Find Out How A Young Queen’s University Graduate Wants To Help Others

Billie-Jo McDowell, a 23-year-old woman who faced the prospect of dropping out while struggling with major financial difficulties has graduated from Queen’s University, Canada, with a Bsc (Hons) in Geography

According to BelfastLive, McDowell grew up in the care system in Northern Ireland. Her experience of homelessness and struggles with financial difficulties while in the university almost forced her to drop out, but her determination to acquire a degree helped her to forge ahead.

She said, “At the start of second year, I was living in a homeless shelter.” Fortunately, both the academic and well-being staff of the university came to her aid.

“The help and support offered across the university, from academic staff to well-being staff, has helped me through my three years. Education helped me through the rough times. Without this help, I wouldn’t be graduating. I always had someone I could talk to. My advisor of studies helped me with extensions when needed,” she said, adding that without this help she “probably would not be at the level of academic standing that I’m at.”

The 23-year-old took up various odd jobs to make ends meet. She then became actively involved in setting up a project, known as C.L.U.E. (Care Leavers University Experience), that will give care leavers (young adults aged 25 or under who have been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14) at Queen’s University more opportunities to enhance their skills and give them a place to meet and get support from people with similar backgrounds.

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McDowell also worked as a Residential Assistant for Queen’s Accommodation in her final year and hopes to keep this position while beginning a new degree in Social Work at Queen’s University in September. Her hope is to become a social worker so that she can help others with backgrounds similar to hers.

The Queen’s graduate affirmed, “The ultimate aim for me is that young people who have been through similar situations to myself can see that our backgrounds don’t define us and that we can reach our goals. My goal was to graduate from university and I’ve done that.”

Photo credit: BelfastLive