Roehampton Study Abroad
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Hello, my name is Adriene Patterson, and I have the awesome opportunity to study abroad in Europe in January of next year. To be exact, South London England. And though I have applied for several scholarships both within my university and from outside sources as well, I'm hoping to raise money as well, as this journey is definitely costly. The university I will be attending is THE University Of Roehampton in South London. I will be attending for just one semester. For more information, I will be posting my statement of purpose essay to which i had to write for the study abroad application, and I will also be posting a copy of the first acceptance email to which I received very recently. I will also put more photos which shows the view of the university. This is an opportunity which only comes once in lifetime. And I'm definitely praying that i will have plenty of support as this will look very promising on both my educational and career records.
Here, I will post a copy of one of my reference letters I had to have from one of my instructors.
Letter of Reference for Adriene Patterson
To Whom It May Concern:
In spring 2017, I taught a course for the School of Education called Diversity and
Language Acquisition. The focus was on English language learners, but the curriculum was
expanded to include all minorities.
Imagine my surprise when I was contacted by one of the students prior to the beginning
of the semester to inform me that she was totally blind. I had never taught a blind student before
and was completely unprepared.
Adriene Patterson was that student. Adriene turned out to be such a blessing to our class.
This was a class of future teachers, and Adriene helped all of us understand what we needed to
do to be able to include her in all activities. She was so patient with all of us in explaining what
we could do to make any lesson comprehensible to someone with visual and/or hearing
disabilities.
She even brought her adorable daughters to class when they had no school, but she did.
They willingly participated in our class activities. They are obviously devoted to their mother,
and she is very much involved in their lives.
Adriene spoke often of her dream of studying in London. If you could contact everyone
in our class, they would all say, “Let her go!”
Let me be clear. The semester was no walk in the park. Adriene had transportation
issues. I kept forgetting that I actually had to read the PowerPoints. I had to send any pdf
articles we were reading to the Disabilities office to be converted to Word documents and do this early enough that Adriene had time to read the articles before we discussed them. During our
small group discussions, Adriene had to remind students to say their names before speaking.
There are many more examples.
Every one of those future teachers and I, a very experienced teacher, learned the true
meaning of diversity from Adriene. I know that I am constantly looking for ways to include
students in every lesson, no matter what their learning styles or disabilities may be. This is all
due to Adriene. Please give her this chance to realize her dream of studying in London.
Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Debbie Garza, Ph.D.
University of Missouri – Kansas City
My Statement Of Purpose Essay
My reason for wanting to study abroad is because I feel that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that
not too many students are able to have. And this decision did not come very easily. I feel that me going
to study abroad in another country will be one of the highlights of both my educational and career
journey. And I believe strongly in being able to broaden my horizons if the opportunity is presented to
me. I also believe that other blind/visually impaired students as well as other students could benefit
from my experience. I hope to gain a better understanding of the various ways of how education is
taught in another country, besides the U.S. Listening to friends and advisors talk about how great the
study abroad experience can be, led me to my final decision of really wanting to pursue this and exhaust
all possibilities in order to take part in such an awesome journey. So that I may have the chance to learn
all that I can learn while studying abroad. I hope to not only learn while I’m there, but I hope to teach as
well. I want to make the students and staff more aware of students with disabilities who may take part
in the study abroad experience in the future, that just because we are a minority, does not, and will not,
stop us from being able to experience the very same learning opportunities as other students who study
abroad.
My study abroad program is located in South London England at the University Of Roehampton. And the
reason I chose this particular program is because after doing a lot of research and having a friend study
there as well, I believe this will be the safest place to study. I also believe it will be easier because the
transportation is fairly accessible, as well as being able to navigate around the university. But most
importantly, I believe that the staff within the disabilities department will be extremely helpful and
informed as far as making sure my accommodation needs are met. Lastly, I believe my length of study in
London will enable me to learn as much as I possibly can as well as be a good example of a student with
not one, but two disabilities, who is perfectly capable of advocating for herself. And I hope to make a
deep impact on the students and staff at the University Of Roehampton.
I chose London England because I’ve always dreamed of visiting and possibly studying in London for a
certain amount of time. I have gotten plenty of feedback as far as safety is concerned there, as well as
the socialization of the people who reside in London. I’ve been informed they are very helpful and they
have no problem being excepting of students with visual impairments or other disabilities.
As far as my educational goals, I believe that being able to study abroad will expand my education
greatly. In that, I will be able to learn the various ways of teaching, and I will learn about the different
curriculums that are available in London. Because I realize that learning in another country, can have it’s
similarities to the U.S, but it can also have it’s differences. And I’d like to learn what both the similarities
and differences are so that I can possibly incorporate a little of both in to my teachings in future. When
it comes to my career goals, I believe that having this study abroad experience will definitely give my
resume a positive look, where potential employers are concerned. And in the field of education, schools
look for details like these because it lets them know that they have a certified educator who not only
has educational knowledge of the U.S, but has received some educational knowledge from another
country as well. I believe this will make me more likely to get the job I would like to have in the future.
