FERANMI AJILEYE

Feranmi Ajileye lost her mother aged eight and was brought up by her older brother Yomi. “Losing my mother at a young age had a life-changing impact on me as I learned to cope with the loss” says Feranmi but she feels lucky to have the opportunity to study at Surrey. As a Surrey graduate himself, Yomi recommended the University to his sister and during her first term, Feranmi was awarded the first Forever Surrey Scholarship.

Now, having almost completed the first year of her Psychology degree, Feranmi says she would like to use her degree to become a psychotherapist and help support children suffering from grief.

James Biggs

James had a long-held dream of studying Physics at university. He was due to study at Surrey in 2004 but tight finances and difficult circumstances meant it was not attainable. James had many further challenges in his life but always held on to the ambition to take up Physics at Surrey.

Securing a scholarship gave James the confidence to come to Surrey to start his degree in Physics. James did not want to have to rely on support from his aging mother and was also concerned about a long commute to Surrey. The financial support of his scholarship has removed these concerns, allowing James to focus all his energy into his studies. He is now finally pursuing his lifelong ambition of studying Physics at Surrey.

Accounting and Finance, Foundation Year

Battersea Scholar

Luke was estranged from his family at the age of 18 and suffered mental health problems. A promising teenage opportunity within professional football came to an end, and Luke could not see the way forward. Luke secured a residential place at Cherrytrees Care in Woking, with their support he was able to sit his A Levels and apply to Surrey.

Luke was accepted and started his foundation course in Accounting and Finance in September 2022. Shortly after starting his course, Luke was awarded the Battersea Scholarship.

Despite such a difficult start in life, Luke is full of optimism thanks to his scholarship. “I started behind everyone else. The support at Cherrytrees helped me rebuild and get back in the race. The Battersea Scholarship will help me catch up and succeed.”

Anwar Mudh Hid

Originally from Kenya, Anwar Mudh Hid was estranged from his mother when he came to the UK. Difficulties in his relationship with his father and his stepmother saw social services intervene, and Anwar was assigned a legal guardian.

After getting a place at Surrey, Anwar began looking for financial support. As he attests, “If you’re not financially stable, you can’t focus on your studies because you’re too concerned about money worries.” After meeting with the Student Money Team, Anwar applied to the Battersea Scholarship, and was awarded as the first scholar during his first semester at Surrey.

Thanks to the financial support the scholarship provides, Anwar is on a stable footing to embrace his future and is looking forward to completing a professional placement next academic year.