Studying Sport and Exercise Science

Sport is universal and can be as great or little a part of someone's life as it's needed to be. Sport can help with social mobility and provide opportunities, as well as facilitating soft skills such as teamwork, communication, motivation and healthy living. Often, however, active and regular engagement with sport is limited only to those with means to do so.

Prior to university, the number of opportunities available to me were minimal. To make the most of them, I had to juggle my academic work with paid employment in order to be financially able to volunteer with sports and exercise courses across my hometown. This need to fund my own opportunities gave me a real understanding of realising and seeing out a project from start to finish. It developed my organisation, drive and commitment to anything I set my mind to.

What to you hope to achieve at Leeds Beckett, and how will the scholarship help?

As a result of my experiences, I want to change the image of children from low-income backgrounds, and to show them how to achieve and develop through engagement with sport. I want to use this scholarship to be an inspiration to those children and students.

Aside from my degree, I hope to participate in the full range of sport and enrichment at Leeds Beckett, including representing the university at BUSC competitions. I have also started participating in women's rugby union which is really rewarding. Furthermore, I want to explore education-related volunteering to support local schools in their sports and biology courses. I want to utilise all opportunities available to me to make the most of the social mobility universities can offer.