Poor: Grit, courage, and the life-changing value of self-belief

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MyHome.ie (Opens in new window) • Top 1000 • The Gloss (Opens in new window) • Recruit Ireland (Opens in new window) • Irish Times Training (Opens in new window) I spent the whole year fighting with our maths teacher but if I wanted to choose psychology for my degree I had to do higher level maths in TAP and this scuppered me. But I found my way. My friend Liviu – another mature student who was excellent at Maths – tutored me and reminded me it was going to be okay. Despite my family drama, and the regular hunger pains, I was bright and vivacious. I loved school, I loved to learn, I read avidly. I was excellent at all sports and was, and still am, extremely determined. But when you live in a family that does not aspire to much, and you are surrounded by people who cannot see past your disadvantage, it’s really hard to dream big. I knew no one who went to university or college and dreamed of being somewhere else or someone else. I didn’t dream of a university education or travelling the world – my dreams only stretched as far as being on TV or becoming a pop star.

Raised by addicts, abused, neglected, broke: how Katriona O

I learned so much from my degree. I learned about how a child develops, about the power of attachment and love. I learned how to think critically and how to be a better student. But, while I am outgoing, I didn’t mix well. Full of insight into a live lived right up against the boundaries placed on it by poverty ... so important ... we'd highly recommend' - Fi Glover, Times Radio We love a rags-to-riches story, and we love to see someone triumph through sheer determination. But the story is rarely that simple. My story isn't, anyway.' The young couple split up when John was two and Katriona moved to Summerhill in Dublin to be close to her parents, with whom she had started to build bridges. One thing that is overlooked when we consider TAP students is our resilience. I know how to survive and that is a skill. I used it to survive maths and have used it many times since. I used my capacity to challenge, to fight and to ask for help to get me through. TAP became a home for me. Irena was my guide, I could tell her anything. The ladies in the office, Sheila and Elaine, provided more care.The former Ireland youth player, who moved to the UK to play professionally when he was aged only 16, has now signed for fourth-tier Carlisle United. They helped with finances, books, laptops and also gave hugs, relationship advice and so much more. TAP wasn’t just about education, it was about belonging, belief, and care. I grew there and started to believe in me. My essays were good and my work got better. I learned what I liked, what I hated, what I needed to improve. I learned that I was good enough. I still doubt that though.

From homeless and expecting at 15 to a lecturer at Trinity

I told everyone, I was like a child. I knew it wasn’t very humble but I had worked my ass off to get there and I felt so proud of myself and my family. I was offered a PhD studentship that summer and began my PhD studies in the TCD psychology department pretty much straight away. Dr Katriona O’Sullivan: ‘Biology, physics, chemistry, philosophy, psychology – I loved everything.’This is the extraordinary story - moving, funny, brave, and sometimes startling - of how Katriona turned her life around. How the seeds of self-belief planted by teachers in childhood stayed with her. How she found mentors whose encouragement revitalised those seeds in adulthood, leading her to become an award-winning academic whose work challenges barriers to education.

Poor: Grit, courage, and the life-changing value of self-belief

Those first few months in Trinity proper were hard. I felt lost, the psychology class was small which meant I couldn't hide Fast forward seven years and I had achieved my all-time goal; I was a lone parent, I lived in a government-assisted flat in Dublin 1, and I was getting my social welfare. My child was doing his best and so was I. I had a cash-in-hand job cleaning Connolly station. I woke at 6am every morning leaving my son John in bed while I walked to the station and cleaned the dirtiest office you have ever seen in your life. I had it all. But still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of “is this really it?”Once you get into TCD you often don’t want to leave. It is so beautiful and calm. But I didn’t stay for the beauty, I stayed because it was the first place I actually realised my worth as a person, as a woman. It gave me an insight into my capabilities. It made me see the potential for my life and my family’s life. An important contribution to our understanding of poverty and its impact' - Sinéad Gibney, Business Post After finishing her doctorate, Katriona was invited to become a psychology lecturer at Trinity on the TAP course.

Books UK Poor - Penguin Books UK

Those first few months in Trinity proper were hard. I felt lost, the psychology class was small which meant I couldn’t hide. I was sitting with middle-class kids who had got around 580 points in their Leaving Cert and I felt like a failure. Two years before I started my degree I had been working as the dinner lady in the Institute of Education.She gained a first class honours degree and won a scholarship to continue her studies by doing a PhD in psychology at the prestigious college.