Tyreece Philips: "In my environment there were fewer ways to thrive and easier ways to meet demise"
Tyreece is one of two successful 2021 first round Chancerygate Foundation Bursary recipients. The Chancerygate Foundation Bursary aims to help diversify the UK’s real estate industry. Find out more here.
My name is Tyreece Phillips. I grew up in the city of Wolverhampton from a black Caribbean family and have had the pleasure to access support from the Chancerygate Foundation both academically and financially. I first came across this bursary whilst I was awaiting post 16 results through email. LSBU being my first choice gave me the urge to apply for this opportunity therefore I instantly started the application process.
In the environment I was surrounded in every day it gave me the feeling that there were fewer ways to thrive and easier ways to meet demise. This is the reason I decided to change my scenery for the better so I can focus on improving my life and acquiring a career so that my family has somebody to look up to and my little brother can follow. The next day after receiving my post 16 results I received a phone call stating I had been selected for the bursary. Life was at an all-time high at this moment because my results were great which put me in the position to secure my place at the university as well as me gaining life-changing support to better my life. I was hoping for a positive change as I was approaching the end of sixth form due to my environment being so toxic. This exemplifies how much of a blessing this opportunity has granted me and my family especially at the time it has. I plan to use this support in my advantage in order to become a successful chartered RICS surveyor and have future aspirations to get involved into other specifics of the built environment.
Receiving this bursary has made my university experience the best possible experience it could have been as it has enabled me to get things that contribute to my studies the most important being my iPad and my scientific calculator. It also gives me the benefit of being able to enjoy a social life in the city and being able to take part when my flat mates are going for meals. Essentially having a sense of freedom that I wouldn’t be able to experience without this opportunity. Being able to travel back to Wolverhampton and see my family is the best positive from the bursary in my opinion because moving so far away is difficult for me as it is my first time and the bursary has allowed this process of being away from home easier and gives me extra flexibility which leads me onto the last point of not having to work therefore I can focus on my studies. This has allowed to put more time into my work as well as minimising the chances of stress so I can work to the best of my ability.
I would like to say thank you, to all parties involved for this life changing opportunity and I’m going to the make the most of it and ensure efforts are reflected academically on my journey to become a building surveyor.
As I reflect on my first year I haven’t had the chance to state how comfortable I have been since moving away from my home. I have met new friends including ones that are a part of the Chancerygate Foundation and I have been able to explore the city and do things I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was still in Wolverhampton. It has been a great experience, and whenever I feel comfortable that is my best environment in order for me to keep thriving. During discussions I have expressed the idea of me being able to visit construction sites or possibly a future internship as I am more a visual learner. I believe it will aid me in my understanding of processes that are taught to me during lectures. This is my main aspiration going into year 2 because it benefits my learning, I see the impact it has due to the knowledge students’ that work in the built environment convey during lectures. I want to be able to understand it in the depth they do because it will help me be more fluent and have a clearer ideas to what I am learning. I hope to achieve this and be able to say it was a great of an experience as this year has been.