UCD scholarship for student who sat LC exams in hospital
WEXFORD student Amy Richards who was forced to sit part of her Leaving Cert in hospital after undergoing surgery, has been awarded a prestigious Ad Astra academic scholarship by UCD.
The scholarship which is presented to 15 high-achieving first year students, is worth €3,000 each per year along with additional mentoring and development opportunities to help them reach their full potential.
Amy’s parents Karl and Dorota said they are ‘absolutely delighted’ for their daughter and are very proud that she secured the scholarship, considering what she went through.
Amy completed the first three days of her Leaving Cert English exam in Wexford General Hospital and faced into the English exam just hours after surgery for a ruptured appendix.
She was under supervision, hooked up to a drip and on medication, having to take short breaks while nurses monitored her condition.
Amy had no option but to sit the exams as there is no exemption or alternative arrangement for students who becomes seriously ill or are hospitalised and she would have had to wait another year to do the Leaving Cert.
Despite the nightmare ordeal, she obtained an impressive 6 H1’s, equalling 602 points, including a H1 in English, but narrowly lost out on securing her first study choice of Medicine, opting instead to study Bio Medical Health and Life Sciences.
Amy has highlighted the lack of provision for seriously ill students and has campaigned for a similar exemption to the one now offered to bereaved students, which allows them to sit alternative papers in July.
With the scholarship, Amy will enjoy the support of a dedicated academic mentor, a programme of workshops and seminars by academics, networking and development opportunities and access to the scholars’ room. The scholarship is awarded for the duration of the undergraduate programme and is allocated on the basis of 6 H1’s in the Leaving Cert as well as a successful online application and interview.