Thanks to you they could. Together we can.

I studied Biomedical Science at the University of Dundee before starting the ScotGEM course at St Andrews in September. ScotGEM is a unique programme in that it is designed for graduate entry and has been designed to meet the current and future needs of the NHS, developing doctors who are interested in a career as a medical generalist with NHS Scotland.

I grew up in Motherwell, close to Glasgow, after my family moved there from Poland when I was five. Moving countries at that age was not easy, but my parents always put my education first. That’s why I am where I am today.

I love the character of St Andrews and am enjoying discovering favourite study spots and cosy cafés. When I’m not studying, I am heavily involved with the David Nott Foundation, which trains doctors in countries that are impacted by conflict and catastrophe. I’d love to start a Friends of David Nott Foundation Society for students here at St Andrews as the organisation’s humanitarian work in medicine has been a huge inspiration for me and played a big part in my decision to study Medicine. I would love to share this passion with fellow students in the University’s School of Medicine.

My other favourite pastimes are hillwalking and hiking, and I try to get out into the Scottish countryside whenever I can. Exploring outdoors helps me to switch off and clear my head, and we are so fortunate in the scenery – coastal and rural – around us in St Andrews.

Receiving a St Andrews Wardlaw Scholarship means more to me than financial help. It feels like my donors are backing me and believing in me as I start this journey to a lifelong medical career. That support makes a huge difference, and I am truly thankful for it.

My inspiration to study Astrophysics stems from what most may consider a relatively minor event: the demotion of Pluto from its planetary status. As a child, this piqued my interest in astronomy, which has only grown with time.

Now, what draws me to my subject is its profound balance between destruction and creation. The death of a star leads to the birth of a black hole and sows the universe with the very seeds needed to create human life. This concept, I think, is captured beautifully by the astronomer Carl Sagan’s words: ‘We are all made of star stuff.’

I greatly enjoy my degree, although it has not been without its challenges. Studying in groups and breaking my workload into manageable tasks, as well as scheduling screen-free breaks, can help me to regain momentum when I’m tackling something hard.

Perhaps the most surprising academic discovery I have made this year is a new-found love of coding. Working in this field taught me the importance of computational tools in solving complex physical problems and helped me to embrace coding as a powerful and creative analytical skill.

My Wardlaw Scholarship has afforded me the time and flexibility to explore interests spurred by my awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion brands. Alongside knitting and crocheting, I have taken sewing classes hosted by Reclaim Runway, a group that promotes and enables upcycling.

Countless doors for me to enjoy the full student experience have been opened by my scholarship, from immersing myself in the life of the town to walking the Fife Coastal Path in search of Highland cows, chasing the aurora all over St Andrews, and visiting the museums and galleries of Edinburgh.

I am truly grateful to every single donor to the St Andrews Wardlaw Scholarship for the tremendous support they continue to provide. That support has expanded my world and unlocked countless future opportunities. Your generosity truly makes a difference.

Ever since I learned to read, I have been fascinated by the way that the stories we tell each other shape not only who we come to be, but also how we construct the world that surrounds us. That interest inspired my academic study as an undergraduate student in Mexico and now, in the third year of my PhD at St Andrews, it continues to guide my endeavours.

My thesis explored different elements of Latin American history and literary traditions, and I could not be more excited about the work I have achieved towards it so far. Every day, through my research, I discover that the land I call home is a network of stories, disputes, and conversations open to intervening, questioning, and resignifying.

The University of St Andrews and its community of students is a space where people from vastly different backgrounds, interests and experiences can coexist and grow through fruitful dialogue and friendships.

Outside the classroom, my passion is music. I attend community-run concerts, lunchtime performances in the Laidlaw Music Centre given by talented students, and I play the piano, occasionally composing my own music. Music brings me great happiness and relief.

Receiving the scholarship was essential for me to achieve my goal of studying for a PhD in Scotland. It has allowed me to pursue this journey, and to become part of a dynamic community where I have come to feel at home.

It is common to hear the phrase ‘grateful beyond words’. Such a statement seems suspicious when articulated by someone whose life is mostly lived in and through words. My scholarship bears the name of the founder of the University’s Spanish Department, and it is a great honour and responsibility to walk in Professor Woodward’s wake.

I am, in this case, grateful beyond words; however, in every text I read, every idea I pursue, in English or Spanish, I am trying to find the appropriate words and bring them back from ‘beyond’.

I arrived at St Andrews in October 1981 and lived in Deans Court until Easter of the following year, when I moved into a flat on Melbourne Place, sharing with undergraduates. I lived there until Easter 1984, by which time I had completed by PhD in English. My subject was ‘Women and Independence in the Nineteenth Century Novel: A study of Austen, Trollope and James’.

I sang in the Renaissance Group under Professor Douglas Gifford (touring to Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic) and the St Andrews Chorus under Tom Duncan. I graduated in July 1985, shortly after returning from a Ren Group tour to Poland.

I would have been unable to attend St Andrews without a full scholarship. Essentially all my tuition, room and board were paid for and this, for me, was life changing. I was the first David Williamson Scholar and was further supported by the St Andrews Society of San Francisco and the English-Speaking Union of San Francisco.

My intention was to teach English upon graduation, but at the time I completed my studies there were few teaching jobs available. I had worked in banking after my first degree and so pursued a career in the City of London. I worked in investment management firms in London, New York, Edinburgh, Munich and Dublin until my retirement from finance in 2002.

At that stage, I returned to Edinburgh and to university, gaining a degree in Herbal Medicine from Edinburgh Napier University in 2006. I practised as a medical herbalist until my retirement in 2015, and now study Art and Art History through the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.

I have chosen to give back to St Andrews through a regular gift towards scholarships because I would like to help other students to access the same life-changing possibilities that I experienced.