Help Michaela Pay for a Masters Degree

Aim

For those of you who are reading this appeal and considering making a donation, I have just completed my undergrad degree in Applied Crimino...

For those of you who are reading this appeal and considering making a donation, I have just completed my undergrad degree in Applied Criminology at the University of Worcester, gaining a first class honours degree. I was fortunate enough to be supported by mentorship and study resources funding by the Longford Trust, who offer scholarships to prisoners and former prisoners to access higher education.

I have now been accepted onto the Open University’s MA in Crime and Justice, with distance learning study commencing on 1st Oct for the duration of two years. The total fees for this MA is £6480. I anticipate that raising the amount to cover the whole cost of the MA is slightly optimistic, but here is hoping!

I used a student loan to pay my undergrad fees, and whilst that option remains open for my post grad study, I am pursuing other funding means prior to using a student loan as a last resort.

As I come for a working class family, who have battled with addiction, mental I’ll health and imprisonment. Along with various other obsticals over the years, I have no financial safety net, or ability to save large amounts of money to fund this myself.

I was continuously excluded from secondary school, often bullied and marginalised, due to my parents battles with addiction. I was finally permanently excluded prior to sitting my GCSE’s so I left secondary education with no qualifications. A few years after leaving school I had a daughter, and after that I experienced imprisonment and the ever lasting stigma and social consequences of having a criminal conviction.

Having dedicated the last four years to self development, raising awareness of social inequality and aiming to platform and prioritise the voices And experiences of excluded and oppressed groups, I have gained a career in prisoner/patient engagement and gained a first class degree through sheer dedication, passion and motivation for social change and challenging social injustice.

I would absolutely love to progress to post hard level study, keep smashing the glass ceiling and keep showing the world what people like me are capable of, given the right support and opportunities.

If you feel any of the above story resonates with you, and aligns with your personal values, and are in a position to support me. I would be forever grateful, and when the time comes, I can assure you, I will be reaching down to help up others on their way to a more just and equitable life.

Thanks very much, 

Michaela x

This project successfully funded on 12th September 2020