In 2020, single parent Emilie was living on benefits with a young baby. She’d just escaped a situation where she was experiencing domestic violence.
“Each month, I was looking at the bills coming in and picking one I wasn’t going to pay just so we could afford to eat,” said Emilie. “I’d grown up in poverty and I didn’t want that to be our future.”
Emilie dreamed of becoming a social worker having experienced first-hand the support they could provide those in need. But studying at university seemed a distant reality.
That’s when Emilie discovered the financial support available at Leeds thanks to the Leeds supporter community. She applied for and received a scholarship.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got it. Suddenly, that huge financial barrier standing between me and my ambition to become a social worker had gone.
“The scholarship made it financially possible for me to study at Leeds. I can’t tell you what it means to have written this new chapter, to be thinking of things like saving for a holiday and a house.
“None of it would be possible without the Leeds supporter community.”
Emilie graduated in 2024 and secured her first job in the social care field.
“I’m so excited to make a difference to other people’s lives, as alumni and supporters did to mine.”
Want to support more students like Emilie?
Please visit our Give to Leeds platform today to help to ensure that everyone in our community has an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed at Leeds.