"Education is Freedom "

Hello, my name is Oudnath and I am someone who wants to elevate herself and succeed despite the barriers and trials in my way. 

My Story

Coming from an immigrant working class family, I was always made aware of the importance of education Despite facing a lot of difficulties as a result of this, I never let this hold me back and throughout my school career , I have been a high achieving student and received 5 offers to study Biomedical Science at 5 good universities. This would make me the first person in my family on track to attend university.

Unfortunately, I have been made aware that I am not eligible for student finance even though I have been living in the UK since I was 18 months old. This is due to being given false information by a lawyer which resulted in a gap between a previous & current Leave to Remain cycle. As a result, my residency is not classed as continous despite me not leaving the country. This was very upsetting to find out as University was a big goal for me. It also had a very negative impact on my mental health. 

After my degree

After my Biomedical Science degree, I plan on undertaking a masters and become a Physician Associate (with a focus in maternal health). As a young Black girl, I understand the struggles Black people (particularly Black women) face being heard and taken seriously in healthcare settings. I hope to be part of the change the healthcare system in the UK requires in regards to the treatment of Black patients . 

Costs

Without the aid of Student Finance, I would be expected to pay out of pocket for tuition fees each year and and maintenance costs to cover  accommodation and living costs. As someone from a low income family, there is no way that I would be able to come up with anywhere near this amount on my own. I have looked for scholarships and other methods of funding but unfortunately there are next to none for people in my situation, leading me to have to resort to this as a final solution. I do plan on working as much as I can in order to contribute to this amount and also plan on working part time during my degree for any extra money I may need. The money raised will allow me to cover the majority of the costs I need to cover.

I have worked exceptionally hard to get where I am today and I believe my background and circumstances should not limit my chances at social mobility. 

I understand that this is a large amount to raise in so little time but even if I can raise enough funds to cover my first year, I would be extremely grateful. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please share this with others and donate if possible x