You’ve been by my side all the way

At 15, Meegan Worcester lost her mother and soon became estranged from her father. Meegan’s diary details how the support of the University and its donors has been there at every step from application to graduation.

25th November 2017

Applying for university is hard. Because I haven’t lived in the UK for long, universities want to see bank statements and proof of previous addresses. I wish mum was here to help!

But the University of Leeds has said that as I have a British passport and meet other criteria, I am a Home Student and they don’t need all these documents! They were so lovely on the phone as well. It helped me feel less overwhelmed with my situation.

14th January 2018

I’m definitely applying to the University of Leeds! I had another lovely chat with them on the phone, and they said I fall under something called the ‘estrangement student’ category. I’ve never heard of this before, but it summarises my experience so far at college.

Because I’m estranged from my family I’m eligible for a £3,000 per year means-tested scholarship! Hopefully I’ll get accepted and it will mean I won’t have added financial worries at university.

16th August 2018

I can’t believe it! I really couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw my A-Level results A, A, A*!

And just beneath the results I could see the University of Leeds logo. I remember scrolling through the webpage for hours looking at the BSc Sustainability and Environmental Management course, and now I’ve finally been accepted! I just hope my luck continues and I’m also chosen for the scholarship.

3rd September 2018

All week I’ve been checking my emails and I finally got it today!

I was a bit terrified it first to open the email, but I was delighted with the outcome
– I got the scholarship! I couldn’t stop talking all day. I'm so excited and almost too grateful to put it into words. I told my brother immediately when I got home,
and we celebrated with a takeaway pizza.

24th September 2018

My brother helped me move into Lupton Halls today. I know it’s exciting and a new chapter, but I can’t help feeling overwhelmed and a bit alone now he has gone. It rained all day, and we got soaked in Headingley after getting off the train.

I’ve just heard some of my flat mates moving in and being told by their parents: “If you need anything call me” and “I’ll pop down next week, just to see how you are.” I so wish mum was here.

28th September 2018

It’s Freshers Week! I got an email the other day from the Plus Programme, a support network at Leeds for students that are less represented in higher education. Today I went to one of their socials – a free meal at Nandos with lots of other really nice students. I’ve never been to Nandos before, but I got recommendations from the other students about what was good on the menu. Everyone talked about their backgrounds and where they grew up. There was another girl who is also estranged from her family, she was lovely.

21st May 2019

I’ve been so busy lately! It was my first exam today. Exams at university don’t seem to be too different to ones at college, but the concepts are definitely a lot harder! I don’t feel too worried, I’ve been revising for weeks and felt prepared and I’m really excited to see what the results are in a few weeks’ time.

19th September 2019

Here we go again! My exam results were great and now I’m back for the second year. Truthfully, it’s hard to imagine how I'd have got so far without the amazing support that I’ve been given at Leeds.

10th August 2021

I’ve just finished my industrial placement working on a research project about assessing a Clear Air Zone in Bradford and analysing its effects on school children’s health. It has been awesome to get some research and additional work experience in before I graduate. Better still, I’ve been able to continue this research and use the data I collected in my dissertation!

14th July 2022

I can’t believe I’m finally here. My graduation day. My partner, brother and his girlfriend all came along to cheer me on, and I felt so proud of everything I have achieved – graduating with a 2:1, all the friends I have made and the things I’ve done while at Leeds. And I’m so excited to get started with my Master’s in October, also at Leeds. The University truly feels like home.

These excerpts are just a few examples of how alumni generosity has influenced Meegan’s University experience – enabling her to become part of the Leeds community and find success here. Meegan is just one of the thousands of students who have been supported through a scholarship – each with their own stories.

Read more about the impact of this support.

Your Link to Leeds

Almost 100,000 alumni have received a call from a current Leeds student as part of our telephone outreach programme.

For Katrin Bogdanova (Psychology 2020), working as a caller was a highlight of her time at Leeds: “It was incredible to speak to alumni about their experiences and see first-hand the generosity of our community. I felt so proud to help other students in my own small way.”

Current students are calling throughout the year, to talk about your time at Leeds and how you can join our fantastic supporter community. This could be through donations to provide scholarships
and other support to students like Meegan, or by volunteering time and expertise to help them develop skills and confidence.

“My favourite call was with an alum who worked in Clinical Psychology – a field that I was really interested in getting into. She suggested that I consider working as a Mental Health Support Worker, to learn the ins and outs of the profession and make connections. She was so generous with her time and talked me through her own experiences. I left the call energised, and after graduation took her advice, working as a mental health support worker in Leeds, before starting further study to follow this career path.”

The team would love to be your link to Leeds, so please update your phone number here

They will call from (+44)113 251 0001 – a number which cannot take incoming calls. If you do receive a missed call from this number and want to check whether it was us, please email give@leeds.ac.uk.