We are delighted to announce our first 2026 OH travel grant of £500 to Donatella Petrucci (LS & Alb 2016).

Donatella is in her final year reading a Liberal Arts degree with a Politics Major at Leeds, with a place to do a Law conversion course from September 2026. She is self-funding her travel plans through seasonal work in uni holidays and agency work in term time.

Donatella writes: I would like to say thank you to the Haileybury Society for granting me £500 to contribute to my solo trip this year. I am very grateful to be in such a privileged position. I will be travelling independently through Italy, Croatia, Albania and Greece undertaking a research-led journey across Southern and South-Eastern Europe. My trip has two main purposes. First, I will develop a research project on the history and design of women’s hair jewellery, examining how adornment reflects shifting cultural norms, gender expectations and ideas of beauty. I plan to study museum collections, archival material and contemporary making practices, with Italy acting as my main base. This research will directly inform my growing interest in hair jewellery design and my long-term ambition to build a creative business in this field. It also links closely to my academic work in politics and culture.

I will document my journey through a structured research journal and reflective writing, publishing regular entries on Substack. Travelling independently will allow me to adapt to unfamiliar environments, connect with new people and engage deeply with local histories and cultures. I want to document this trip through a series of reflective writings or journals, which will be shared on Substack. I am very excited to be embarking on my first solo trip. I am also very grateful for the chance to move through unfamiliar environments and to engage deeply with the places and people I will encounter.

I really hope this trip will give me a grounded sense of European society beyond textbook learning. I want to broaden my political and historical perspectives while strengthening both my research and creative skills before beginning a law conversion course in 2026.

If you would like to read more about our annual Travel Grants and submit an application please visit: https://thehaileyburysociety.org/charitable-status/travel-grants-for-haileyburians/