“I am currently in year 3 of my joint BA in History and Drama, and I am loving it. I chose UCD because it is one of the few universities in Ireland to provide this combination, and I was so excited to get the opportunity to delve into both of these interests of mine. Whilst I am currently studying abroad as part of the Erasmus+ programme, I am excited to get back to Dublin and continue into my final year. Admittedly, my first year in UCD was not all smooth sailing, but the scholarship took such a weight off my shoulders financially. I think the main challenges I have faced during my studies pertain to mental health and finances. I am immensely grateful for the Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship for taking some of that financial pressure off, and for the UCD counselling services for always being an immense help in times of need. 

Coming from Kerry, I knew distance was going to be the main barrier to me attending UCD. I obviously could not commute from home, and I knew that travelling home would take long and be fairly expensive. Money was the main barrier, as my mother is a single parent and cannot fully support me financially. I also knew that I would have to work on finding a whole new friend group which wasn’t easy despite my extroverted personality, it seemed even on day one everyone already knew each other! Of course with time, I found my people. Thankfully, applying to UCD through the HEAR programme, I felt that there were supports available for students like myself.

Before coming to UCD,  housing was a main concern of mine. As previously mentioned, renting in Dublin is becoming increasingly hard and I knew that the prices of on-campus accommodation would be totally out of my budget. Another concern was college fees and the cost of living and getting to know people in the UCD community. The scholarship really helped in easing some of this stress and letting me take full advantage of the college experience, allowing me to go out for a drink and attend plays as part of my drama studies, without worrying about how this would affect my monthly budget. 

The scholarship has had a huge impact on my time in University. Without this scholarship, it is possible that renting just wouldn’t have been viable for me and I may have had to look at studying closer to home in Kerry. Thankfully, this scholarship has provided me with a sense of comfort in knowing I have monetary help each year to make living and studying in Dublin possible.

The scholarship money has mostly gone towards rent, and social and educational activities, like seeing plays, going to museums, and saving up to get the opportunity to travel! I have been involved in some sports clubs, like Karate & Yoga, as well as being heavily involved in UCD Dramsoc. I was Events officer for the society last year, and was part of the cast and crew of multiple plays. This scholarship has given me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in these activities, and spend time on extracurricular activities as opposed to being in work constantly.

There is a high possibility that had I not received this scholarship, I would not have continued my studies in Dublin, or else would have had to take out a loan to support myself. Truly, I would have to say that supporting a scholarship like this allows people like me to pursue an education in something we are passionate about, and to live a full academic and social life in university. This scholarship fosters the next generation of artists, leaders, and innovators. In my view, a university education is more than obtaining a degree or learning facts and figures. I can personally say the past three years have changed me and my worldview fundamentally, and I think everybody should have this amazing opportunity to grow, meet people, and develop skills for life. 

I plan to complete my final year at UCD and get my degree, after which I will look at pursuing a Master’s degree in History. I also hope to continue my involvement in the lively Dublin theatre scene.”