QS Connect Masters 1-2-1 Scholarship: 2016’s Winner

Lamarah previously studied a BSc in International Politics at Brunel University in the UK, graduating with first-class honors in July 2015. During this time, she took part in an exchange program to the University of Nottingham’s branch campus in Ningbo, China, which she says opened her mind and widened her world view. As part of this exchange program, she was awarded the Ningbo Government International Student Scholarship for Academic Excellence.

Since graduating, Lamarah has been working as a public affairs intern for Amazon, and has also completed a Civil Service Summer Diversity Program at the UK’s Department of Work and Pensions. Following this work experience, and her experience of studying abroad in China, Lamarah feels certain she’d like to study abroad again – this time in Spain. Keen to keep learning new things, and to develop and strengthen her existing skills, she says: “the best environment to do this is a diverse one, which is something that IE prides itself on.”

Looking to the future, Lamarah says her long-term goal is to “start a social enterprise organisation that focuses on giving children and young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds opportunities in sport and extra-curricular activities that would otherwise be unaffordable.” This interest in social entrepreneurship underlies her decision to study at IE Business School, which has a strong focus on entrepreneurship. She is keen to broaden her understanding of business, gaining specific knowledge on how to be a successful entrepreneur and create a new business, and says that by studying a Masters in Management at IE she hopes to “develop my entrepreneurial skills, my confidence, develop a diverse network of friends, continue to broaden my worldview and strengthen my leadership skills.”

Lamarah also offered some advice for other students applying for scholarships, saying: “Go for it. I think people assume that they don't have a chance because there will be a lot of people that apply for a particular scholarship, but that shouldn't stop you. You have nothing to lose by applying, and shouldn't doubt that you may be the type of person that an organisation is looking to award a scholarship to. You definitely do not have a chance of being awarded a scholarship if you don't apply for one.”