Ceydanur has been getting support from The Access Project for just over a year. She is getting tutored in Physics. She was recently selected as the winner of the Cut Short writing competition by author and former mentor Ciaran Thapar and Penguin editors.
We interviewed her about being selected winner and her journey on The Access Project.
“If we were all treated equally despite where we come from, we wouldn’t have any problems.”
I heard about the Cut Short writing competition through The Access Project. I really liked the question: what would I do if I ruled the world? I liked that I could say anything about it that I really passionately believe.
The theme allowed me to express myself coherently. I enjoyed generating my ideas, when I was thinking about what I really want to change in the world. I liked outlining the key issues in our society and how we can start to fix them. It made me realise that there is so much to improve.
When I took a moment to think about our issues in the world, I realised it is all about equality. Poverty is unequal – it is about not diffusing the resources properly. Discrimination is unequal too. If we were all treated equally despite where we come from, we wouldn’t have any problems.
“My tutorials have helped me become more confident”
My tutorials are having a positive impact on my development. In terms of academic impact, I feel much more confident in Physics. We cover the lessons much more in-depth in tutorials than we do in class. The lesson is personalised for me and my tutor explains it in a way which I can understand.
On a personal level, my tutorials have helped me become more confident. Before lockdown, I was a bit nervous when I had to interact with others. But my tutorials have made it easier to speak to people, it’s much better now.
The workshops have given me a broader understanding of what I want to do in the future. They are helping me learn how to make important decisions, like my A levels and what I may want to study at university.
“I really like the idea of being able to design something myself”
I have general hopes and dreams for my future. I want to be in a position to help other people to have opportunities like I did through The Access Project. I want to make sure that I have a positive impact with the work I do.
I’m interested in the climate crisis. I want to find out how we can use facilities and learn more about our planet, so engineering seems like a good place to start. I am particularly interested in biomedical and aerospace engineering, and I’ve been looking at course-lists around my options. I really like the idea of being able to design something myself. I want to use the skills I have gained from school to provide better healthcare for people, and a better quality of life.