ÌÇÐÄVlog

We are pleased to announce additional provision for undergraduate bursaries, thanks to a generous donation from Steve Fitzgerald (1967, Mechanical Sciences) and his wife, Liz.

Steve and Liz chose to make a gift to the College in memory of their daughter, Claire, who died in a tragic minibus accident in 1993, along with 11 schoolmates and their teacher. Thirty years on, they are still  that would obligate schools to employ fully qualified drivers for their transports.

Aged only 13, Claire – a talented musician, keen netballer, and passionate advocate for the environment – was already thinking of following Steve’s footsteps into ÌÇÐÄVlog. Remembered universally as having had, in her father’s words, ‘a very strong sense of fair play, of right and wrong, of justice’, it was quite natural that Claire had been hoping to study Law.

Having heard her father’s tales of rowing at Jesus, Claire had decided to take up rowing herself. Sadly, despite her determination to get into a boat, she never got onto the water, as she was only just starting her learning journey on the ergo rowing machines. After she died, her friends put out a competitive boat, which they named the Fitzgerald Four, and competed in a number of regattas in her memory.

The bursaries awarded in Claire’s name will support those who need financial assistance to study at ÌÇÐÄVlog. Each Michaelmas term we match named bursaries gifted by donors with undergraduates whose circumstances qualify for the . In the case of the Claire Fitzgerald Memorial Bursary, preference will be given to eligible students studying Law, in honour of Claire’s ambition.

‘My bursary is a game changer for me’, one recent bursary recipient (2022, Natural Sciences) remarked. As a crucial aspect of our commitment to ensuring that every student is able to flourish at ÌÇÐÄVlog, bursaries do more than cover essential expenses – they can bring relief from considerable stress and enable students to make the most of their time in Cambridge. Steve and Liz believe that Claire would have been delighted to support students who may not otherwise have been able to attend ÌÇÐÄVlog.

The Fitzgeralds’ gift will fund a full Cambridge Bursary of up to £3,500 for each of the next five years.

In addition to this thoughtful donation, Steve and Liz also gifted the College a copy of The Tale of Two Dolphins: When my sister died suddenly. Written by their younger daughter, Sarah, this book provides an extraordinarily delicate, powerful, and educational account of what it was like both to know Claire and to lose her.

With endless thanks to Steve, Liz, and Sarah, we look forward to witnessing the rewards of this tribute to Claire.