Volunteer in education wins scholarship

An unswerving belief in the power of education has been the driving force behind Natalia Nelson's voluntary work over the years - and has led to an Excellence in Volunteering Scholarship from Edge Hill.

Natalia joined the PGCE Primary course after working for the British Council and, in her spare time, as a volunteer with a variety of charities. She has helped Link Community Development and Oxfam, and has been involved in an education project with a Kenyan-based rehabilitation centre for young female offenders, some of whom were placed there for their own protection after their parents tried to sell them into prostitution.

She explains: "I have always been interested in global education and most things I volunteer for are connected to schools and education in some way. I really believe that while we are studying we must never forget whywe are doing it. Education isn't just about reading books; it's about promoting opportunities too."

Natalia has a flair for challenging young people and passing on her own enthusiasm for education. While working as an English teacher in China, she gave up her free time to coach several teenage students who were working towards valuable university scholarships to study abroad.

She explains: "My mentor told me about them and I gave them extra English lessons during lunch hours and helped them with things like answering the questions that might come up during their interview. When they won the scholarships I was so happy - it was such an important step for them.

"I'm part way through my PGCE now, which means my timetable is very hectic. Our course tutors warned us to say goodbye to friends and family for a few months because the course is so demanding, so I have accepted that I might have to have a short break from volunteering.

"Having said that, I have been in touch with friends in Kenya and hope to be able to go back there in the summer. That's something that the scholarship could help me with.

"I really believe that volunteering in education can help people have a better future. I'm more than happy to give up my own time for that."