Hi everyone! My name is Aisling and I’m a mature student studying Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity College Dublin.
Before returning to education, I worked in childcare and as a healthcare assistant. I’m also a single parent, and my journey back into education was heavily shaped by my own life experiences, including experiences of domestic violence, homelessness, and rebuilding my life through support services and education. Seeing firsthand the impact that Speech and Language Therapists and other support professionals can have on people’s lives inspired me to pursue SLT myself.
My research interests centre around socioeconomic inequality, access to education, inclusion, identity, and belonging within higher education. Through the Laidlaw Programme, I’ll be working on one of Trinity’s first predefined research projects exploring how Trinity engages with socioeconomic class and inclusion in 2026. I’m especially excited that this project is being carried out collaboratively with another student, which is also a new approach for the programme at Trinity, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.
I’m particularly interested in the difference between widening access and creating genuine inclusion, not just who gets into university, but who feels like they belong once they arrive there. As someone involved in student representation work through the Students’ Union Equality & Welfare Committee, I’ve seen how socioeconomic background can shape students’ experiences in ways that are usually invisible.
Outside of academia, I’m also really passionate about music and DJing (mainly garage and jungle), and I’m a very dedicated bird mother to a very cute canary called Canadh 🐤
I’ll be honest, I’m also quite nervous starting this journey. I have ADHD, which can sometimes affect my confidence and communication in new environments, but I’m excited to challenge myself through this programme, grow as both a researcher and leader, and learn from everyone in this network.
I also really enjoyed the recent introduction session for the programme. It was great to meet the other Trinity Laidlaw Scholars and hear about the huge range of backgrounds, disciplines, and research interests within the cohort. Meeting the academic staff involved in the programme was also really inspiring, and it made the whole experience start to feel very real. The session made me even more excited to begin the project and to be part of such a supportive and interdisciplinary community.
Really looking forward to connecting with everyone over the next two years!