Alison Young (Jurisprudence, 1993)
Not only is Alison an alumna, but she is Professor of Public Law and a tutorial fellow here at Hertford.
I came to Hertford in 1993 as a graduate studying for the BCL. Confused by college choices I made an open application. Clearly the computer out-performed the Hogwart’s sorting hat by allocating me to Hertford! I stayed on for my DPhil, which offered opportunities to teach law, followed by a three-year college position teaching law at Balliol College. I returned to Hertford in September 2000 as a Tutorial Fellow in Law, being made a Professor of Public law in 2016.
In the 1980s you did not get many kids from council estates thinking about going to University, let alone working at one! I just knew that I wanted, if possible, to have more opportunities than appeared to be on offer. None of my parents had gone to University, but my older cousins had. I did not see why people from my background should not also have the same opportunities if they worked hard enough. For me, that meant leaving school to pursue A levels at a Further Education college, hoping it would lead to the chance to apply for University.
When I arrived at Oxford, I did so suspecting that it was not really the place for me. I expected to be looked down upon because I’d not done my undergraduate degree here and because I was ‘from the North’ and (probably defiantly) working class. When I arrived I realised that I was definitely not the only working class Northerner here! I was part of an incredibly mixed community, encompassing a range of national, ethical, racial, social and class backgrounds. The only one who seemed to think it might be a problem to be a working class Northerner was me! Now Hertford feels like home. I’ve been able not only to make friends, but also to enjoy the privilege of seeing studying here transform so many people from a wide range of backgrounds.
I also know how lucky and privileged I have been. I’m old enough to remember when you did not have to pay fees and when maintenance grants existed. I would not have been able to come here without funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Sadly, this option is no longer open for the BCL and research grants for those wanting to pursue a DPhil are becoming more and more scarce. I don’t think I’d have taken the risk to study beyond my undergraduate degree if I’d already had to rely on bursaries and student loans. I’m not even sure I would have considered a degree in the first place. I’d not have wanted my parents to feel they had to support me when I knew money was already scarce. If Hertford is to continue to ensure anyone with the ability can come to Oxford, we need to raise as much as we can for graduate and undergraduate bursaries.