Bite supported me in multiple ways during my time at Trinity Comprehensive. I was able to receive extra support after school with any subjects I felt like I wanted extra support with. As well as that, I visited different colleges around Ireland and took campus tours, which really helped me to understand the difference between secondary school and college.
After I finished secondary school, the BITE scholarship continued to support me, particularly with any financial issues. After secondary school, I attended Maynooth University where I studied a bachelor's degree in music (BMus). The BITE programme bought me a laptop that I still have to do my university work on. They also supported me each month with travel cost as I attended Maynooth I had to take a bus and a train everyday to college; this was a major help. BITE also bought me a professional standard saxophone which made a major impact on my performance exams.
I now work full time within the music industry as a music royalties administrator for a management company, as well as a music composer where I am currently signed to 5 labels composing music for Film,TV and Video Games.
My journey with BITE started when I was in fifth year in Ballymun Comprehensive, with a monthly scholarship that helped me with school related costs and gave me lots of other opportunities such as visiting colleges, meeting people already going to college, attending the RDS Youth Science and Arts Week (YSAW) and after school study. This was the beginning of a great time in my life when I realised that going to college was a real possibility!
Going to college was hard work but also great fun, giving me a group of best friends I still have today as well as a broad range of brilliant experiences. I went to DCU to do a BA in Business Studies and a few years later returned to DCU to complete an MA in Education Training and Management. Since finishing in college, I have worked mainly in education supporting children and young people to pursue their educational dreams and reach their academic potential-it’s work that I love.
BITE has been a hugely important, positive and enduring influence on my life-I will always be grateful for the opportunities and support I have received because of BITE.
For every young person growing up in Ballymun I’d say to you, with education comes great opportunity and choice-seek out the support and advice that’s available to you, set your mind on what you want to do and go for it!
