Cash awards in memory of Aston girls killed in New Year shooting
Feb 11 2009 by Andy Richards, Birmingham Mail
A FAMILY tragedy led SHARON NELSON to re-assess what was important in her life. Her eldest son Hezron Graham-Smith died aged 25 almost two years ago, just before he was due to begin university. She said: “All the trauma we went through had a bad impact on me. I left my job and decided to go back to university to improve my personal skills and development.
The mother-of-four from Aston said her loss gave her a “burning drive to succeed”. Presently, Sharon studies Criminology at Birmingham City University with the hope of working with youth offenders or people who missuse drugs in the future. The award money she received will pay for educational books, a laptop and travel costs.
FOR GARNET SHARPE, a helpful tip from friend Nikisha Bassey ensured he applied for the education award this year. Nikisha herself was one of last year’s winners and had told her university pal how it had benefitted her education.
Garnet, aged 31, said he desperately needed financial help to cover extra costs of being a mature student. Despite dabbling with musical ambitions and working in the tourism industry, Garnet decided to follow his passion for psychology and signed up for a joint honours Psychology and Sociology degree at Birmingham City University. He said the bursary will give him “one less burden to worry about” and will be used to buy computer equipment and cover rent costs.
MATURE student and mum-of-two SHARON BROWN, aged 38, works full time as a book keeper while also studying to be an accountant.
She said: “My fees are £1,600 a year which is a lot and I was struggling to pay it off.” She plans to use her bursary to pay off next year’s course fees and buy text books.
UP-AND-coming designer KAMEKO CHOWFEN, aged 21, from Lozells wasn’t working at the start of her National Diploma in Fashion Studies course in September and said she could not afford to support herself. She said: “I was older than the other students in my class who have come straight from school and had their parents supporting them.
“My fees were more than £1,000 plus on top of that I had to buy a sewing machine and pay for trips and materials.” The Matthew Boulton College student was “absolutely ecstatic” to have been selected for the award which she will use to buy a sewing machine, camera and a computer software programme to assist her designs.
ALSO winners were SHARETTE THOMPSON from Aston, who is studying criminal justice at Birmingham City University, and GENEEN BRYANT, studying counselling at Bournville College.
