Emily

Coming from a family where no one had been to university before, I didn't have much guidance on how the process worked or what to expect. The SMF became my first real source of clarity. They helped me understand how to navigate applications, student finance, and make decisions that felt completely new to me at the time.

When I started university, I noticed that my Scouse accent sometimes shaped how people perceived me. It wasn't dramatic, but it was enough to make me aware of how background can influence first impressions. Through SMF workshops, I learned professional skills, especially networking, that helped me feel more confident in academic and professional settings. These were skills I wouldn't have come across otherwise.

One of the most valuable parts of the programme was having a mentor. They helped me understand the range of careers in science, talked through my options, and made the idea of pursuing research feel realistic and achievable.

I'm now a PhD student in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Manchester. Looking back, the SMF played a steady, practical role in getting me here. They gave me information I didn't have, skills I hadn't been exposed to, and support that made each step feel manageable rather than overwhelming. Their involvement didn't change my story dramatically, it simply opened doors I might not have known existed.