The Greenwood Bursary

“I had the opportunity to study a wide variety of courses at Brockenhurst College. These included Performing Arts Level 3, AS Level Psychology and A Level Biology. I also completed an Extended Project Qualification about the effects of trauma on paediatric cerebral development.”

“Attending this particular university has many benefits, such as gaining a Russell Group standard education. I will have the privilege of learning from experienced nurses in the field at the university, which is ranked second in the UK for its paediatric nursing course.”

“It took me a long time to get to the point I’m at today. Some people think that when you enter the care system your future is already determined. We all know the stereotype very well – ‘Foster kids are trouble’.  This idea could not be further from the truth. All it takes is for someone to see you for what you are – a kid just like any other kid, with the same potential and the same rights to future success. Sometimes it just takes someone to hold your hand and remind you that we are all human – because we ARE all human. That one hand changed my life: Julie Allen, my kind-hearted foster carer who adopted me almost four years ago. This was when I realised that kindness is unlimited, and if I can help even one child and their family through their hardest moments in life, I can give something back. I can be their one hand. However, I understand that there is a lot more to nursing. It’s not a career that you can just walk into. Wanting to help people is just the starting point. Knowing this, I started volunteering on the children’s wards at Southampton General Hospital. This has been the most insightful experience and has strengthened my determination to become a children’s nurse. I have been volunteering at the hospital once a week for over a year, and it’s genuinely become the highlight of my week. Getting to know all the patients and families, seeing their journeys from when they were admitted until they are discharged – it changes your perspective. Taking the time to sit and chat or play with the patients is the most rewarding thing. I would be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows, but that’s why we’re a team – the doctors, nurses, play specialists, cleaners, caterers and us volunteers. G Floor has become my home away from home. I have met and learned from so many amazing people. The doctors on the orthopaedics wards explained how they measure oxygen levels, and the senior sister on the paediatric medical unit said she would be happy to help me with any uni work. I’m so grateful to be included in an environment where I’m constantly inspired.”

“It was like all my emotions just hit me at once. I truly did not believe that I was the one they chose. In the waiting room, I was even practising what I was going to say to the winner. I was going to congratulate them while not crying and say well done. When they called me into the room, everyone was so quiet. And then John and Marion Greenwood stood up, they shook my hand and said congratulations. It was like the London new year’s fireworks display had a new venue inside my head. At first, I was holding back tears because I had accepted defeat, but then I started crying because I was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. It took a solid two days for the information to fully sink in. The Greenwood Bursary is so much more than what it says on the cover. Two amazing people have faith in your dreams and have faith in you… That fact alone creates this surreal warmth in my chest, and I know that I’m going to carry it around with me in everything I do. My gratitude to the Greenwoods cannot be quantified, so I aim to express it in my future achievements.”

“The Greenwood Bursary means that the Greenwoods have faith in me and that I have someone in my corner supporting my dreams. The Greenwoods have taken such a big weight off my shoulders. I can now look forward to university without my excitement being tainted by financial anxiety. The Greenwoods have given me the freedom to learn, allowing me to make the most of my university experience. They’re also allowing me to gain more knowledge and understanding of paediatric health science, nurturing my progression towards my ultimate ambition.”

“My long-term goal is to become a senior paediatric nurse specialising in neurology. I aim to gain a first-class honours award in my degree, which will give me with a strong foundation when entering the NHS as a registered Band 5 nurse. From this point, I want to further develop my competency in my specialist area, enabling my progression through the nurse banding system. My target is to have reached Band 7 (Sister) within five years. From this point, I will still strive to refine and develop my skills and knowledge even further, working towards improving person-centred care. This means actively supporting patients and their families by striving to improve the quality of life for each individual patient. My biggest dream is to reach the top of the nurse banding system. This ranking would allow me to make an even larger contribution. For example, I really want to promote the adoption of sensory rooms for all children in medical environments. Through volunteering at Southampton Children’s Hospital, I have been able to see first-hand the positive effect of sensory rooms. I have seen how important it is for the children to just take a break from the noisy machinery and relax in a neutral environment. With recent awareness of hidden disabilities and neurodiversity, the need for stimulation detox is becoming increasingly important. I have been volunteering for over a year now, and I can acknowledge how privileged we are as a hospitals trust. We have great charity marketing and an established board of experienced professionals. However, I know there are a lot of paediatric medical establishments that don’t have a team like ours. I want to be able to share my ideas. For instance, I want to extend sensory rooms/quiet rooms to maternity environments, acknowledging that sometimes new mums need time to gather their thoughts in a space where they can just ‘be’.”

“Brockenhurst College has supported my ambition by being flexible. Brock really allows you to take the lead in your education, but simultaneously it supports and guides you through your options. Brock stands out among the other colleges in our area because it allows students to mature by giving them freedom and letting them take responsibility. Brock sees uniqueness in every student and welcomes them without judgment.”

“My highlight at Brock was definitely my last Performing Arts production. The Performing Arts and Music department is truly an amazing and creative team. As a class, we organised our own musical from scratch. We were all assigned production roles alongside performing roles. I designed the set and costume, while other members of my class were responsible for marketing and choreography. It was rewarding seeing all our hard work come together, and the response from the audience was the cherry on top. The craziest thing was that the Greenwoods came to watch the production before I even knew them or knew about their bursary. I’m not someone who believes in fate, but the coincidence still baffles me.”

“I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter. I’ve enjoyed my time at Brock, but it now feels like the right time to move on. I’m excited to take on a new challenge and adapt to university life. I’m eager to learn in a new way, applying my knowledge from A Level Biology to real-world situations.”