Maria Abbott has always been a planner.
As far back as the sixth grade, she began charting her university education and career, committing her big dreams to a notebook that became a map for her future.
As she enters her second year at Memorial pursuing a bachelor of arts degree with a double major in psychology and criminology, donor support is helping her make good on that plan.
Getting to this point required careful strategy and determination.
Her map came up against some unexpected roadblocks, but donor support at a crucial moment made all the difference.
Joyce Foundation Bursary
A Joyce Foundation Bursary recipient, Ms. Abbott says donor-funded support has eased some of the pressure of pursuing a university education while her family navigates difficult circumstances.
Her mother has undergone several cancer treatments in recent years, while her father has been unable to work due to a serious knee injury.
While Ms. Abbott never wavered in her goal of attending Memorial, her family’s situation presented challenges.
“Getting into university was really important for me and my family.”
“When it came to applying for different scholarships and bursaries, I looked at the Joyce Bursary and thought, ‘Any help will do in getting into school,’” she recalled. “Getting into university was really important for me and my family.”
The Joyce Foundation Bursary is awarded to students demonstrating critical financial need, a strong dedication to education and perseverance through personal challenges, among other criteria.
When she learned she was a bursary recipient, Ms. Abbott rushed to share the news with her parents.
Her family was both jubilant and relieved that she would enter university with additional support.
“They were really happy,” she said. “It was a pretty big deal for us.”
The bursary has helped her remain focused on her studies and long-term goals.
Police work and psychology
Long fascinated by both police work and psychology, Ms. Abbott is now drawing her interests together in her academic pursuits.
“When I started taking criminology at Memorial, I did the best in those courses. I loved them. I know for certain that I want to work in the criminology field somehow.”
Her drive is rooted in more than professional success.
Growing up while watching her family cope with illness and uncertainty has shaped her outlook and motivated her to build a secure future.
“I’ve seen how that has affected them and us and our livelihoods. I want to get a job that, you know, I can help them out or help my family when I start my own family. It has definitely impacted where I want to go career-wise. I’m aiming big, just in case.”
Donor support helps remove barriers
Ms. Abbott’s experience illustrates the possibilities created by donor support at Memorial.
Awards and bursaries can help remove barriers, reduce stress and create opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach for students facing difficult circumstances.
She hopes to pursue graduate studies upon completion of her bachelor’s degree and, as always, she’s planning well ahead, looking at expanding her horizons beyond the province on her academic journey.
New horizons with a semester abroad
For now, she’s exploring new territory through a semester in Limerick, Ireland, as part of Memorial’s international exchange program, fulfilling a goal she set for herself years ago.
While there, she is continuing with a full course load in criminology and psychology, earning credits that will transfer back to Memorial.
“Ireland was on the list of options . . . I have ancestors from that part of the world. And so, I wanted to go explore and see what that was all about. And I heard great things about Ireland,” said Ms. Abbott before departing. “I’ve never been on my own and away from my support system, so this is going to be fun!”
As she prepares for the next stage of her educational journey, Ms. Abbott remains grateful for the support that is helping transform the dreams she sketched out in her Grade 6 notebook into the life she is now living.
Learn more about giving to Memorial at mun.ca/odae/give-to-memorial/!
