The programme provides scholars with £30,000 of funding across three academic years, which can be used on the Santander Aspire webstore or withdrawn as cash, with the other £1,500 used to fund activities that build skills or enhance employability. Scholars will also receive support and guidance from a mentor and invitations to events and activities that will open doors to networking with potential employers and broadening the student experience.
On finding out she had been chosen, Mary-Anne said: “Initially, I was in shock and had to keep reading the email before it finally sunk in. Then I called my mum in tears (of joy) and we spent hours on the phone celebrating this huge achievement.”
Mary-Anne hopes to use the scholarship to achieve all her academic goals and hopes it will also enable her to use more of her free time to build essential skills for a brighter future. She also wants to network with the other scholarship students and demonstrate to underrepresented students that the barriers they may face should not limit their potential.
Loughborough University and Santander Universities have been in partnership since 2008, working together to support students during their time at University. Over the last 15 years Santander have committed over £2.8m, which has gone on to impact thousands of students and staff at the university. Santander’s support has ranged from enterprise grants for student businesses, to support for student micro-internships.