Alumni blog: Habeeba Haque, MLaw graduate

A University degree enriches life and opens-up a world of opportunities. Scholarships and donations enable high achieving students from all backgrounds to access the life-changing benefits that higher education brings.

Law graduate, Habeeba Haque, received support from the Alumni Fund during her time at Northumbria and explains the difference the generosity of donors made to her:

“I studied law at Northumbria University and had dreams of becoming a solicitor after graduation. I was also secretary of two university societies, and I volunteered in the local community. I loved my time as a student and wanted to make the most of every opportunity that came my way. But there was a time when it looked like I might not make it to university at all. I went to school in an area of Newcastle with high levels of poverty and deprivation. At my school, not many students went on to higher education. For some, no matter how bright they were, it just wasn’t an option financially or they didn’t receive the support they needed at school to achieve their full potential.

“Through working with pupils in some of the city’s most challenging schools, Northumbria’s NU entry team helps talented young people make it to university – regardless of any obstacles that might be in their way. It was my involvement with NU entry that gave me the final push I needed to pursue my dreams, it really helped me to raise my aspirations. So much so, that I became an NU Entry online mentor – it felt great to be able to help people with any concerns they had about making the transition to university. I was also an Outreach volunteer for the University and did a lot of work with primary school children to raise their aspirations and help them to see university as part of their future. At the end of my last session all 12 children in my group said they wanted to come to Northumbria one day - so rewarding!

“Of course, coming to university is just the beginning. There are costs associated with studying that can make completing a degree seem out of reach for people from low-income families. Fortunately, I received funding to help with my living costs during my time at Northumbria. This enabled me to focus on my studies and fully participate in all the fantastic opportunities university has to offer. I felt so excited about my future, knowing that I was leaving university having developed valuable skills that would help me secure a job.

“I ended up finishing University later than anticipated due to having to defer my dissertation and finally submitting it in January 2021. After University, I started working as a Customer Service Adviser for a few months as it was quite difficult to find a legal job during the peak of the pandemic.

“At the end of April, I started working as a Family Legal Assistant at a small firm in Gosforth, Carr & Co Solicitors. This involved working on cases in Family and their Private Client department. I worked there for 7 months until I was approached by a recruiter on LinkedIn for my current position at Hay & Kilner as a Paralegal in their Private Client department where I started working at the end of November last year. Initially I did have an interest in Family Law work but after having exposure to Private Client work in my first legal job, my interest has grown in this field. I am thoroughly enjoying my current job as I am working in my chosen field and for a Law firm that treats their employees well.”

If you would like further information on supporting a student or would like to make a donation to the Higher Education Without Barriers fund, supporting students like Habeeba, please contact advancement@northumbria.ac.uk.