Aisha is a BEng Chemical Engineering student at Queen Mary. She is the eldest of three siblings and first in her family to go to university.
Aisha Sesay, Annual Fund Bursary recipient 2019-2022
"Queen Mary had just introduced Chemical Engineering as a new course and invited different colleges to attend the course taster sessions. I remember going to their taster session in the summer and I was very impressed by the structure of the course so I chose to study here.
"I like that Queen Mary is a Russell Group university and it’s based in East London which means I’d be closer to home. I also like that the university library is open for long hours so I can access my course resources easily and use the study space more frequently.
"I worked two jobs over the summer before starting university to help me financially in my first year of university. I took out a Maintenance Loan to support myself and give my family some financial relief. When I found out that I’d been awarded an Alumni-funded Bursary I was really happy and shocked. I felt pleased knowing that I didn’t have to work as much to support myself and I can focus on my studies. The bursary has gone towards my commute to university and buying course resources. I’m planning to use the bursary to complete a Wind8 volunteering programme in Peru. It’s a charity programme used to design and make Windmills in rural areas in Peru to generate electricity. "Finances are a concern for many students. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds can be held back from their studies due to financial worries. They have to find an extra source of income and prioritise what they can spend money on.
"I’ll soon be starting my final year of study and hope to use the bursary to support my personal and professional development so I’m prepared for life after university. Thank you to the generous alumni for making a difference to my university experience. You’ve been supporting my student journey to graduation and for that, I’m very grateful!"