What has been the best of your Chevening journey?

Time has passed so fast. Our year in the UK is almost complete and we are thinking about our plans for when we return to our home countries.

The dissertation is coming for us and the applicants selected to study in the UK this year are being contacted.

If you need motivation for your final exams, for your dissertation, for passing your IELTS or fulfilling the final requirements for Chevening, I collected some of the current scholars’ opinions to help inspire you. I asked scholars: ‘What has been the best of your Chevening journey?’

Olga Tsvetkova
Belarus

‘The best part is the people you meet. Chevening has brought together people from all over the world who you can be inspired and taught by. The people that become your family in this Chevening journey will remain a part of the family once you move on.’

Kourosh Ziabari
Iran

‘So far, the best part of my Chevening journey has been to learn that this scholarship scheme is the most democratic and inspiring fund for master’s studies in the world.’

Israil Kurbaniyazov
Uzbekistan

‘What would be the desirable takeaway from my Chevening journey to date? Well, these are definitely the memories of social events organised by Chevening Scholars at my home university. At the University of Leeds, we feel like one family.’

Elina Castillo-Jiménez
República Dominicana

‘1. Discovering my potential by challenging myself every day and not giving up.
2. Confirming that we have the same challenges as societies and the same dreams as individuals.
3. There is hope in human rights and feminism!’

Yarden Woolf
Israel

‘The best part of my Chevening journey until now has been the opportunity to travel the UK and discover new places almost every day. It has some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen and I am grateful to be able to go on these wonderful adventures.’

Emmanuel Artusa
Argentina

‘So far, the best of this amazing journey has been all the great people I have met here in the UK since day one. Local friends, classmates, and fellow Cheveners from all over the world have made my journey unforgettable by sharing life experiences, thoughts, and points of view.’

Juan David Restrepo
Colombia

‘The best part of my Chevening journey has been the opportunity to meet new life-long friends from different countries and backgrounds. This has allowed me to change my vision of the world and also enrich my knowledge of different cultures.’

Shalu Agrawal
India

‘Besides the unprecedented opportunity to make friends with inspiring scholars from all around the world, the best part for me has been the chain of events which led to my meeting a sovereign wealth fund manager from Africa. We discussed the potential for trans-national co-operation on solar energy, only because I happen to be a Chevening Scholar!’
 

Tevita Vahai
Tonga

‘The Chevening Secretariat and the programme officers that are always there to assist me and my fellow Cheveners. You all have made the journey, exploration, and experience a productive, enjoyable, eye-opening, and fulfilling one so far.’

Manuel Besares
México

‘Without doubts, the best thing is the friends that I’ve made across this year. There is nothing more inspiring than talking with my Chevening mates about topics such as health, science, social development, politics, and the economy. The UK has provided me with the opportunity to visit memorable places and monuments.’

Wazir Vik
Pakistan

‘The Best Part of my Chevening journey has been to meet enthusiastic Cheveners from all around the world. Rather than becoming just friends, we became a family to share our experiences, good times, travelling, and in fact everything.’
 

Alexia Alpuche
Belize

‘The Chevening experience promises many professional, networking, and personal development opportunities that ultimately integrate to form a unique experience – this is the largest understatement of the century. The most transformative and influential aspect during my year as a Chevener, apart from my academic studies, are the connections made with people along the journey.’

Claudia Carrera Bravo
Peru

‘Without a doubt the best part of my Chevening Journey is the huge network to which I can now have access. This means I can learn about different topics, and not only about my field. I know from first-hand about the cultures worldwide, and I can collaborate and create partnerships with other scholars for the development of our countries. Living this experience means commitment and responsibility from myself, my country, and the UK in order to achieve my professional goals.’

Kumush Atayeva
Turkmenistan

‘I’ve learned that it is not the amount but the quality of your activities which matters. It’s not the place but the people who bring value to you. My Chevening experience, and London, is tattooed in my memory (even in my DNA now!), not with places or events, but with these people.’
 

Veronica Osorio
Bolivia

‘Thanks to Chevening I have had the chance to study in London, the centre of academia and knowledge. It allowed me to meet my heroes of economic development and public health who I admire the most and I have been following all my professional life.’
 

Caryn Aybar
República Dominicana

‘Without a doubt, the exposure to such diversity of cultures and people, while also taking in complex theories and concepts in your field of studies, pushes you to grow, grow, grow. You can almost feel your brain (and heart) expanding!’
 

Natalia Molano 
Colombia

‘The best part of my Chevening journey is the amazing people who I have met: Chevening Scholars, the Chevening team, professors, classmates and flatmates. You share all the days with people who are full of knowledge, qualities, skills, and kindness. You want to follow their steps. The inprint that they leave on you is so valuable that you want to keep and spread this with those who surround you.’
 

Eliana Camargo
Colombia

‘I’ve shared this experience with amazing people from at least eight different countries. I’ve increased the capacity and impact of my entrepreneurship by having the opportunity to be part of global events such as the STI Forum 2017 at the UN at New York.’

Cecilia Muñoz Pérez
Paraguay

‘The best this Chevening experience has given me it’s the opportunity to challenge as well as get to know myself. When I applied I never realised it would be a full year out of my comfort zone. Meeting new people, learning new methods, and experimenting with new and different ways to try and achieve greatness, all of this has inspired me. By the end of this journey, not only will I have a broader academic knowledge and friends from all over the world, but also I will be a changed woman; one who knows her strengths and is more aware of her worth.’