Scholarship / Good academic record, service work makes me an ideal candidate to be considered for a scholarschip [5]

The instructions weren't specific. They just asked applicants to upload a cover letter

XXX International Scholarship Program,
International Scholarship
Partnerships Department,
XXX Limited,
XXX.

Dear XXX,

APPLICATION FOR SCHOLARSHIP
I wish to express my interest in the XXX International Scholarship Program. I believe that my very good academic record, service work and extracurricular activities make me an ideal candidate to be considered for a scholarship. I have a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Chemical Engineering with Second Class upper honours and graduating Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.209/5.0 obtained in 2014 from the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and I am currently undergoing the mandatory one year national service to my country and it will end in July, 2015.

My academic achievement is demonstrated by the numerous awards and scholarships I received whilst in secondary school as well as the university. The achievements in secondary school include being awarded prizes for the overall best student, the best in Chemistry and the best in Electronics. In addition to graduating among the top 10 students in my department at the end of the academic year, I received various scholarship awards such as the Federal Government of Nigeria merit award, the Total E/P Nigeria Limited merit award and the Chevron/Agbami scholarship award.

My personal achievements and soft skills are evidenced in my involvement in a variety of extracurricular activities as well as holding positions of responsibilities which enhanced my communication, leadership and interpersonal skills. I was elected as the President of the Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientists (JETS) club of my secondary school, a departmental representative at the Students' Union of my university, and I am presently a member of the Road Safety Community Development Service group, where we sensitize road users on the importance of safety on our highways. I have also gained some valuable work experience ranging from being a class teacher to being a laboratory scientist. Additionally, I have worked as an Intern with the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.

I am a self-motivated individual with a strong desire to excel in whatever I am involved in. Behind my achievements is also a strong desire to learn. I hope to further my education by studying for an M.Sc in XXX and XXX at the XXX School (xxx) XXX, before proceeding to doctoral level where I intend to carry out research in the general areas of petrochemicals and structure-property relationship for polymer materials.

Thank you in advance for considering my application.

Yours faithfully,

Graduate / The role of a chemical engineer, particularly in Nigeria, cannot be over emphasized. [2]

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING M.SC

Statement of Purpose

Thirteen years ago, I was part of a class in elementary school that embarked on an excursion to a refining and petrochemical company in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. A tour guide was assigned to us who took us round the plant showing us the various process equipment and explaining to us in briefs the role each equipment played in achieving the general aim of the plant: Production of various fuels from crude oil. It was my very first encounter of a process plant, and how inspiring an encounter it was, as it stirred up a passion in me to develop myself as a chemical engineer and build a career in the chemical industry.

I set out to work on this dream throughout my days in high school and excelled in a wide variety of subjects particularly in mathematics and other science subjects. The fruits of my hard work manifested in 2004 where I won prizes for being the overall best student, best student in Chemistry and best student in Electronics. My avid understanding of the sciences, chemistry in particular was a major reason that influenced the decision of my teachers to elect me as the President of the Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientists (JETS) club of my high school. I used this medium to represent my school in various local science competitions in which we distinguished ourselves.

My desire to succeed didn't stop there. I gained admission to study Chemical Engineering in the xxxx, xxx, xxx State, Nigeria. I took courses in chemical reaction engineering, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, among others that both introduced me into various theoretical concepts and methods which are prevalent in the chemical industry and laid a solid foundation for me which I intend to build upon by proceeding to graduate studies. Additionally, I maintained a high academic standard throughout my undergraduate studies, graduating among the top ten students in a class of over a hundred and fifty students with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.209 on a scale of 5. I also received various scholarships awards which include the Federal Government of Nigeria merit award, The Total E & P Nigeria Limited merit award and the Chevron/Agbami scholarship award.

My first involvement in research came in the final year of my undergraduate program where I performed two projects. The first, which was my major project, was a research on 'Optimization of Combined Acid and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cocoyam Starch and its potential for Citric Acid Production' under the supervision of Mr. xxx. The research aimed at developing novel approaches to tackle the problems faced in the production of citric acid. The second, supervised by Professor xxx, was a design project. It was the 'Design of a slurry bioreactor for the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated soil'. Both projects enhanced my research ability and presentation skills.

Since it is an undisputed fact that engineering is man's ability to copy nature, and scientific innovations continually seek to provide solutions to the world's problems, the role of a chemical engineer in this regard, particularly in Nigeria where steps are currently been taken to reduce our over-dependence on crude oil by diversifying the economy, cannot be over emphasized. Chemical engineers design, operate and supervise industrial processes where materials undergo change. From a simple molecular reaction to the economical design of a chemical reactor, catalysts and kinetics are essential. This is why I intend to join the graduate program in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Catalysis and Reaction Engineering to help find novel ways in designing new or modifying existing catalysts to enable synthesis of new products, increasing yield and selectivity of desired products and developing novel processes that are less polluting with reduced energy consumption. I believe that my academic and research experience have prepared me adequately for this task.

Upon completion of my Master's Degree, I intend proceeding to doctoral level. I hope to carry out research activities in the general areas of catalysis, mathematical analysis and reaction engineering. After accumulating adequate research experience, I would pursue a career in teaching and research, and provide consultancy services for various governmental and corporate organisations.

My desire to attain an M.Sc in Chemical engineering from xxx university stems from the fact that it is among the most highly rated universities for graduate studies in xxx. This, in addition to the robust scholarship it provides, coupled with its international community makes it an ideal place for me to gain intercultural competence, widen my cognitive ability and realise my career goals. I am also intrigued by the works of Professor xxx and the state-of-the-art Reaction Engineering and Catalysis Research Laboratory of the university.

I believe that the wide array of skill-set and experience honed during my undergraduate days make me an ideal candidate for this program. My personal achievements and soft skills are evidenced in my involvement in a variety of extracurricular activities as well as holding positions of responsibilities which enhanced my communication, leadership and interpersonal skills. I was elected as a departmental representative at the Students' Union of my university, and I am presently a member of the Road Safety Community Development Service group, where we sensitize road users on the importance of safety on our highways. Additionally, I have gained some valuable work experience ranging from being a class teacher to being a laboratory scientist. I have also worked as an Intern with the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.

It would be a privilege for me to pursue graduate studies at xxx university. I am confident about matching the high standards set by your university and making a positive contribution to the xxx university community.

Thank you for considering my application as I look forward to your acceptance.

Yours faithfully,