QS Leadership Scholarship: 2020 Winner

I have an engineering background, and I was looking for a program that would give me the tools to work in the environmental policy sector. By being part of the MEM program at Duke University, I will increase my understanding of existing constraints faced by policymakers and learn quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the feasibility of environmental management strategies.

The tools and transferable skills that I will gain from the program will shift my career in engineering to a career in environmental management. With that, I hope to participate in decision-making spheres, and contribute to the design and promotion of development models that include environmental and social perspectives, especially in developing countries like Colombia, where we have an incredible potential to develop sustainably, the need to implement environmental policies that include the perspective of local communities, and the responsibility to protect our unique ecosystems and biodiversity.

When I made the decision to attend graduate school in the United States, I knew that besides my application to the school, I needed to focus on multiple scholarship applications since education there is quite expensive, especially for international students. Therefore, my scholarship application process was pretty long and time-consuming, but fortunately, in the end it was very rewarding. In all, I applied to around five different sources of financial aid.

Regarding the QS scholarship application process, I found it very friendly to the applicants and very straightforward. It can be challenging to summarize everything you want to say in 500 words, so you have to make sure that the final product communicates who you are and what you’ve done.

The QS scholarship made a huge difference in my decision to attend graduate school. If it wasn’t because I was awarded with the scholarship, I’m not sure that I’d have been able to pursue the master’s program. I’m very thankful for this opportunity and I’m sure I will make the most out of it!

My advice to other applicants is to persevere. Finding scholarships is not always easy and some applications require a bit of work, however, the result of a successful application will make all those efforts worth your time.

Some application processes can also be an opportunity to put your educational and career goals into perspective. You will have to ask yourself what do you want to study and why, what program is the best fit for you, and how are you going to use it to achieve your goals. So, take that opportunity and make the most out of your applications.

My last advice for other candidates is to apply to as many scholarships as possible, always keeping in mind that every application is different. Get the paperwork ready ahead of time, read and modify your essays as many times as you need to until you’re confident with the result, and don’t forget to attend the QS events to be eligible for the QS scholarships!