Scholarship / My leadership role and competencies for Chevening [3]

Leadership and Influence Essay

As part of my degree, I was required to lead a team of five on an engineering company finance project. It became clear as we progressed that one of our members was inactive and this resulted in several conflicts. As the team leader, I was responsible for resolving the conflict, ensuring prompt completion of the project, ensuring participation of all members, and helping the group score top marks. I organized a private meeting with the inactive member to find out his reasons. I held an open dialogue team meeting in which everyone explained his or her point without interruption. This led to a group realization of each member's struggles, and thus promoted better understanding. At the end of the meeting, I gave final instructions which incorporated something from everyone's points and re-delegated work according to every member's present capability emphasizing the need for compromise. I also highlighted how much better all our grades would look if we did well. This made everyone happier and more productive, and our project was completed on time with all members contributing. We obtained a first-class grade (71%).

In my role as CAD Engineer at Sherman Gray, I was required to lead two others on a marketing strategy project which faced significant work backlog. Team members were finding it difficult to gather relevant information on the target market which consisted of university students and young professionals. As the team leader, it was my responsibility to ensure we met our deadline and presented a good marketing strategy to the manager. I spoke to friends and contacts in engineering companies and universities around the local area, about the possibility of a discussion on training opportunities with them and their colleagues. Three out of five agreed, and we were able to conduct a survey of hundred students and thirty young professionals in the space of three days. As a result, we gathered enough information to complete our presentation on time and our work drew commendation from the manager.

Whilst at university I also served as a pioneering Training and communications manager at Robogals Exeter. At the start of my role, the organization was in dire need of volunteers. It was my responsibility to grow and train our volunteer base. I publicized robogals in person and on social media with a focus on the effect robogals has had on the life and career choices of school kids, and the incredible feats former robogals volunteers at other universities have gone on to achieve. This resulted in more interest in robogals from intending volunteers and led to my signing up of forty volunteers within the first year.

These are evidence of leadership and influence skills which I intend to use in mentoring incoming scholars, and promoting Chevening scholarships and fellowships whilst on the Chevening programme. I also plan on setting up a support team for the Solar Technologies Project in Nigeria and gather support for other projects in line with UK priorities in my country as a Chevening Alumni.

Scholarship / I was part of the Rivers state government scholarship scheme; Chevening application [3]

Chevening Scholarship Networking Essay

As an undergraduate, I was part of the Rivers state government scholarship scheme which boasted an extensive network of scholars. Whilst on the programme I was desirous to give back to society and required assistance do so. I reached out to other scholars highlighting how much we had been blessed to be on the scheme. I told them it was our responsibility to give back to society and as a result mobilized a good number of scholars with the necessary resources willing to give back. These efforts led to a group visit to a local orphanage with money and material donations. A gesture well received by the state and orphanage.

I have also kept in touch with this network of scholars after graduating through constant support and sharing of ideas. More recently I held a meeting with some of the UK trained graduates, discussing a project that will improve human resource as well as contribute to community development in our base state. We came up with the idea to train willing locals in programming, design and workshop skills which we would, in turn, lead them to use for the improvement of their communities

Our idea, however, needed financial support and more volunteers and thus required further networking efforts. I attended seminars to recruit more volunteers and reached out to my friends' boss, founder of Chicoco media. These efforts resulted in the addition of two more volunteers to our group and a sure word of Chicoco media's support when we intend to kick off the project.

I hope to carry this network into the Chevening programme and build on it by sharing the vision and its possible impact with Chevening scholars, fellows, and alumni. I believe the vision aligns with that of Chevening as it seeks to promote community development. The network also gives added human resource to Chevening scholars seeking to carry out community development projects in Nigeria.

After my masters, I plan on drawing from what we would have amassed for the implementation of the project in my home country.