When Rebekah, 37, gave up her place at a campus university to care for her disabled son, she feared her academic aspirations would never be fulfilled.
Now on course to achieve a Law degree, Rebekah shares how receiving The Open University Carers’ Scholarship allows her to study flexibly around the needs of her family, whilst knocking on the door of her dream career.
Keeping the dream alive
In 2020, Rebekah had been a full-time mum and carer for over eleven years and yearned to further her education.
“As a parent with life-long caring responsibilities, I worried that my chance of getting a degree had passed,” explains Rebekah. “It felt like there were no affordable and accessible options for me, yet I couldn’t let go of my dream to study Law.”
Determined not to give up, Rebekah set about exploring how she could study from home and whether any funding options were available to her.
“I was shocked and utterly thrilled to find out that The Open University (OU) offered a Law degree I could fit around my children, and with the possibility of financial support,” Rebekah remembers.
“I submitted my scholarship application, setting out my circumstances and aspirations – and to my sheer delight – I was offered full funding for my Law degree plus a little extra to buy a laptop.”
Worth the wait
In her fourth year of study, Rebekah is inching towards her goal of becoming a barrister, achieving impressive results along the way.
“My journey so far has been wonderful,” Rebekah reflects. “My tutors have been incredibly supportive, as have the brilliant scholarships team. I love the structure and purpose my studies have given me and I’ve realised that I never want to stop learning.”
Grabbing every opportunity with both hands, Rebekah has won a place on the Middle Temple’s Access to the Bar Award, which provides work experience for Law graduates from underrepresented groups, to support their journey to the Bar.
“I’m so grateful to the OU Law School for putting me forward for the award, says Rebekah. “There’s a long way to go before I become a barrister, but I feel like I’m well on my way.”
Message to donors
Recognising that scholarships are funded by donations from the OU’s amazing community; Rebekah has this message:
“None of this would have been possible without the generosity of donors. Finding out I’d been selected to receive a scholarship was the first time in years that I felt seen, valued and worth investing in.
“The words ‘thank you’ hardly do justice in conveying my gratitude, but I will say them anyway – thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Inspired by Rebekah’s story?
Every donation helps to deliver the OU’s mission of making education open to all. If you’re a carer looking to fulfil your potential with The Open University, head to our scholarships page to find out more.
