Issue 13: Spring/Summer 2024
Education for children and young people
Beyond borders: embark on a journey of growth
Studying abroad offers young people the opportunity to take their skills to the next level, but the cost can make it difficult or even impossible for many to access this opportunity.
Thanks to funding from the Globe Lodge 275th Anniversary Fund, we can offer grants to children, step-children, and grandchildren of Freemasons aged 25 and under who are in full-time education to travel abroad for educational purposes. With our support, they can explore new horizons and have additional opportunities to fulfil their potential.
As a granddaughter of a Freemason, and a History and Politics student, Francesca was able to access support that enabled her to take on an internship in Saint Lucia for a month, where she learnt about the island’s politics under the Caribbean Elective Politics Work Experience Programme.
After hearing about the opportunity, Francesca reached out to our Enquiries team to see if there was any support we could provide for young relatives of Freemasons. She was delighted to hear that we could cover the cost of the fees for her Elective programme, enabling her to embrace the opportunity without incurring any debt.
The experience was phenomenal. We primarily worked in a conference room where we were introduced to new speakers twice a day, and we also got the opportunity to visit the Parliament. Our main task was to split up into groups and write a policy draft on a new idea to enhance Saint Lucia’s global position. We later presented the Green Paper to a Senator and civil servants, including a previous High Commissioner from the UK – it was a frightening but amazing experience which brought to light many skills in me that I didn’t know I had.
“Alongside everything I learnt about politics in Saint Lucia, I also made some amazing friends, summited one of the Pitons, visited the Sulphur Springs, attended a carnival, and lots more. The trip awarded me the meaningful change I was looking for; I was in a bubble before I went, so meeting people from different ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds was really liberating.”
We are passionate about supporting Travelling Scholarships that promote the career development of young people, whilst also enriching their life experiences, creating lasting memories, and enhancing their interpersonal skills.
“I would love, eventually, to work for NATO’s legal department, and this requires skills that I really developed in Saint Lucia. Being thrown into a new country with a whole different political system was so interesting and developed my knowledge, social skills, presenting skills, and gave me the opportunity to live and grow independently. The internship was a really helpful stepping stone for my future career.”
Last autumn, Francesca received the news that she had been accepted onto a Master of Arts in Law (Conversion) Course at BPP University Law School, which she will start in September.
In my personal statement for the Master’s application, I mainly wrote about my MCF-funded internship in Saint Lucia. When I heard I was accepted onto the course, they told me that my personal statement was one of the best they had seen, partly thanks to my internship experience which was really unique and set me apart from other candidates.
Her hard work and dedication have enabled her to fill her diary with some exciting plans this year, which included a trip to Washington, D.C. for the International Model NATO Conference in February, as well as a series of mini-pupillages in which she will shadow barristers in the summer before she starts her postgraduate study – all of which will undoubtedly lead her to great things in her career.
Alongside her career focus, since Francesca’s grandpa passed away in December 2022, she’s felt determined to continue his legacy and give back to the local masonic community in some way after the overwhelming amount of support her family has received.
I am so grateful to the Freemasons and the MCF who made this possible because there is no doubt that, without this funding, I wouldn’t have been able to go to Saint Lucia. The least I can do in return is spread awareness of the MCF’s support by sharing my story and encouraging others to ‘bite the bullet’ and reach out to the MCF if they need to.
