My name is Brendan McDonnell and I have just started my studies in Trinity College Dublin, doing Business Economic and Social Studies. I am from Meath and I am the first person in my family to go to university. I am still undecided on my future career path once I complete my four years here but I have a deep interest in business, so I know that this is the right course for me. I am a strong believer that anybody has the potential to be just as good or even better than the next person, so I am committed to succeed both academically and socially at my time at Trinity. I am extremely grateful for the many opportunities which this college has given me so far and excited for what my time here has in store for me. Because of this I will do my utmost to succeed and give back as best as I can.
4th Year Report
This is my final year receiving the scholarship and without it I may not have been able to achieve what I have today. This year was my most challenging year yet and by having the scholarship a huge financial weight has been lifted and allowed me to continuously focus on my studies. Due to the current rental crisis in Dublin, most of the scholarship went towards paying for rent. I still had to work part time during the college year but this gave me some flexibility in the number of hours I had to work each week. It was not just the financial gain, from the scholarship, that contributed to my achievements in my final year, it was also the network and professional advice I gained from the scholarship that help prepare me for a career after college. The donor of the scholarship was extremely helpful in giving the career advice that I needed to achieve after my time at Trinity. In reflection, at my time in Trinity, I have achieved a lot that I would not have thought would have been possible. Because of the support that TAP has provided me, it has motivated me to give back whenever I can to those that need help. Now that I have completed life at TCD, I would like to give back everything that I have received in any way I can. I know that at this time I am unable to contribute financially, but I would love to get involved with the trust in any way I can as it is something I am truly grateful for. I cannot give you enough thanks to the Trust for all that you have done for me throughout the past four years. Your support and advice have opened up many doors for me.
Third Year Report
Third year brought new and exciting modules for me to engage with. My business modules allowed me to realise what career path I wanted to take. My corporate finance and investments modules helped me decide what modules to take up next year and opened me up to a career in the finance industry. Along with the academic life, I also put a lot of work into societies. I was appointed to the position of Secretary in Trinity College Card Society and it will be exciting to see what opportunities and experience I will gain next year. I also devoted a lot of my time for the Trinity Access Programme (TAP). I started off the year by mentoring incoming TAP students about my experiences at Trinity through the pre-university orientation programme. It was rewarding to help students who were in my position before I started college. I also visited various secondary schools to help deliver the “college for every student” programme to help young people gain access to college. I am fortunate for my scholarship and the assistance it has provided me, as without it college would not be financially viable for me. It has given me the opportunity of an education and eased my financial difficulties.
2nd Year Report
The Rory McDonagh Trust was extremely useful to me this past year. The rental crisis that was plaguing Dublin meant that without this scholarship I would have no longer been able to afford a roof over my head and I will be grateful my entire life.Starting back at Trinity was exciting as I got to face many new challenges and specialise within my Business and Politics courses. Throughout the year I was able to enhance my knowledge and grow my understanding through new and interesting modules such as finance, marketing, comparative politics and international relations. At first it was difficult to manage the increase in my workload from first year but after maturing and learning some self-management I became more confident in my work and career opportunities.
During the year I increased my involvement within Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) by taking on the role of an ambassador. This role required me to visit partnering schools delivering information on the benefits of and access to third level education to young people of socio-economic disadvantaged areas. This experience has opened my eyes to the benefits and need for access programs like TAP to certain individuals. I am very grateful for the opportunities and aid that the Rory McDonagh Trust provides me. Without it my experiences within Trinity would not be as rewarding.
1st Year Report
My first year at Trinity is a year which I will not forget. At first it was overwhelming moving from a class of twenty at school to a class of over three hundred at college. Lucky as weeks went on I adapted to college life and I felt more comfortable and it was easier to manage my work load. I loved every aspect of my course and enjoyed studying my subjects. For my second year I have chosen to focus on joint honours Business and Political Science. First year exams went well for me because I put the work in from the start of the year and kept my notes organised which made the exams easier to study for at the end of the year. I loved living in Trinity Hall for first year and I would recommend it to anyone thinking of applying to Trinity College. It created a friendly learning atmosphere and I made many friends because of it. I really enjoyed my first year at trinity and it would not have been possible with out the help from the Trinity Access Programme and the connection it gave me to The Rory McDonagh trust. Undoubtedly this scholarship has made a positive impact on my college life and will aid me during the next few years at Trinity College Dublin.
