Scholarships make a huge difference in the lives of Sunderland students. This support enables them to participate more fully in academic studies whilst at University and helps them to maximise their academic potential.
This is the case of Mathew Feltoe, who received a £10,000 boost for his final year of study through the Sir Tom Cowie Memorial Scholarship Award.
Trying to balance work and studies at the university is a difficult task in itself, and throwing in other student projects and the ambition to achieve a First makes it even more of a challenge.
Mathew, who graduated with a First in BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering in 2015, said: “The Sir Tom Cowie Memorial Scholarship made a huge difference in my final year and even still now.
“It meant I didn't have to work part-time to help support my studies and was able to devote all my time to my degree and the Formula Student programme I was taking part in at Sunderland’s AMAP (Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice) factory.”
He continued: “This was something I tried to do in my second year but couldn't attend enough due to work commitments, so it was really nice to be able to contribute to the project more fully in my final year. I ended up taking my final year project from Formula Student as well, which was really helpful.”
Mathew’s efforts were well rewarded, not only did he graduate with a First but he also received two prizes at graduation, the SIEM prize and the Sir William Allen prize. These were awarded for the best final year project and highest overall marks, respectively, across all engineering programmes in that academic year.
“Again, I believe this is testament to the Sir Tom Cowie Memorial Scholarship as I was able to devote all of my time to my studies without the stress or worry of having to go to work when I had exams or deadlines,” he explained.
Sunderland born and bred, Mathew chose to study at the University of Sunderland as he didn’t want to move away. This is a decision he has never regretted: “I thoroughly enjoyed the course due to the style and quality of teaching and the range of topics covered.
“In Mechanical Engineering you learn a range of things from mechanics of materials and thermodynamics to project management and manufacturing systems. This combined with laboratory/workshop sessions and learning to use various pieces of engineering software made for a very interesting and enjoyable course, which I believe has set me up well for employment.”
His success helped him to secure his dream of progressing to postgraduate study and he is currently studying for an MSc in Mechanical Engineering.
He said: “This opens up a lot more doors in terms of employment; a lot of larger engineering companies now ask for a Master’s degree just to get on their graduate programmes.”
When asked about his future plans Mathew commented: “I’d like to achieve a distinction in my Masters then secure an engineering graduate position in a world leading company.
“Within five years I am hoping to achieve Chartered Engineer status with The Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
“Once I have gained a lot of experience in my chosen field (and hopefully a fair bit of money) I would then like to start up my own engineering consultancy in that field of engineering.”