Inspiring people to search for the common good and making a positive effect in our personal growth

Hi, I am applying for Chevening and I am writing my essays. If anyone could help me to find anything that can make it better, I would be thankful.

CHEVENING - LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE ESSAY

Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.

Being a leader or influencing people does not depend on a social status or having a high job position, but performing activities which benefit our society or inspiring people to search for the common good and making a positive effect in our personal growth.

During my Civil Engineering Bachelor, previously to start the last academic year, students are asked to choose a specific area, in my case I opted for the structures field. Throughout the tuitions received I acquired and widened my knowledge in this area. On September 19th, 2017, Mexico suffered an earthquake which damaged a significant proportion of citizens in the capital city, those who did not result affected showed unselfishness and supported the rest.

Consequently, FUNDARQMX and Architect House began to request architecture and civil engineering students as volunteers to develop structural diagnostics to buildings cracked by the seism. The next day I attended to enrolling myself as a volunteer and the administrative staff organized little groups and allocated a specific inspection zone where inhabitants had notified damages in their houses. While checking assigned dwellings and edifices people who had uncertainty to their homes and not receiving attention, asked for help and for a brief inspection, as a part of professionalism and altruism aid was granted, also advice and security recommendations.

As the diagnostics were developed, some apartment blocks and neighbourhoods had several structural damages, this is a consequence of a wrong design or not appealing construction regulations even bearing in mind that Mexico City was erected on areas of high seismic risk. Due to these facts, I realised my profession has a huge impact in my country, as long as it is well performed and following human values, citizens' life is more insured.

Another contribution to my community was teaching music in a cultural centre, where I used to take classes, on the weekends. I decided this because learning how to play an instrument is expensive and those who are not able to afford it lose that contact with the artistical environment, also, it is a beneficial activity which improves their skills. I had the privilege to instruct children, youngers and even adults, it is important to say that everyone has a different manner to learn and I was conscious of it, so, I found different ways to lead them to a better learning, abilities development and musical taste. Each student was a different world and it is nice to say I learnt from them as well.

Both situations had a real impact in my life, making me want to keep growing up in academical, professional and personal aspects, always pursuing benefits to the country's society without leaving values behind. With Chevening I will be able to improve my leadership and influence skills interacting with professional leaders and influencer of different backgrounds and cultures, since I know they share the same enthusiasm for enriching their knowledge like me and I will learn from their way of thinking, experiences, history, and hopes.

Hi there!

From my point of view, your essay did not clearly describe yourself as a leader as well give an influence to your local community. You need to clearly explain what kind of leadership that you try to build based on your case.

Beside of it, I think your story related being a music teacher is irrelevant to this essay because you supposed to be explain about the leadership and influence story related to your professional or academic background.

Hope my review can help you. Good luck for your Chevening application!

This is not a leadership nor influencing essay. You are not providing any description that may be understood as you explaining your leadership and influencing skills. What we have here is nothing more than an inapplicable personal statement. A personal statement is not required by the Chevening scholarship. You need to show actual leadership skills within a professional context. Using college and community service references are not acceptable for this scholarship program because of the degree of professionalism that the other applicants have. If I were to base your ability to qualify for the first round of considerations using this essay, I would have to say that it will not help you move forward. It is not useful as it does not reflect you as a true future leader in your country.

@imhana

Hi! Thank you for your feedback, I will try to be more specific with my skills. Also, I had doubts about adding the experience as a music teacher, deleting it would be a better option.

@Holt

Thank you for your feedback, I will take a deep look into my professional career and see in what situations I have developed my skills.