I hope to be involved in a few extra curricular activities because this will give me a different perspective
on how students in other countries interact with each other socially. And I’m pretty sure that staying in a
college dorm will definitely be something that will take some getting use to. As I’ve never lived in a
college dorm before. But at the same time, it will give me the experience of living among other college students and learning how to socialize with those who live on campus. I am hoping that apart from my
academic studies, I can get involved with social groups/activities as well as some volunteer work.
For my challenges as far as being able to study abroad, I have several things I believed would, at the
time, stop me from being able to study abroad. First and foremost, I’m a totally blind and partially
hearing impaired single mother of two daughters named Adrianna and Trinity. And though they are old
enough to understand why mom would like to take this journey, they were the first thing I thought
about when making my decision. There were a lot of pros and cons when it came to leaving them for a
lengthy amount of time. But in the end, I explained to them that mama wants you guys to be proud of
her for furthering her education, despite the obstacles I might have to get over. Making sure my children
are safe and in trusted hands was my main concern. And that they knew and understood fully, that I am
doing this not only for me, but for them as well. Another challenge I had to think about was being a
student who’s probably going to be older than at least half of the students who are there. But I decided
that though it might be a little different to be staying on campus with younger students, it shouldn’t be a
problem. My thoughts of my visual/partial hearing impairment were that I’m sure I’ll be kind of nervous
because I will be around strangers and I will have to advocate for myself right off. But this will teach me
how to overcome my fears in this area. All in all, I hope to not only bring back knowledge of what I’ve
learned, but to leave knowledge with the people of London England as well about attending school with
a person with multiple disabilities.
This is the first acceptance email I recently received.
I am delighted to notify you that you have been accepted onto the Study Abroad programme at the University of Roehampton. Congratulations! You will receive an official acceptance letter in the form of an email from our Admissions Office in November, after the application deadline has passed. In the meantime, this email confirms your place at Roehampton. Your official acceptance email will include information on how to obtain a study visa – should you require one – but no further action is required at this time. Our arrival day is Wednesday 10 January 2018 . You will be able to book a place on our free meet-and-greet service from Heathrow Airport closer to the arrival date. As part of this service, a coach will bring you from the airport to Roehampton. If you have requested university accommodation, we will reserve this automatically on your behalf. Please note: If you are travelling to the UK from outside the European Union/European Economic Area, you should ensure your flight does not connect in the Republic of Ireland. This is an immigration requirement. You may withdraw from the programme up to one month in advance of the start date with no financial penalty. Withdrawals less than a month in advance of the start date will be charged a £500 administration fee. Withdrawals after the start date will be liable for full programme fees. Approximately six weeks prior to your arrival, you will start to receive our series of pre-departure emails which contain information on orientation, our social programme, life in London and all the practical information you will require in advance of your study abroad experience. If you have any questions before then, please drop us a line at [email redacted].uk and we will be delighted to assist you. We look forward to meeting you in January! Roehampton Abroad Department of Recruitment, International & Admissions
Here, I will post a copy of one of my reference letters I had to have from one of my instructors.
Letter of Reference for Adriene Patterson
To Whom It May Concern:
In spring 2017, I taught a course for the School of Education called Diversity and
Language Acquisition. The focus was on English language learners, but the curriculum was
expanded to include all minorities.
Imagine my surprise when I was contacted by one of the students prior to the beginning
of the semester to inform me that she was totally blind. I had never taught a blind student before
and was completely unprepared.
Adriene Patterson was that student. Adriene turned out to be such a blessing to our class.
This was a class of future teachers, and Adriene helped all of us understand what we needed to
do to be able to include her in all activities. She was so patient with all of us in explaining what
we could do to make any lesson comprehensible to someone with visual and/or hearing
disabilities.
She even brought her adorable daughters to class when they had no school, but she did.
They willingly participated in our class activities. They are obviously devoted to their mother,
and she is very much involved in their lives.
Adriene spoke often of her dream of studying in London. If you could contact everyone
in our class, they would all say, “Let her go!”
Let me be clear. The semester was no walk in the park. Adriene had transportation
issues. I kept forgetting that I actually had to read the PowerPoints. I had to send any pdf
articles we were reading to the Disabilities office to be converted to Word documents and do this early enough that Adriene had time to read the articles before we discussed them. During our
small group discussions, Adriene had to remind students to say their names before speaking.
There are many more examples.
Every one of those future teachers and I, a very experienced teacher, learned the true
meaning of diversity from Adriene. I know that I am constantly looking for ways to include
students in every lesson, no matter what their learning styles or disabilities may be. This is all
due to Adriene. Please give her this chance to realize her dream of studying in London.
Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Debbie Garza, Ph.D.
University of Missouri – Kansas City
My Statement Of Purpose Essay
My reason for wanting to study abroad is because I feel that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that
not too many students are able to have. And this decision did not come very easily. I feel that me going
to study abroad in another country will be one of the highlights of both my educational and career
journey. And I believe strongly in being able to broaden my horizons if the opportunity is presented to
me. I also believe that other blind/visually impaired students as well as other students could benefit
from my experience. I hope to gain a better understanding of the various ways of how education is
taught in another country, besides the U.S. Listening to friends and advisors talk about how great the
study abroad experience can be, led me to my final decision of really wanting to pursue this and exhaust
all possibilities in order to take part in such an awesome journey. So that I may have the chance to learn
all that I can learn while studying abroad. I hope to not only learn while I’m there, but I hope to teach as
well. I want to make the students and staff more aware of students with disabilities who may take part
in the study abroad experience in the future, that just because we are a minority, does not, and will not,
stop us from being able to experience the very same learning opportunities as other students who study
abroad.
