Hello!

I wish education was free and accessible to everyone, however this is not the reality we live in. Henceforth, I am coming forward to ask for your help.

My name is Denisa and I'm a Romanian first-generation immigrant in the UK, and I've just been accepted to study at Imperial College London, MSc Human Molecular Genetics.

Unfortunately, I don't have the means to cover all my fees even with help from the government and personal savings. The loans I am entitled to don't cover the entire tuition fee and my savings are minimal.

To better understand my situation and decide whether you are contributing to a good cause, could you please take the time to read my story?

I moved to the UK in 2018 to join my parents in hopes of a better future and academic opportunities. My first task was to learn English and pass my GCSEs within 11 months, despite having no prior experience in the British schooling system. I believed that with a strong work ethic, I would excel.

Unfortunately, circumstances didn't align with my expectations. This new environment soon revealed itself to be unsafe and abusive - life at home was difficult. As a result, I had to set off on my own and join a bedsit in a children’s home, making my goals even harder to attain.

Last week, I graduated with a 2.1 in Biological Sciences from the University of East Anglia , received The George Duncan Memorial Prize for the greatest achievement in obtaining my degree (despite all the hardship), and scored 77% on my dissertation. Moreover, I will now be joining the 6% of care leavers who pursue further education and start an MSc at a prestigious institution.

I hope to bring awareness to the challenges faced by disadvantaged students in higher education and break stereotypes. There is barely any support for people like us out there. Therefore, I am asking you to contribute as much or as little as you can and help me reach my goal of studying at Imperial College London. I believe that this course, at this specific institution, is the right path for my academic development and I could not reach my ultimate goal without it. 

Any amount would help take some weight off my shoulders and allow me to focus on my studies, as I will be working alongside my studies, when possible, in order to survive throughout the year. If you can't donate I would appreciate any other form of help - whether it's by sharing this page with others who could donate or informing me about any scholarships or grants available to EU students in the UK.

Kind regards,

Denisa Batrinu