bereavements or illness. But all of them were determined to turn their lives around by furthering their education.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Fund is supported each year by businesses, alumni, lecturers, staff and the VC himself, Professor Dominic Shellard. Supporters and award winners had been invited to attend a special reception in Trinity House.
Professor Shellard said: “Despite the challenges you face, you are showing the courage and tenacity to work hard at DMU, graduate and make a better life not just for yourselves but for your loved ones too. We are enormously proud of the way you are conquering these difficulties. You have our deepest admiration.”
Louise Cunliffe, a second year Psychology student, received an award to help her continue her studies and support her family. She cares for her eldest son, who is profoundly deaf, and is Disabled Students Representative for De Montfort Students’ Union.
It was a double celebration for Louise, as she had heard this week that her eldest son Sebastien, 23, had been given an unconditional offer to study an art foundation course at DMU while Ben, 18, had been given a conditional offer to study a drama foundation course.
She said: “Not only am I gobsmacked to have received an award, I am also deeply honoured. This will make a huge difference, especially this summer. I will not have to make my money stretch as much as I did last year and I can look forward to spending some quality mum time with my children.
“It is going to be amazing having two sons at university with me next year. Now my 11-year-old, Jennifer, wants to come here and do psychology like her mum. I think my six-year-old Joseph may do palaeontology as he loves dinosaurs!”
Sarah Clark, a third year Health Studies student, is raising her two sons on her own after overcoming difficult circumstances and said receiving an award had given her a huge confidence boost. Sarah volunteers for DMU Square Mile and has been on #DMUglobal trips.
She said: “This has made me really proud. When I heard I had won the award, I chatted to all my friends and they said, “Now will you please believe us when we say you are an inspiration” because I never do believe them. This award has given me more confidence.
“I have come from a very difficult situation, but I am now turning a negative into something really positive. With this money I will be able to treat my two boys, buy a printer for my studies, pay for a GCSE exam… little things like that. I am overwhelmed.”
The Vice-Chancellor’s Fund also handed out 60 prizes under the Vice-Chancellor’s Bursary, and four awards of £1,000 were given out through The Rev Jesse Jackson Fund. The Rev Jackson had received an honorary degree from DMU in 2011 and established the fund to support students, or DMU societies, which increased integration within the local community or on campus.
First year Journalism student, Simon Sansome, received one of the awards for developing a website, Facebook and Twitter scheme called Ability Access. Simon suffered a spinal injury 18 months ago and did not know if he would ever be able to walk again. While using his wheelchair, he discovered that the world was not as accessible as he had once assumed.
His scheme offers a forum for people to share their experiences of accessibility in their everyday lives. It offers information to individuals with a disability about services that are available and where to find them. People can also leave reviews of places they have visited.
Simon said: “I feel honoured to receive the award and it will help to develop what is a unique scheme in the UK.”
Posted on Tuesday 19 April 2016