6 minute read
Two sides to a scholarship
George Snaith (ECO16) recently completed his studies at UEA. He spoke to Mike Hammond (SOC77), the donor who generously funded his scholarship.
The Mike Hammond Scholarship is awarded every three years to support a UEA undergraduate student from a low-income background in the School of Economics.
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George (pictured, left), the second student to be awarded the scholarship, studied BSc Economics in 2016. After graduating with top honours, he began an MSc at UEA and now works at an economics consultancy in London.
Mike Hammond also studied economics at UEA and enjoyed a successful career in insurance. He continues his passionate involvement with UEA’s work and is now watching Deren (pictured, right), his third scholarship student, progress with his studies.
George Snaith I remember when I found out that I’d been awarded the scholarship. It was quite a shock but a happy experience. It made the start of University really fantastic.
Mike Hammond I’m pleased to hear that because I am funding the scholarships to give young people like yourself confidence.
GS That’s definitely true for me. On the financial side, it was a big help not having to worry about how I would pay my rent. I come from a low-income background so my parents are not in a place to support me.
MH I was an underprivileged kid too. My dad was in the Merchant Navy and then a ticket collector on London buses. I only made it to UEA because of free tuition. I wanted to fund scholarships for people who might otherwise think twice about coming.
GS I was also encouraged by your broader involvement with my studies and the mentoring that helped me form career choices. You were always so friendly and, from the first time we met, you had good things to say and advice to offer.
- George Snaith
MH For me, the support is about getting young people on the first rung of the ladder for education, work or job opportunities. I find that side of things just as rewarding as the financial support itself. It’s been a two-way street, though – it was as much to do with you reaching out.
GS I feel lucky because your advice on my career is something I wouldn’t have had without the scholarship. It really helped me get the most out of my time here. Whether through work experience or your knowledge about the second and third year that helped me with what I wanted to do. You’d been at UEA too, so your experiences really helped shape my University life.
MH I have made it my choice to meet my scholars, your families, and have regular mentoring calls. It’s a commitment but also a fulfilling experience to see you come to UEA and succeed in your academic life, and then go on to begin your new career.
2019/20 scholarship recipients gather in UEA’s Enterprise Centre.
GS Thinking back to our first meeting, I remember I was very nervous and so were my parents. We met after the Scholarship Reception for a drink in the Sainsbury Centre and the conversation just flowed. It turned out we come from similar backgrounds!
MH Well, UEA has always been diverse. Even when I was here back in 1977, there were lots of state school kids. It’s why I’m so confident in the University to provide a brilliant environment for scholarship students. In my view, it has never been more important that young people from any background have the chance to extend their education and gain new qualifications and experiences.
GS Oh, I’ve loved it. Norwich has been one of my absolute favourite places to live. I was in the Ziggurats, and waking up to look out over the broad every morning was fantastic. I miss that view every day. The course was challenging but every year my grades improved. It was really rewarding. When I graduated, I got an economics award for distinguished performance. I was happy for two reasons – firstly, I’d worked really hard and, secondly, I didn’t let you down. I was quite afraid of that in the first year because I didn’t know how well I’d do at university. But I knew that you had faith in me through this scholarship and I was so happy to do you proud at the end of the three years. I hope it made you happy as well.
MH Definitely. It’s been rewarding for me. You know, I fell into the insurance world because I had no idea what I was going to do. Over time I built a successful career and I put that down to both the school I went to and UEA. So this was my way of giving something back.
GS Thank you. Having your support has opened doors for me and allowed me to compete on a level playing field. I finally feel judged by my ability rather than my background.
MH I think most of us donors are passionate about kids having the opportunity to take on further study. You are ‘at work’ for a long time. Scholarships are a very satisfying way to support the University’s goals and, at the same time, watch a young graduate begin the next stage of their life!
- Mike Hammond
SCHOLARSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
Over the past 12 months, 80 students have been awarded scholarships and bursaries worth over £600,000 thanks to our generous supporters.
01 FUNDING FROM A FAMOUS FACE
Awarded for the first time by the broadcaster and journalist Jake Humphrey and his wife Harriet (above), the Jake Humphrey Scholarship supports an undergraduate student from a low-income background to study in the School of Film, Media and Television Studies.
02 ASPIRATIONS BECOME REALITY
The Medical Aspirations Scholarships programme celebrated its tenth year. Funded by UEA alumnus David Tibble (SOC70), 28 talented students have now been brought to UEA to work towards a career in medicine.
03 DRIVEN BY DIFFERENT
This year, UEA alumni funded nine postgraduate and undergraduate scholarships – entirely through monthly gifts and one-off donations of all sizes. The Difference Scholarships went to students on courses including MSc Applied Ecology and Conservation and BSc Adult Nursing. 04 HELP COMES AROUND
04 HELP COMES AROUND
UEA alumna and best-selling author Elizabeth Macneal (LDC16) (above) received the Malcolm Bradbury Memorial Scholarship in 2016. She becomes our first scholarship graduate to launch one of her own – for a student on the MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction).
05 BANKING ON SUCCESS
In 2020, the Santander Universities Bursary is supporting 16 students from low-income backgrounds across any area of study. Funded by Santander Universities, the students will receive support with living costs during their first year.
06 A TALENTED FAMILY
This year, we welcomed our first sibling scholarship recipient. In 2017, Emine Karausta (MED17) was awarded a Medical Aspirations Scholarship to study Medicine. In 2019, her brother Deren (ECO19) became the recipient of the Mike Hammond Scholarship to study Economics.
