Hi there.

On my very first day as a Trinity student, they gathered us in one of the large theatres in the Arts Block for a presentation. One slide showed areas of Dublin and the percentage of people attending university.

My home, Ballyfermot, was right at the bottom of the list.

My name is Mark Clarke, and when I was growing up, going to university didn’t seem like an obvious path. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it – I knew I had the potential.

And I wouldn’t be here today without the support of so many incredible people: my Mam, my Granda, my teachers, the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) staff – and especially alumni like you.

Thanks to your support and the Trinity Alumni Fund, I am now a proud TAP student in my second year studying Psychology. And I absolutely love it.

So, I just want to say a huge thank you and ask that you please continue to support the Trinity Alumni Fund.

There are so many other students – just like me – who rely on the opportunities that your donations make possible. I know there are many people with potential in my community. I see it every day. But not everyone gets the same opportunity you’ve given me – the chance to pursue my dreams at Trinity.

Where I grew up, not many people go to university. But my Granda taught me never to give up. He’s been such a major part of my story and who I am. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without his influence.

He inspired me to believe I had something unique to offer. Sometimes, just having one person believe in you changes everything.

For me, that spark ignited in Transition Year when I was introduced to psychology. I could picture myself doing it. I’ve always enjoyed connecting with people.

I come from a one-parent family – it’s just my Mam and me. She’s my hero, an absolute diamond. She’s made countless sacrifices to give me the life I have now. Growing up, I didn’t always realise how tough it was for her.

There were difficult times, but she always put me first, no matter the cost.

She is one of the reasons I’m at Trinity today, and I think about that every day. That comes straight from my heart.

There were challenges. Growing up in a community with its share of social problems, I had to stay focused at school. Sometimes, I even lost friends because I needed to concentrate on my studies, and there were paths I didn’t want to follow.

My Granda encouraged me to keep up with sport as a positive outlet. He was always there, cheering me on at every training session and every game. He told me that concentrating on sport would always help to keep you on the right track

Studying was tough, and it was definitely a challenge to progress through the Leaving Cert when not all of my classmates were on the same page academically. But I was fortunate to have some amazing teachers.

My English teacher nominated me for an educational achievement award in second year, and we went to Trinity’s Dining Hall for the ceremony. When they called my name, it was a lightbulb moment – suddenly, university felt possible. It felt like the start of something new.

When I learned I’d been accepted into the Trinity TAP Foundation course, the first person I called was my Mam. She was absolutely ecstatic.

I know that this opportunity only exists because of the Trinity Alumni Fund, thanks to alumni like you who understand how powerful education can be. I want you to know how much that means to me. Being at Trinity was intimidating at first – I didn’t hear many Dublin accents like mine on campus. But I realised that my time at Trinity wasn’t about proving others wrong. It was about proving my Mam, my Granda, my teachers, and the incredible alumni like you right.

I couldn’t have made it on my own. The support from everyone at Trinity and TAP, has been life-changing, especially from my Educational Guidance Co-Ordinator, Bríd.

She’s always there for me – not just academically but emotionally too. During The Foundation Year, my Mam’s partner was diagnosed with cancer. It was a really tough time, with exams approaching, but I needed to be there for my Mam, just as she’s always been there for me.

Bríd was my rock. She did so much to support me through that period. I’ve always been self-conscious about asking for help, but Bríd taught me that there’s no shame in it.

That’s part of why I’m writing to you today – to say thank you, but also to ask for your continued support.

I’m now in my second year, and I’ll continue to need Bríd, TAP, and all the supports available at Trinity for a few more years. And I know so many other students here will need that support even more than I do. We’re all hoping you’ll keep supporting the Trinity Alumni Fund. I genuinely don’t know where we’d be without it.

Thanks to alumni like you, I had the chance to do an internship at Grant Thornton over the last two summers, which was brilliant. I even received a student leadership award. My Mam was there when I got it, and you should have seen her face!

I know I’ve been given an opportunity that many people from my background may never have. It means so much to me, I will not waste it. One thing’s for sure: I want to give back and make sure that the support I’ve received can continue for others. I know how important these chains of support are. They’re the reason stories like mine exist.

They say your world is only as big as the horizon you can see – and you’ve made my horizon much bigger.

Second year is more challenging than the first, but I’m enjoying every moment. I’m still working as a barista to help my Mam with the bills. And I’m still playing with my local GAA club when I can.

But as my Granda always says, 'Studies come first!'

I’ll never forget the journey that led me here or the people who have guided and supported me: my Mam, my Granda, Bríd, everyone in TAP, and alumni like you. You’ve never even met me, yet you’ve done so much to help me. That’s just amazing.

With my deepest respect and gratitude,
Mark

P.S. thank you so much for helping to make my dream of being a Trinity student a reality. Please, if you can, give even more students like me the same amazing support. It will mean the world to so many people.