My study abroad program is located in South London England at the University Of Roehampton. And the
reason I chose this particular program is because after doing a lot of research and having a friend study
there as well, I believe this will be the safest place to study. I also believe it will be easier because the
transportation is fairly accessible, as well as being able to navigate around the university. But most
importantly, I believe that the staff within the disabilities department will be extremely helpful and
informed as far as making sure my accommodation needs are met. Lastly, I believe my length of study in
London will enable me to learn as much as I possibly can as well as be a good example of a student with
not one, but two disabilities, who is perfectly capable of advocating for herself. And I hope to make a
deep impact on the students and staff at the University Of Roehampton.
I chose London England because I’ve always dreamed of visiting and possibly studying in London for a
certain amount of time. I have gotten plenty of feedback as far as safety is concerned there, as well as
the socialization of the people who reside in London. I’ve been informed they are very helpful and they
have no problem being excepting of students with visual impairments or other disabilities.
As far as my educational goals, I believe that being able to study abroad will expand my education
greatly. In that, I will be able to learn the various ways of teaching, and I will learn about the different
curriculums that are available in London. Because I realize that learning in another country, can have it’s
similarities to the U.S, but it can also have it’s differences. And I’d like to learn what both the similarities
and differences are so that I can possibly incorporate a little of both in to my teachings in future. When
it comes to my career goals, I believe that having this study abroad experience will definitely give my
resume a positive look, where potential employers are concerned. And in the field of education, schools
look for details like these because it lets them know that they have a certified educator who not only
has educational knowledge of the U.S, but has received some educational knowledge from another
country as well. I believe this will make me more likely to get the job I would like to have in the future.
I hope to be involved in a few extra curricular activities because this will give me a different perspective
on how students in other countries interact with each other socially. And I’m pretty sure that staying in a
college dorm will definitely be something that will take some getting use to. As I’ve never lived in a
college dorm before. But at the same time, it will give me the experience of living among other college students and learning how to socialize with those who live on campus. I am hoping that apart from my
academic studies, I can get involved with social groups/activities as well as some volunteer work.
For my challenges as far as being able to study abroad, I have several things I believed would, at the
time, stop me from being able to study abroad. First and foremost, I’m a totally blind and partially
hearing impaired single mother of two daughters named Adrianna and Trinity. And though they are old
enough to understand why mom would like to take this journey, they were the first thing I thought
about when making my decision. There were a lot of pros and cons when it came to leaving them for a
lengthy amount of time. But in the end, I explained to them that mama wants you guys to be proud of
her for furthering her education, despite the obstacles I might have to get over. Making sure my children
are safe and in trusted hands was my main concern. And that they knew and understood fully, that I am
doing this not only for me, but for them as well. Another challenge I had to think about was being a
student who’s probably going to be older than at least half of the students who are there. But I decided
that though it might be a little different to be staying on campus with younger students, it shouldn’t be a
problem. My thoughts of my visual/partial hearing impairment were that I’m sure I’ll be kind of nervous
because I will be around strangers and I will have to advocate for myself right off. But this will teach me
how to overcome my fears in this area. All in all, I hope to not only bring back knowledge of what I’ve
learned, but to leave knowledge with the people of London England as well about attending school with
a person with multiple disabilities.
This is the first acceptance email I recently received.
I am delighted to notify you that you have been accepted onto the Study Abroad programme at the University of Roehampton. Congratulations! You will receive an official acceptance letter in the form of an email from our Admissions Office in November, after the application deadline has passed. In the meantime, this email confirms your place at Roehampton. Your official acceptance email will include information on how to obtain a study visa – should you require one – but no further action is required at this time. Our arrival day is Wednesday 10 January 2018 . You will be able to book a place on our free meet-and-greet service from Heathrow Airport closer to the arrival date. As part of this service, a coach will bring you from the airport to Roehampton. If you have requested university accommodation, we will reserve this automatically on your behalf. Please note: If you are travelling to the UK from outside the European Union/European Economic Area, you should ensure your flight does not connect in the Republic of Ireland. This is an immigration requirement. You may withdraw from the programme up to one month in advance of the start date with no financial penalty. Withdrawals less than a month in advance of the start date will be charged a £500 administration fee. Withdrawals after the start date will be liable for full programme fees. Approximately six weeks prior to your arrival, you will start to receive our series of pre-departure emails which contain information on orientation, our social programme, life in London and all the practical information you will require in advance of your study abroad experience. If you have any questions before then, please drop us a line at [email redacted].uk and we will be delighted to assist you. We look forward to meeting you in January! Roehampton Abroad Department of Recruitment, International & Admissions
Organizer
LaVon Patterson
Organizer
Kansas City, MO