Bursaries and Grants

Thank You For Your Support

Lauren Devenney

Thanks to the generous support of our alumni community, St Cuthbert’s Society is able to provide bursaries to students entering the College each academic year. There are three bursaries currently available, each to the value of £1500. Betty Smildzina (Anthropology) describes how much it has meant to her to receive a Cuth’s Bursary for 2019-2020.

I started the first year of my undergraduate degree in Anthropology this October. I am originally from Latvia, but I’ve lived in England for 7 years now and was entering the University as a mature student, at 26. I came to Durham because of its outstanding teaching in my chosen subject, and because I love the community feel; I love how there are so many interest groups, clubs, and societies for students to join - it’s impossible to get bored! As I am slightly older than my peers, my financial situation was markedly different as well. I am not supported by parents, and have been working for the past 10 years. Therefore coming to University, as much as I wanted to do it, meant a significant financial sacrifice, as I had to give up the job I had up until October. It was a difficult decision, but I knew it was also the right one in the long term. But

Betty Smildzina

it would mean going without a whole lot of things, and limiting my experiences to the bare essentials. In this context,

finding out about the Cuth’s Bursary was a godsend. If I was awarded the bursary, I could actually expand my activities while at Durham, join clubs and societies, go out with friends, and have a full uni experience. I was so happy when I was notified that I had been chosen as one of the recipients, and the bursary has helped me achieve all of the above and more; since starting in Durham I have taken up ballroom dancing, as well as attending InStep dance classes, started doing aerial arts, and joined several other societies. This is a direct result of having received the bursary, as I simply would not have access to funds to do these things without it - thanks Cuth’s! I’ve loved my time at Durham and with Cuth’s so far: the friendliness of my college that never makes me feel left out as a liver-out, the various events, balls and dinners, the support that’s always available whatever the issue. My goal for this year, and the years ahead, continues to be taking advantage of every opportunity the University and the college opens up for me. Whether it be joining the coding club, or continuing to learn another language on top of my degree pathway, this is a fantastic and exciting place with so many things on offer; everyone can find something that works for them! Betty Smildzina (Anthropology)

“The fact that I even submitted the application was totally

beyond my comfort zone. It

was as though the expedition

was pushing me to grow as an

individual before it had even

begun”. Lauren Devenney

Student Development Award Report

Second year student Lauren Devenney received a Student Development Award from the Henry Tudor Fund enabling her to travel to Borneo in July and August 2019.

Afacebook post advertising a DUCK expedition was all it took for me to impulsively submit an application for the Borneo expedition. The opportunity to volunteer in the conservation of green turtles and orangutan was too good to pass up. The fact that I even submitted the application was totally beyond my comfort zone. It was as though the expedition was pushing me to grow as an individual before it had even begun. I didn’t want to set unrealistic goals that may not come to fruition. For me, this trip was simply considered an

opportunity to travel to a new continent, to gain cultural insight and to help with projects which work towards causes I am passionate about. The work carried out on the expedition was divided between two charitable organisations: Fuze Ecoteer, an environmental charity, and Project Orangutan. The Project Orangutan phase of the expedition allowed us to provide manual labour to a charity that is currently very short staffed.The most rewarding aspects were in the small things; the things I could never have imagined. Their foods have inspired a vegetarian

diet; working with kids allowed me to communicate beyond language barriers; meeting people from across the world with different stories to tell and being surrounded by inspiring people made me think about what inspires me as a person and whether a conventional career path appeals to me. Interacting with the local communities and their culture will be what I take away from this trip.

Lauren Devenney (Chemistry)