“Don’t wait for the right opportunity: create it.”
- George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright.
Legacy Newsletter | Edition 13, March 2024, The University of York
Welcome
George Bernard Shaw’s quote, “Don’t wait for the right opportunity: create it”, reminds me of our new big philanthropic ambition at the University of York: to be the University of Opportunity where there are no gaps to access, success, award and progression for any student regardless of their circumstance.
A place where every student knows they belong and can thrive by embracing their differences, rather than be disadvantaged because of them.
In this newsletter we hear from Ana Paula Pérez Hernandez, who received a scholarship made possible through a legacy from alumna Maria Bourboulis. Maria wanted other students to benefit from the opportunities that she had and I am sure she would be proud of Ana Paula, the obstacles she has overcome and the incredible difference the scholarship has meant to her.
We also hear about the unique contribution of alumna and Heslington Circle member Marion Horton, who took on an acting role for the first time in her life to support MA film students.
Alumnus Michael Berry reminisces about his days at York in the late sixties and early seventies, his sense of belonging at York and what he hopes his legacy will stand for.
By leaving a gift in your will, you can create opportunities for future generations of Yorkies and perhaps share Marion’s hopes to ‘give someone encouragement to experience the joy of learning.’
We are very grateful for gifts of all sizes and thankful that you would consider pledging a gift to York to celebrate an institution you treasure and like Michael, ‘feel a sense of belonging to.'
If you would like to find out about the many ways you can help us to continue our work and support students and researchers at the University of York by leaving a gift in your will. Please email me at maresa.bailey@york.ac.uk or call me on 07385 976145.
You can also download our free legacy brochure here.
Maresa Bailey, Legacy Officer
Marion Horton
Heslington Circle Member, Politics and Sociology, 1987
The inequity of exclusion from educational opportunities started for me when I was 5 years old. A thick Glaswegian accent meant that when I moved to the North East of England my teachers did not understand me - nor I them. I was frustrated when at 7 years old I was put into a stream that meant I was not even coached for the 11 plus exam which I sat when I was 10 years old!
I really wanted to learn and to go to the grammar school but was repeatedly told that I would not. This was reinforced by my loving parents who would not have been able to afford the school uniform. This is not an unusual story and I accepted my fate when I left school at 15 years old rather than pursuing my ambition to become a Member of Parliament, which I was told in those days ‘girls don’t do’, I learnt shorthand and typing.
I never lost the quest to learn and married with two small children I started ‘O levels’ at night school. It's always a teacher who encourages the next step and my sociology teacher told me to stop night school and go to the Open University. It took a lot of courage to start and with the skills of the tutors working with mature students and the OU system, I gained 4 of the necessary 6 credits for a Bachelor of Arts degree. I was still restless and applied to my home university York and was accepted to study a BA Hons Degree in Politics and Sociology.
A dream come true opportunity but an enormous challenge juggling my other roles of wife, mother, daughter and daughter in law. I even wrote one of my assessed final essays whilst sitting beside my ill, sleeping child in a hospital bed. Studying at York and mixing with amazing, vibrant and intelligent young people who never doubted me was life changing. I remember them with great affection and if anyone remembers me I would really enjoy hearing from them via this newsletter.
"Studying at York and mixing with amazing, vibrant and intelligent young people who never doubted me was life changing."
After graduating in 1987 I have been privileged to work with adults and young people in a variety of learning situations and had a joyful career. A career I would not have had were it not for my York University degree and my Open University degree which I returned to study and graduated in 1989. Incidentally, I went back to Newcastle for the OU degree ceremony in order to say to anyone who would listen - I did it - this educational system that branded me ‘factory fodder’ and from the age of 7 didn’t give me an opportunity - was cruel and wrong and I now have proved it.
My paternal grandfather could not read or write and I was the first in my family to gain degrees. Part of my legacy is that my children went to University and my grandchildren are on their education pathways. Only recently I have thought of leaving a legacy to my University. There sadly won’t be funding for a Marion Horton library but if there is anything my small legacy will do, I hope it gives someone encouragement to experience the joy of learning.
However, collectively we need to keep fighting inequity and to encourage young and mature people that education not only provides opportunities for work but fulfillment in life.
In 2023, Marion was able to support the University of York in another, rather unique way:
Marion answered a call for help from MA directing student, Mariana, who needed someone to play a grandma role in her film. Mariana had engaged a professional actor who was suddenly unable to play the role and was desperately searching for a replacement. Marion was sweetly badgered and encouraged by two friends, as she wasn't sure if she could help as she'd never acted before.
