Leeds is building my sense of purpose

Kay Child has overcome a series of personal challenges to study for an MA at Leeds.

Looking back at growing up in west Leeds, Kay Child admits that she didn’t have a traditional student background: 

“I really enjoyed school and always felt that was something I could excel at, but because of my situation at home and my quite severe mental health condition, I didn’t achieve the exam results I should have done. I tried to go to college a few times but had to drop out because I was quite unwell and that really affected my self-esteem.” 

But Kay remained determined to succeed, and in her mid-twenties revived her dream of going to university: “I applied to lots of places despite not having enough UCAS points. When I was rejected from everywhere, I wrote back to Leeds Trinity and said: ‘This is really important to me, I love writing and I feel I'm good at it’.” 

After being asked to submit an essay, Kay was accepted onto the Creative and Professional Writing course at Trinity. “I went on to graduate with a First. I got the highest overall mark on my course and won an award for outstanding academic achievement.” 

These are achievements made even more remarkable by the fact that her father took his own life during her final year of study: “This was an extremely difficult thing to go through – and it will be for a long time. But I was determined that it wasn’t going to stop me finishing my degree.” 

Two years on, Kay decided to take the next step into postgraduate study at the University of Leeds. “Obviously I grew up in the city and knew what a great university it was – and it was something for me to aim for.” She began her two-year, part-time Master's course in Creative Writing and Critical Life in 2021. Kay has thrown herself into student life, joining walking trips in the Lake District and experiencing self-exploration with the Buddhism Meditation Society. “I’m really loving the whole experience. It's everything I thought university would be when I was a child. I love being at a bigger university like Leeds where the facilities are amazing and there's so much more stuff to do.  

“Going to university – and education in general – has always been really meaningful to me, and being on this course proved a great way to put some kind of structure and meaning into my life. 

“I think many people take higher education for granted – they go to school and then uni. But it wasn’t easy for me and it’s still not without challenges. I'm the first person in my family to go to university and I didn't really think about it much until I met students who have had very different experiences. I don't have the same foundational background of things like essay structure, critical theory and so on. I'm learning on the go.” 

The support of a scholarship has been a cornerstone of Kay’s studies at Leeds: “Obviously the financial aspect is most important to me because I'm not able to live the most comfortable life because of my mental health issues.  

“There’s a great chasm between who you are and who the world needs you to be, and the scholarship is helping me mitigate that.” 

Kay has also been able to make the most of her Leeds experience by accessing initiatives which are funded by your generosity. Through the Plus Programme, 

Kay has joined workshops to develop her writing skills, and was encouraged to take part in the Lifestyle and Wellbeing programme. This 12-week initiative aims to encourage participants to foster healthier life choices. Each student is supported by a wellbeing consultant who helps them maintain motivation and provides guidance on exercise and physical activity, stress, diet, lifestyle and sleep. Participants are also granted free access to the University’s gym and sports facilities. But perhaps more significantly, she credits being able to study at Leeds with helping to change her mindset: "It’s really building my sense of purpose and meaning, and my self-esteem. I’m here despite never really doing my A-levels and having to drop out all the time, and not going to university until I was 25. 

“So, I'm really proud of that achievement – and I'm really excited to finish and see what's next.”