Charlie and the Marathon: running to raise funds

Alumni Relations
Wednesday 27 July 2022

Charlotte Rogers (MA 2022) describes how the International Excellence Scholarship made it possible for her to study at St Andrews, and why she ran the Edinburgh Marathon in May this year as a way of helping somebody else to achieve their dream of studying here, too.    

I had dreamt about studying at St Andrews since I was 15, when a representative from Admissions – resplendent in a kilt – came to visit my high school and talked inspiringly about the University’s outstanding reputation for teaching, learning and student satisfaction. As an Aussie, St Andrews was probably as far from home as it was possible for me to get. But when the time came to go to university, I didn’t hesitate to apply.

The prospect of actually studying here, however, always seemed like an unattainable dream, given the costs of tuition and travel. Receiving my acceptance letter was, therefore, a bittersweet moment: while I was gratified to know that I had the skills and intelligence to be offered a place, I was sorely disappointed because I couldn’t afford to take it up.

Until, that is, the kindness of others turned everything around.

Around the same time that I had submitted my application for St Andrews, I had also applied – as a complete long-shot – for an International Excellence Scholarship.  When I heard a few weeks later that I’d got the scholarship, I was over the moon! I ran around the house screaming and jumping up and down and then I called all my teachers. I was beyond excited that I could now fulfil my dream! As a first-generation university student this opportunity meant the world to me and my family, and it changed my life completely.

In 2020 I was also fortunate to be chosen as part of the Laidlaw Scholarship Programme in Research and Leadership which enabled me to design, pursue and report a research question in collaboration with an academic in my chosen School. With the support of Dr Stephen Reicher, I became committed to researching the psychology behind climate change communications, and ultimately implemented the outcomes of this research by directing and producing an advert for climate action which aired on TV throughout 2021.

Looking back, I think that St Andrews has not only met but exceeded my expectations. I’ve lost track of the times I called my parents to gush about how all of my professors and classmates were the smartest people I had ever met, and how much I was enjoying all the intellectually stimulating conversations and debates I was having – whether they were in the classroom or in my kitchen.

 

My St Andrews experience has also been defined by my time on the University sailing team and as an ambassador and mentor to younger international students.

 

As my time in this beautiful “bubble” was coming to an end, my friends and I had the somewhat crazy idea of running the Edinburgh Marathon to raise funds for a variety of causes including Alzheimer’s research, maternal healthcare and education. After a lot training and many long runs criss-crossing the Fife countryside, we managed to complete the race and meet our fundraising targets. As a part of this I was able to make a donation of £550 to the University of St Andrews International Excellence Scholarship. While this contribution may be modest in the grand scheme of the University’s philanthropic projects, it makes me incredibly happy to know that this might help someone else achieve their dream of studying at St Andrews.

In the coming year I am planning to continue my work on environmental activism through an R&A travel scholarship, and while this will take me all over the world from the Kimberley in Western Australia to the mountains of Guatemala, I know that St Andrews will always have a special place in my heart.

I can’t wait to return.

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