Marion shared:
"I met Mariana who I thought was wonderful and she had written a beautiful and sensitive story of three strong, independent women and the process of aging and family changes. The students and two professional actors were brilliant and great fun. What struck me as remarkable was how the production team of Masters students all worked together, encouraging and supporting one another. I was also amazed at the talent in each individual's specialism be it writing, directing, sound, lighting, etc"
Tim Leandro, Senior Lecturer in Directing for Film and Television, added, "Mariana was one of our MA directing students last year. She and her group made a marvelous film as their final piece of work, which we in the department are all very proud of. Marion Horton's contribution to the film is a fine piece of acting which added to the overall excellence of the piece. It is remarkable that this was her first acting role, and all the more impressive for that. She is entirely convincing in the part."
At the recent February degree ceremony, I caught up with Marion and the students involved in the film and was told about another alumnus from York who offered his home for the film location. Tim was in his garden pruning roses when Mariana cycled up and asked him if he owned the house and would he consider loaning it to University of York students. He did and the resulting film, Still Life, gained much academic recognition for all involved. Marion and Tim became great friends with the students and, along with Mariana’s mum who had come over from Slovakia, all enjoyed a lovely meal at Tim’s house after the graduation ceremony!
Mariana added, “The shoot itself was wonderfully international. We were a group of York students originating from India, Colombia, Turkey, China, Slovakia, and of course England. Looking back now, I can't imagine doing it at any other location or with a different cast and crew. The production itself was quite stressful, and I was so focused on what we needed to get done that everything else was a bit of a haze. But whenever I stopped and looked around - people were laughing, chatting, etc. Usually, things are all scattered and out of order, yet every so often, they seem to align just perfectly - and I believe this was one such moment.”
"Usually, things are all scattered and out of order, yet every so often, they seem to align just perfectly - and I believe this was one such moment.”
The latest news is that the film Still Life is in the official selection of NAHEMI (National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image) film awards with a runner up prize for cinematography. The film will also be screened at Filmed Up which is a quarterly event at HOME in Manchester dedicated to giving a platform to filmmakers in the northwest.
"This team of University of York Masters graduates all have the skills and ability to make brilliant personal careers and to help change the world." - Marion Horton
Watch the short film 'Still life'
The Heslington Circle
If you have already included the University of York in your will and wish to share your intentions with us, I would be delighted to invite you to join the Heslington Circle. The Heslington Circle is the University's way of expressing gratitude and appreciation to generous legacy donors. If you would like more information on joining the Heslington Circle please contact me at maresa.bailey@york.ac.uk
The Maria Bourboulis Scholarship
Ana Paula's story
MA Social and Public Policy
Originally from Greece, Maria Bourboulis graduated in 1989. She felt strongly that the University gave her a great foundation for the rest of her professional life. Having studied Social Work at the University of York, Maria left a legacy gift in her will to support talented postgraduate students in the Department of Sociology or the Department of Social Policy and Social Work.
Maria’s legacy gift allows many more students to benefit from the opportunities that she had. One such student is Ana Paula Pérez Hernandez who is studying a MA in Social and Public Policy.
"I’m from Mexico and come from a family that has been very resilient and truly values education. My mom studied Agricultural Agronomy at the Tec de Monterrey and my dad was a Civil Engineer and graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México with postgraduate studies in Structural engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology.
"My dad always motivated us to cultivate our spirit and widen our minds; he used to say that there are only two things that change a person: to read and to travel."
He tried his hardest to give us the best opportunities possible but sadly he passed away a couple of years ago during the pandemic due to Covid-19. Both my brother and sister went to university but unfortunately for economical and family problems they did not graduate. Regardless of this, they never quit chasing their dreams and they are happy and successful at what they do. My brother develops commercial warehouses and my sister has a career as a project manager in publicity in Mexico. But most importantly, they are the most excellent people I know. I admire them deeply and they have always been my biggest support.
I grew up in a country with more than 45 million people living in poverty conditions. My family made me aware of the injustice and inequality of this reality from a young age. My grandmother, whom I consider my second mother, has always been involved in Catholic charities that worked in the peripheral areas of the cities and this was transmitted to my father who was very sensitive to these subjects. At a very young age I observed how families seem troubled and unhappy, while other families did not seem to even be aware of these problems. I was curious to understand how these problems started, and what was needed to end them.
The urgent necessity to solve these matters led me to study Science of the Family, firstly to understand how families were built and what affected their development. And secondly, to know how to build a sustainable impact on them. Families represent the cell of society, my purpose is to help build the conditions for them to thrive and have a universal floor for all to develop.
