Savannah, who already had a First Class Honours degree was delighted when she was accepted to study for her Master’s in Law at Queen’s. However, during the summer of 2021 before she was due to start her studies, her mother Vivienne was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. 

“My mum was a single mother and always encouraged me to pursue education. She insisted that despite her illness, I continue to start my Master’s in September 2021, which I did. Even though I was extremely excited, my mum's illness meant that I wasn’t really myself and I found myself becoming quite reserved, the total opposite of my actual personality,” Savannah said. 

Savannah’s mum sadly passed away in November 2021, and she became the sole carer and guardian of her two younger sisters.  

“After really careful consideration, I decided to defer my place until September 2022 in order to give myself time to grieve and to allow me to have a completely fresh start at Queen’s. I promised my mum that no matter what I would get my Master’s, no matter how long it took me. 

“With the support of my friends and family, I was able to restart my degree in September 2022. I was in a better place mentally and it showed - I was on top of my studies, engaging in student life and making friends. I had a brilliant routine of carrying out my guardian duties, attending classes, meeting deadlines and working part-time. It sounds impossible when I write it down but I really wanted to complete my Master’s and do well, so I made it work,” said Savannah. 

Two years after deferring my space I achieved a Master of Laws with Distinction. Speaking about her experience at Queen’s and the support she received, Savannah commented: “After completing my undergraduate degree during COVID, I was really looking forward to student life at Queen’s. The atmosphere on campus made it really easy to make new friends, and I met my friends Kelsey and Caoimhe who are my friends for life.  

“The course allowed me to select my modules which gave me such a wide variety of options to expand my legal knowledge on topics that I didn’t know existed. The lecturers were all extremely passionate about their chosen field and it was reflected in their teaching. I loved my year at Queen’s, it went by far too fast.” 

Speaking about her graduation day, Savannah said: “I am extremely proud of completing my degree and achieving distinction. I was totally overwhelmed with emotion; I was so happy but shocked at the same time. Strangely, I felt upset as my mum wasn’t here to see me achieve my Master’s, when she was the one who encouraged me.  

“I am looking forward to my graduation day. My two younger sisters and grandmother are attending the ceremony with me and afterwards we are meeting up more of my extended family and friends for a celebratory lunch.” 

After her graduation, Savannah will start her new job with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) as a Legal Associate. 

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