"I was not able to apply for a student loan because of my immigration status. The Article 26 scholarship gave me the opportunity to come to this university and get a degree.
"I am the first person to go to university in my family. Without your kind donations I would not be here. Coming from a low income background the scholarship has made a massive difference to my life.
"By the time I had graduated, I knew I wanted to mentor students in my area. I live in one of London’s poorest boroughs and I hope to encourage the kids in my neighbourhood to go to university.
![Fathima Zainab Riyaldeen](https://media.www.kent.ac.uk/se/19759/scholar-1920x1280_1920w.jpg)
Fathima was a beneficiary of the Kent Refuge Fund who sought asylum in the UK in 2010. She studied Accountancy and Finance and graduated in 2019 with a First from Kent Business School.