Jannat is a History student at Queen Mary University of London and a recipient of the Sally Sainsbury History Scholarship. This award is supported by the late Ms Sally Sainsbury, BA History 1962, who kindly left the University a gift in her Will to support History students. Jannat told us what this award means to her.
"I am the eldest of three siblings and the first in my family to go to university. As the eldest, I do have a duty of care towards my younger siblings and hope that they too will follow in my footstep and go to university. I grew up in Tower Hamlets, east London, so Queen Mary is very local to me. It’s one of the reasons why I chose to study there and I’d also heard great things about the University so I’m very pleased to have received a place to study there.
"I’m really enjoying my studies so far and I’m glad that my course is mostly coursework-based! My favourite module is ‘Race and the Desire for Difference’, which has inspired me to think about my identity as a British, Muslim woman living in the UK.
"My mum is a housewife and my dad is the breadwinner of the family, which means we rely on his income to run the household. I knew that there were many student expenses and I didn’t want to overwhelm my family with the financial worries, so I decided to take out a maintenance loan to support myself financially whilst studying. Though this was a help, I was amazed to know that I’d been awarded a scholarship that would support my university experience! When I found out it was a gift from an alumna’s Will, I was all the more grateful. The award has enabled me to buy a laptop which I use to take my lecture notes. I no longer need to travel to university to use campus computers and can access online resources from home.
"I think finances are an important aspect of student lives but not everyone is fortunate enough to be financially stable. Some students need that extra support to help them get through university such as paying for travel costs, course resources or buying a laptop.
"After I complete my undergrad, I would like to do a law conversion course. My ultimate career goal is to become a human rights lawyer or work with the UN. My motivation behind this is because of my background and my upbringing. My parents grew up in Bangladesh, a country with a lot of poverty and I now have the privilege of living in the west with so many opportunities open to me. I don’t want to take this for granted and want to use my skills to make a difference.
"I want to say a massive thank you to Sally Sainsbury for providing these scholarships to History students who need the financial assistance. Knowing that she was once a History student studying at Queen Mary makes me feel empowered and honoured to be a recipient of this Scholarship. I’m in awe of her generosity and wish to give back to the University in the future when I’m able to do so."