Sacha Copeland, BA (Hons) Business and Marketing Management with Integrated Foundation Year student.
Sacha is a Santander scholar and was awarded a life-changing £30,000 by Santander Universities. She was supported over her three years of study up to her graduation in 2025. The Santander Universities Scholars Programme supported Sasha with funding, employability training and development sessions and a dedicated mentor to guide her through their studies.Sasha wanted to study at Sunderland, after the course was highly recommended by friends, but decided to wait while she started her own business.Sasha says: “I hope to do a Masters degree in marketing after I graduate, and then I am aiming to go into social media and digital marketing. I already have a small business on Etsy, so I would be looking to take that further.” Her business, Desirable Darling, sells stickers and personalised gifts, such as Keyrings, mugs, and bookmarks.
“I started off selling art prints in June 2020 and it’s what made me want to go to university and do a degree. The Santander programme is a great opportunity to get some extra support through my course. I’m able to focus on my personal development alongside my degree with someone who is dedicated to helping me.”
"Winning the Santander funding meant the world to me, to be honest. Because it wasn’t a case of winning the funding, it was an application process, it felt really great to know that someone had read my application and thought that I was the student they wanted to give the funding to. It has had a positive impact on my studies because I have been able to do personal development courses that relate to my marketing course, but it has also helped build my confidence and due to events, that Santander put on, they have helped with mindset, and teamwork and building which has been a nice extra I didn’t expect from Santander.