Introducing Sorrel & The Scholarship Project

Hi everyone! I’m Sorrel and I’m currently interning with Milele. The reason I applied to be an intern with Milele earlier this year is because I have decided that I would like to pursue a career in policy and research in the third sector. In particular, I would like to work with charities that are dedicated to ensuring that young people have equal chances in life, and thus are able to succeed despite personal circumstances. This is why Milele resonated with me, as I too believe that the right to education is fundamental, and that children should not be limited in their future opportunities due to a lack of economic mobility. I fully support the emphasis that Milele places on education as it allows children and young people to take control of their own lives and have agency over their future, and am delighted that I get to contribute the outstanding work that Milele does. One of the projects I have been undertaking recently is the creation of a document with details of scholarships and grants for prospective university students.  As you may know, Emmanuel Kai, one of Milele’s students and the first to attend University, is nearing the end of his degree. An important milestone for both Milele and Emmanuel! However, the issue is that the cost of university education is far greater than secondary education. Although Milele has every intention of supporting the students through university, the charity is still relatively small and therefore does not have the seemingly endless funds of some of the larger charities. So, in order to support the students, outside funding needs to be sourced to help cover the costs of university. This is where my research comes in. I have been busy locating and researching different scholarships and grants available to university applicants online, and compiling my findings into a word document to be used by the students. These scholarships can vary from fully covering tuition fees and personal expenses, to only covering a certain portion of tuition fees. Nonetheless, all of these scholarships could significantly help Milele support the students and allow them to afford the university education they all deserve. The document I have created gives the students all of the information they would need regarding the scholarships, including the nature of the scholarship, where they could undertake their studies, the entry criteria, and how they need to apply. Therefore, they only need to consult this document now to see what grants and scholarships they are entitled to. Nothing is stopping them from accessing university now with Milele by their side!

This document will no doubt help the future students that Milele will support through university, and will help them navigate the somewhat complicated process of finding and applying for scholarships and grants. The students will now be able to pick and choose which scholarships they believe will most benefit them, with the help of Milele of course! I have thoroughly enjoyed undertaking this research and playing a small role in helping the students get to university, and beyond. I wish success to every future Milele student that applies to university, and hope this document may help them take control of their own future and succeed.

Sorrel Norwood is the first Milele Intern and has been an invaluable addition to the team! If you are interested in interning for Milele, contact us at interns@milele.org.uk