Interviews

Name: Mark Hogan
Course: Certificate in Arts, Science and Inclusive Applied Practice - Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID)

What’s your fondest Trinity memory?  
My fondest Trinity memory would be the project I did with Guinness. The Guinness project I did, ‘Is Guinness good for you’, was for a science exhibition called SciFest*. The results show that Guinness is the healthiest choice out of beers. Taking part in SciFest is my fondest Trinity memory.

*Marks project ‘Is Guinness really good for you’ was one of the experiments showcased at the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) exhibition in May. In conjunction with SciFest and Abbott Ireland, the exhibition gave students a chance to showcase their work and develop their skills in front of a packed crowd in the Science Gallery in Dublin. Mark was interviewed by the Irish Independent about his project which you can view here.

What is your favourite place on campus?
My favourite place on campus is the Trinity sports centre. I do a lot of exercises in the gym and like to go for a swim afterwards.

What do you enjoy most about your course?
I really enjoy all of the different classes I am doing. It has been really interesting and I’ve learned a lot of new things. All of the classes are really different. In the Application of Numbers class I’ve learned a lot. Emergency and Disaster Management was really interesting and my favourite class was Expressive Arts which I did in the first term. In this class I made up a story about a haunted house and added music to it which sounded like horror music. I also acted out the story and ended up getting two distinctions for it. I enjoyed Italian for beginners too. The tutors here in Trinity are very nice and helpful which makes the classes even more enjoyable.

Describe a day in your life as a student in Trinity?
I get up in the morning and take two buses into the college and meet my friends. The best thing about being a student in Trinity is making new friends like Shane, Dairine and Niamh. After I graduate I will still be friends with the people I met in the course. Another great thing about being a Trinity student is that we get a 10% discount on campus.

What has been your greatest achievement to date?
I have achieved my dream by coming to Trinity College to further my education. That’s all I ever wanted. I feel like I didn’t get a proper education before coming here. I went to a special needs school but now I am a student in Trinity and I’m very happy about that.

The Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), situated within the School of Education in Trinity College Dublin runs a two year Level 5 Certificate in Arts, Science and Inclusive Applied Practice for students with intellectual disabilities. The course objective is to help our students to develop a broad range of skills across a comprehensive curriculum, including preparing graduates to work in diverse employment settings. The programme is aimed at transforming possibilities open to people with an intellectual disability as they make transitions towards adult life and the workforce. To find out more about their course please visit their website or look them up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.