Scholarship / I would be part of a vast network at Chevening which creates opportunities [4]

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills ...

networking - nuclear fission

I started attending networking events in 2016, the first I attended was my secondary school Alumni networking event. I had the opportunity to interact with notable alumni and also shared ideas with them. During this event, we recognized the need to grow our network and reach out to other alumni to enable us to donate and develop our Alma Mata. Based on my experience in Social Media, I volunteered and we were able to reach out to several other alumni worldwide via various social media platforms. This task was also beneficial to me as I was able to demonstrate my strength in Social Media management and I got a referral from one of the alumni to monitor the Social Media platforms of a religious organization.

One of the Alumni we contacted was an Ambassador at the xxx Africa, a community that helps young African women achieve their professional dreams. She gave us free passes for the xxx festival organized by xxx Africa which I attended earlier this year, it was an event where women who were at the top of their game could interact with young women who were just starting out. We had a group session with xxxx, a wealth management specialist, who spoke about climbing up the financial success ladder and women supporting each other. To this end, I and ten other working-class women got talking at the event and we decided to form a support group where we focus on our professional growth, keeping tabs on our goals and pushing each other to achieve our set goals.

The network I created at this event has contributed to the success and my value in the NGO which I am currently a part of. For instance, In July, when my NGO kicked off the deworming project, one of the women in my support group introduced me to an official at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control who assisted with the donation of the drugs used for the deworming project.

Networking can be likened to nuclear fission, you will realize that each new contact you make disintegrates to new contacts thus gradually leading to a group of contacts.

As a Chevening awardee, I will be able to collaborate with talented individuals from around the world. I would be part of a vast network thus creating opportunities to share perspectives, combine cultures and create new initiatives to support other Chevening scholars and to aid the development of our countries.

Scholarship / Loughborough University, University of Leicester and University of Leicester - courses choice [2]

Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses (Chevening)

I am eager to gain specialized training in management

My interest in management was sparked when I joined the bank and worked with the Small Business Unit where I had the opportunity to participate in the Agent Banking scheme. Seeing how neglected and rural communities are on charity and aid from the west and from urban settlements and how these communities actually have initiatives that just require fueling/funding evoked my passion for SME development, community banking to be precise. I know that if I rely solely on my Chemistry degree I would probably be unable to advance to the top management position which I hope to achieve. My main purpose for applying to Chevening is because I am eager to gain specialized training in management to broaden my perspective in Business Studies which would enable me to combine my technical skills and management knowledge to achieve my future goals. My three university choices are Loughborough University, University of Leicester and Brunnel University London.

Loughborough University is known for high-quality teaching, research, and study. It is also ranked the 10th best university in the UK. I am impressed with the curriculum and the opportunity to take several electives will give me the freedom to take courses in Small Business, Global strategic management and Business forecasting which is required to evolve my viewpoint in community banking which I plan to pursue in future. I would also have the opportunity to take part in group work and practical sessions to evaluate my performance and also gain constructive feedback about my work from my fellow students.

University of Leicester is my second choice because of the flexibility and diversity of the modules available. The school is also an approved Partner of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and offers a dual award with MSc Management. Therefore, in addition to being a Chevening awardee, I will also be part of the membership community of over 100,000 chartered managers. This will give me the opportunity to gain insight and make lasting connections thus strengthening the partnership between the UK and Nigeria.

Brunnel University London is situated in London, the leading global city known to contain the World Heritage sites as well as ancient British History. It is also the most populous city, therefore, I would have the opportunity to interact with a diverse range of people and culture. In addition to the fact that the course content covers all the important areas in Management, Brunnel Business School also offers the Co-innovate collaborative program which provides support to SMEs, start-ups, and entrepreneurs. Studying here will give me the opportunity to provide real value to the businesses they work with, applying my skills and know-how to projects that will lead to bottom-line enhancements for those businesses thus shaping me for my future goal and improving my marketability upon my return to Nigeria.