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

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She is actually speaking to ME … in Latin! As I stand in front of Mary Robinson, one of the few Irish presidents I actually know of and admire, it finally feels like I belong. 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. After announcing her first pregnancy to her family, Katriona said she found herself homeless. She gave birth to her son in Birmingham. As I look around this feeling mounts. They all look so confident. They dress weird too, like they have money but no money. Messy clothes that are designer brands. I have on fake tan and a hun-bun. I don’t belong here. 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.

Katriona O’Sullivan: ‘I remember cleaning the toilets going Katriona O’Sullivan: ‘I remember cleaning the toilets going

Those first few months in Trinity proper were hard. I felt lost, the psychology class was small which meant I couldn't hide We formed groups, the young matures and the old matures, the Gothy kids and the Tallaght heads. I didn’t really get into a group, I had no time to socialise and had to care for my son on my own. I also felt awkward and still felt ashamed. I don’t know why but I’ve always felt like this so making friends, trusting people, didn’t happen easily.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. An important contribution to our understanding of poverty and its impact' - Sinéad Gibney, Business Post

‘I sat drinking in the knowledge, and for the first time in

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) 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. Teenager Katriona dropped out of school, despite being academically bright, as she dealt with a crisis pregnancy, homelessness and isolation.

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.