Help me get a uni education to help others

Hello, my name is Deniz, I am writing to you from Gaziantep in Turkey.

I am nearly 18 years old and I have been offered a place at Perth College UHI to study Computer Science in September 2023.

I was in my flat with my Mum and my sister and brother when the earthquake struck in January this year. It was a terrifying experience, I thought we were all going to die! The earth moved under our feet and it was a really strange feeling. My brother and sister were crying all the time and I had to help my mother, I carried my little brother while we walked in the street looking for a safe place and for someone who knew what was happening. There were people everywhere and everyone was shouting or crying. Eventually, someone told us to go to my school gymnasium and we all went there, because it was only on one level, there was nothing to fall on top of us. There were only 6 toilets and there were nearly 200 people in the building, The children crying all the time,it is something I will never forget, I was always thirsty too.

I have a wonderful family in Perth, Scotland, my uncle and aunt, who were already making plans for me to study in Scotland. After the earthquake they tried even harder for me and my family to come to the UK, but this is not possible. I have to come alone to study, but I will be safe in my Uncle and Aunt’s home in Perth.

I am writing to ask you for your support to pay my student fees for the first year, as I have been unable to find a scholarship to study as an undergraduate in Scotland. My mum has no income as my dad left us 2 years ago. My uncle and aunt support us in Turkey, they have a Turkish takeaway in Perth called Ayasofia.

Once I am there in Perth, I will work for 20 hours a week and I will be able to save for the fees for next year’s course (2024- 2025). I chose Computer Science because this is something that is very new and exciting for girls in Turkey and I would like to become a teacher and go back to my home town of Gaziantep to teach in my High School, when it has been rebuilt.

Thank you for reading my story, if you felt you were able to make a donation, to help me achieve my dream and start my course at Perth college in September, I would be very grateful. If not, perhaps you could think about buying a Turkish takeaway form Ayasofia in Scott Street, Perth and you will still be helping me, a lot!

UPDATE

Hello! I am Deniz from Turkiye and I am finally here, in Perth.

I recently started at my college and it is going very well. I have made a few friends from college and from outside of college. They are really nice people; they try to show me around so I can enjoy my life in here. To be honest, life in here goes better than back at home. I went to the Norie Miller Park to have a walk with one of my friends and she showed me around and I saw the sculptures there. It was amazing to have time there. With my other friends from college, we went to a hill which you can see the whole city with your eyes. It was an interesting walk and the landscape was unforgettable.

Every single day I am learning new things about here and discovering new places. Back at home, in Turkiye, me and my friends were not socialising as I do in here, because we were not feeling that safe as a group of girls, to go hiking up a hill….. Unfortunately, it is not that safe. You may think that these things are basic and common but not for me. Being not judged, feeling safe, socialising and also sleeping without afraid of any earthquake are amazing.

I also started to go to the gym recently. It is a new thing for me because it is my first time to go to the gym and have a membership. At home because of my culture, I couldn’t do any sport. I am planning to learn how to play guitar, also I am planning to learn a new language. I have a better lifestyle here more enjoyable life. I would like to study more in computers. Right now, I am HNC up to HND, but I would like to study for 4 years to get a degree, then I will be able to go home and teach Computer Science to girls in Turkiye. My goal is having a school in a rural area so I can support and teach the girls about computing and also science. I believe girls also can be good scientists so if we support them enough, we can do good things. The school is not going to be only for girls but it will be based on the girls.

Nobody is perfect and we all might need help sometimes and this is the time that I need help. I hope you would like to help to me and support me while I am achieving my dreams. Because I am an international student, I have to pay my college fees in full, which is £8,000 per year.