Unfortunately, my dad’s company had a huge crisis in 2008 and then again in 2015, from having more than 250 employees I saw him declaring bankruptcy. Regardless of the difficulties and failure, I never saw my dad give up, everyday he woke up at 6 am and went to work saying “today is going to be a great day!” He said it with such enthusiasm even in the hardest point of this crisis, he never lost faith, and most importantly never stopped giving love. Up to this day he is the happiest man I have ever met and my biggest resilience example.
I completed my undergraduate degree in Family Sciences at Anáhuac University in Mexico City, a university that is almost the same size as the University of York but with significantly fewer international students, pubs, and ducks! During those years I worked two jobs to pay for my studies and had an academic excellence scholarship to cover half of my tuition.
After working for several years in the social and public sector, I wanted to further my studies to develop family policies for my country, Mexico. I knew the best universities were in the UK. I had ambitions to do a masters in the UK and I started applying for scholarships to study in 2019 but got rejected. In 2020 the pandemic hit, and I decided not to apply. In 2021, I was determined to come, so I applied to study again, but my dad passed away, and I chose to stay with my family. I didn't feel prepared to face so many changes in a year.
I knew I needed a scholarship to study because I had no other financial means but having been rejected twice it made me hesitant. I even considered not applying in 2023. However, while I was reflecting on my choices, I remember feeling a certainty about applying that year and realised that nothing would make my dad prouder than me pursuing my dreams. So, I applied to the University of York and the Maria Bourboulis scholarship.
In June, I received the news of my rejection from the scholarship, but something inside me still remained hopeful. Then, at the beginning of August, I received an email stating I had been awarded the Maria Bourboulis scholarship as the person who was originally chosen was no longer available to study at York due to personal reasons. I remember going to my sister's room that morning, feeling like I had won the lottery, literally. Everyone I tell this story to tells me the same thing, that this scholarship was meant for me, and I believe so.
I don't really believe in luck; I think you have to work hard to get lucky, but sometimes we all can use a bit of "luck" like being awarded a scholarship.
The award makes me feel even more grateful and responsible for my blessings. I know what it is to wait for an opportunity and today I am enjoying the dream for which I held stubbornly for years; all the rejections and challenges that I lived in the past seem very small in perspective to what this opportunity means for me today and my future. I want to say thank you to the University of York and especially for the legacy gift of Maria Bourboulis for this opportunity. I hope I can continue your legacy and advocate for more women like me to be able to fulfil their studies in the future and to never give up on their dreams.
"This scholarship has exponentially increased my hope for the future and the certainty that if I work hard enough to achieve my dreams, they will come true."
I found my passion and vocation at a young age and there is nothing that moves me more than to help end inequality and provide common good to future children and families. It is where I believe I can contribute the most and for this reason I hope to continue my studies with a PhD at York, which I have applied for and have been accepted.
"I hope I can continue your legacy and advocate for more women like me to be able to fulfil their studies in the future."
Ana Paula celebrating her Dad's birthday
Ana Paula celebrating her Dad's birthday
Working as a social impact analyst for World Vision International, redesigning a program called 'Empowering Families in the State of Mexico'
Working as a social impact analyst for World Vision International, redesigning a program called 'Empowering Families in the State of Mexico'
Graduation of the Emotional Intelligence Diploma Ana designed for working single mothers in vulnerable communities outside Mexico City
Graduation of the Emotional Intelligence Diploma Ana designed for working single mothers in vulnerable communities outside Mexico City
Ana Paula Pérez Hernandez at the European Parliament in Brussels
Ana Paula Pérez Hernandez at the European Parliament in Brussels
Ana Paula Pérez Hernandez presenting research in Brussels for the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family
Ana Paula Pérez Hernandez presenting research in Brussels for the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family
Acting as a representative for the Civil Society at the OEA Organization of American States
Acting as a representative for the Civil Society at the OEA Organization of American States
During volunteer work in Guanajuato Mexico, working with a foundation to tackle poverty inside rural communities
During volunteer work in Guanajuato Mexico, working with a foundation to tackle poverty inside rural communities
Michael Berry
Heslington Circle member, English and History, 1971
Since passing the engine-driver stage I wanted to teach. My secondary school, St Bede’s College Manchester, was excellent for the 1960s although this was within rather narrow limits. Happily I fell within them. Enjoying English and History in the Sixth Form, I applied to universities offering courses including both: York was one. A pioneering spirit was evident when I arrived in 1968, the University merely six years old, with only 1900 undergraduates. Many staff had been there from the beginning.
