“I believe the 1887 Bursary Fund is such a worthy cause – to give those who may need an escape from their current circumstances a place to fit in and where they are nurtured to discover their passions.”
Why Ella is a Bursary Ambassador and supporting the 1887 Bursary Fund
As a child in primary school, I never felt that I fitted in. My interests did not align well with my peers, and as a result I was subject to bullying from the ages of eight to eleven. Naturally, I began retreating further and further from the people around me, which only led to worsening circumstances. The final straw was when members of staff joined in teasing me. As well as the general taunting, it convinced me that I was too dumb, especially in terms of maths and sciences, to get anywhere in the future. To get away from the people who ostracised me, I looked around at secondary schools where I found The Abbey.
When starting at The Abbey, I was incredibly shy and unsure of myself as a result of my primary school experience, however, I quickly realised the stark contrast between the two schools. I soon felt part of the community: my confidence began to grow and I learned to trust again. The staff at The Abbey were incredibly patient with my sensitivity to criticism and reluctance to share anything with anyone. As time progressed, The Abbey allowed me to flourish in ways that I don’t think would have been possible without the support provided.
During my time at The Abbey, I became unwell with pneumonia and was absent from school for approximately three months and became very behind. This is when I discovered my love for science and maths, despite the nagging thought from being told I was not good enough when I was younger. Again, the community at The Abbey helped me to catch up with my studies, as well as growing my passion for STEM.
Now, three years after leaving The Abbey, I am in my third year of studying Chemistry at the University of Oxford and looking at research groups to join for my fourth year. Going forward, I would love to stick to chemical research (especially in solid state chemistry/chemical crystallography) and am also hoping to get into teaching at a university level, to help others develop the passion that The Abbey allowed me to form.