There are some letters you remember forever

Dear Friend,

I can’t express how grateful I am for your support of students, like me.

I feel the impact of your generosity every single day – in the sense of the financial security and incredible wellbeing it provides me.   

I was born in Syria and in 2015 came over to the UK with my family, to escape the violence of the civil war, with the hope of forging a new future for ourselves.  

I was a frightened 14 year old when we arrived in England and didn’t speak much English. I felt nervous about starting a new school the year before my GCSEs all while having to adapt to a new culture, new language and new surroundings. It was a steep learning curve but, thankfully, I had amazing support from my parents, teachers and local community, and with a lot of hard work I thrived – picking up the language quickly and getting all As in my A levels.  

From the moment I visited Leeds, I knew I wanted to study here. It wasn’t just the state-of-the-art facilities or the welcoming feel on campus that made me want to pick this University, but also the course and how it’s structured. Leeds offers lots of hands-on experience, which helps me to develop the skills I need to support my future patients. While COVID-19 has limited this, it has only strengthened my resolve that I want to become a doctor to help people when they need it most.  

Growing up in the middle of a civil war, I learned quickly that doctors are the real heroes in this world. I remember the medics running in after a disaster to save the lives of so many people with little consideration for their own safety.

It’s that memory that inspires me to make the most of every opportunity I am offered so I can make my own impact in the world. 

That’s why my scholarship means everything to me and why I am so incredibly grateful for your support. You have helped me to follow in the footsteps of the doctors I witnessed as a child.  

In Syria we never went out after dark because it wasn’t safe – and it’s still something that I don’t really like to do. My scholarship means I can afford to rent a house close to the University campus so I don’t have to walk far from lectures which can finish after dark in winter. It also means I have spare money to get a taxi if I need to leave the house when it’s late.  

Thanks to your support, I don’t have to take on a lot of additional paid work alongside my studies and can get more involved with societies and extracurricular activities related to my course. With COVID-19 restricting our ability to be in contact with patients and have face-to-face teaching, my scholarship also allows me to afford resources and books which help me study remotely.  

To put it simply, your generosity allows me to pour all my energy into getting the most out of my time at Leeds, becoming the best doctor I can be.

I believe that the minimum I can do to repay your kindness is to excel at my course and use it as a stepping stone for a brilliant future for myself, and to develop skills to make a real difference to people’s lives.  

I see my life being full of incredible moments which brought me to where I am now, and the day I got my scholarship is amongst them.

Thank you so very much.  

Makeen