"A pioneering spirit was evident when I arrived in 1968, the University merely six years old, with only 1900 undergraduates. Many staff had been there from the beginning. "
The Lyons Concert Hall, attached to the Music Department, had its inaugural concert beginning with a splendid Haydn Te Deum. Ticketless I gently gatecrashed with a visiting school friend, now Sir Nicholas Kenyon, whose musical eminence needs no rehearsal.
After school, university was a liberation. I was fortunate to make friends appreciating York’s freedom, enjoying the buildings, ancient and modern, the Open Course lectures, the informality of many staff whose socially relaxed approach didn’t prevent academic rigour. Catering staff and porters too, were supportive, friendly and tolerant. Among friends made then, I still count a dozen whose abiding friendship I value.
York was a secular university, unenthusiastic about the existence of Christian chaplains before their qualities provoked appreciation. The “founding” Roman Catholic chaplain, an Ampleforth monk of immense capability who, having walked down a road it stayed walked down, acquired as a chaplaincy, the former Anglican vicarage, a fine Georgian house. Now known as 'More House', it had been in the early Nineteenth Century, home to the writer, wit and Anglican cleric, Sydney Smith. Dom David Knowles, the illustrious historian, stayed there in 1970 when receiving an honorary doctorate.
A notable presence, as Honorary Visiting English Professor, was F R Leavis, conversations with whom were entertaining, instructive and memorable. He dedicated his book, Nor Shall My Sword: Discourses on Pluralism, Compassion and Social Hope, to “the York students who gave me a new Blake with clean margins to write in”.
I was the student member of the Heslington Lectures committee for appointing speakers to focus on the interface of the secular and religious. The Vice-Chancellor, Lord James, was also a member. I suggested Cardinal Daniélou, and lent him a book by the Cardinal followed by an hour-long conversation. Even then, it struck me that there were few VCs who would have treated an undergraduate so seriously.
Golden memories of York remained throughout forty years of teaching. Visits to City and University, both good places, are regularly a pleasure.
The York Legacy
A characteristic I value in the institutions I have been connected with is a sense of belonging. One such is the University of York. While the “sense” is mine, the quality of place provokes it.
Between October 1968 and June 1971, I was at York for 84 weeks and 6 days, nine terms each consisting of 9 weeks and 3 days. The new and clean-edged CLASP buildings were already blending into the landscape, with footpaths laid where people walked rather than where the former determined. Permanent structures like Heslington Hall, Central Hall, the JB Morrell Library and the Jack Lyons Concert Hall already belonged. The lake created focus and coherence for the surrounding buildings and at night the different qualities of light reflected back an image of the place and its multiple goodness, among them scholarship, ideas, tolerance, care and friendships.
I’m glad of my legacy from York and hope mine to the University fosters the excellence it stands for.
Thank you
I hope you have enjoyed reading this edition of the Legacy Newsletter. Above is a photograph of myself, my amazingly talented video editing colleague, Maya Bewley, and Sara Davies from Dragon’s Den fame. I was delighted to meet and interview Sara Davies just before she received her recent honorary degree. You can watch the interview here. Sara first graduated from York in 2006 with a BSc in Management Information Technology and Language and describes her time at York as “probably three of the happiest years of my life and I’m a pretty happy person and have a good life!”
You can watch Sara’s speech on accepting her Honorary degree here. It’s incredible to hear that Sara didn’t wait for the right opportunity, she literally created it by starting her own business 9 months before finishing her degree and credits her success to an amazing tutor called Lynne, fellow students and friends at the University of York, “The University really did set me up for success.”
It would be a privilege to host you on campus and hear about your favourite memories of York and perhaps discuss the opportunities you feel an education at York helped to provide. If you would like to join me for a coffee or a stroll around campus please do get in touch. Alternatively, if you would rather have a video or regular call, I would be delighted to hear from you. Please email me at maresa.bailey@york.ac.uk or call me on 07385 976145.
If you are interested in finding out more about how you can leave a gift in your will or would like to chat about anything legacy related, please contact me, Maresa Bailey, Legacies Officer, at 07385 976145 or email me at maresa.bailey@york.ac.uk. By pledging a gift in your will, you will be giving future students and researchers the greatest support and helping us to achieve our ambition of being the University of Opportunity where every student can thrive. Download our free legacy brochure here.
To discuss anything in this newsletter further, please contact the Legacies Officer, Maresa Bailey
Gifts In Wills and Tax Benefits
The University of York is an exempt charity under Schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011. As such, any gift within your will falls outside of inheritance tax. Giving as part of your will planning can reduce the Inheritance Tax rate on the rest of your estate from 40% to 36%, if you leave at least 10% of your 'net estate' to a charity.
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