Written by Ada Sadowska, Gold Scholar
Having just finished my second year of the politics and international relations course at the University, I’ve had plenty of time to settle in as a student and grow a connection to Bath.
I grew up in coastal Kent, living with my younger brother and mum who works as a carer. While I always knew I wanted to attend university, I had no idea about what this would look like, or what I would be able to do afterwards. Bath is probably the best place I could have ended up – besides the beautiful city and wonderful enriching university, I was fortunate enough to have ended up on the Gold Scholarship Programme.
The Gold Scholarship Programme is a scheme aimed at undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering a very generous bursary in exchange for 50 hours of volunteering and participation in several additional events throughout the academic year.
A few weeks after submitting my application – in my case, this was done while having the flu – I was selected for it. To be completely honest, I was not fully aware of what the scholarship would consist of, besides the financial support it would provide me. Nevertheless, the volunteering, which initially looked quite daunting, proved to be flexible and constructive.
In first year, I predominantly helped out with a few small projects, from museum volunteering to silent-disco hosting, while in second year I found myself on a society committee and leading Peer Assisted Learning sessions. Thanks to the financial support, I’ve also been able to take up extra-curricular German classes with the skills centre instead of working.
Perhaps the most useful element of the Gold Scholarship has been the opportunity to learn effective networking – from skills seminars on the topic, to actual networking including a celebration dinner with donors. The Scholarship Programme also encouraged me to develop my LinkedIn skills – a platform on which I’ve since begun to thrive.
As a life-long Shaun the Sheep fan, a highlight of this year for me was an away day with Aardman Animations studio, organised as a part of the Scholarship Programme. Besides the fact that it was obviously fun, using Claymation as a teaching medium for creativity, which can be applied in the workplace, was honestly enlightening, and boosted my confidence to build and appreciate a wider skillset within myself.
If it wasn’t for the Gold Scholarship Programme, my understanding of my own future career would differ dramatically. The diverse group of wonderful people I have met through the Scholarship Programme has made it possible for me to consider professional pathways diverging from those I previously associated with my degree. For example, beyond the public sector (which is a typical route for graduates of my course), I’ve started looking at roles within the wider Arts industry, and I think I know what consultancy is now. Exposure to people who work across a range of industries for the first time has made it possible for me to visualise a career outside of teaching or academia – completely redirecting my trajectory and widening the opportunities available to me.
This summer I have also been working as an intern within the University’s Advancement Office where I have learnt an incredible amount about the higher education fundraising sector and, by extension, the work I could potentially carry out once I graduate. I’m also able to seriously consider doing a master's Programme, as I have been able to save explicitly for a master's fund.
The incredible support network I have gained – both from the Gold Scholarship Team and fellow students, as well as mentors assisting the Programme – has been beyond transformative. I am more connected to Bath than I ever could have imagined myself being, and I cherish the wonderful community I have gained.
Responses
Wonderful to hear about your experiences, Ada. I, too, am a lifelong Shaun the Sheep fan.