QS ImpACT MBA Community Scholarship: 2025 winner

This type of scholarship is very competitive, and a lot of wonderful people apply, so my first reaction was to look at the acceptance email in disbelief! I thought it might be a mistake!

But when the dust settled and I realised that my essay was actually successful – that I’d got my message and story across in an authentic way – I thought about the impact I could have further down the line. It’s great to be successful and receive recognition, but at the end of the day, the money helps with tuition fees and accommodation, so it meant I could breathe a sigh of relief.

I called my parents! They have supported me throughout my volunteering and academic journey, and they were a shoulder to cry on when I needed it, so it was amazing to be able to tell them I’d been successful.

There’s some weight behind saying you received a scholarship from QS – especially in the international student community – so I enjoyed sharing the news with my friends too.

I went to the London QS event which I found out about on social media. Before you register, they let you know that you have the chance of winning one of their scholarships if you attend. So I looked on the website, prepared my questions, and then attended the session.

I am in a fortunate position as I'm one of the QS ambassadors too, so I also had the chance to get a bit more involved in the volunteering side of the QS foundation further down the line.

I would definitely recommend this type of event as it helps you prioritise what you want fromof a university. I learned a lot about the admission side of going for an MBA too.

The whole process can be quite draining, and you need to take a lot of steps to get into your dream school. You have multiple tests and interviews plus reference letters and motivation essays, and different countries have different requirements. But this type of event really helps with all that.

It also puts a lot of like-minded people under the same roof, and you can speak with other individuals who might be struggling with the same thing. They helped us with business portraits as well, and someone was checking CVs and giving advice, so it's a rounded event, and you definitely get out what you put in.

It was a balancing act really. I started with the top universities, using information on the QS website and other university rankings that assess different components of student life. And I asked academics from my bachelor’s degree what their criteria would be when choosing an MBA. For example, they said a triple crown accreditation would help in the long run. 

After researching universities through their websites and social media, I also got in touch with alumni to find out whether my assumptions were correct. And then I engaged with the admissions committee to ask them any direct questions. 

Mannheim is the best business school in Germany – plus it’s located in the economic centre of Germany so it's great for networking – and these are two of the main reasons I decided to study here.

It’s different from what I expected, but in a good way. It's a very fast-paced course – if you blink, you miss some of the teaching. And after nine years living in the UK, moving to another country was a bit big shift. But it was worth it, and I feel like I’ve settled in well in the short time I’ve been here. 

There are people at different stages of life – I have colleagues who are married, and some with children – and it's an opportunity to make friendships and longer lasting relationships that might help me when I graduate.

I want to invest in building roots here and intentionally prepare for the next step in my career.My plan is to get a full-time job after the MBA, establishing myself professionally, and then one day have a family of my own here. But one step at a time for now!

I wanted to do an MBA to become a better, more empathetic leader and combine volunteering with my professional role. It will bridge the gaps in my knowledge, build my soft skills and make sure I'm equipped for whatever challenges I come across.

It's definitely a stepping stone towards getting to know myself and understanding my strengths and weaknesses so I can become an inclusive, mindful leader who leads with empathy and respect.

You need to be self-critical and self-aware and try to understand what you want to achieve further down the line. That might mean asking for guidance from the people who know you best. Then plan in advance because transitioning from the workplace to an MBA takes time and a lot of patience.

The application process can be cumbersome, but it’s quite self-explanatory and you just need to make sure you follow every step in order to make it happen.

Assess which type of scholarships that are a good fit for you, then portray your story in your authentic voice. A lot of people might fall into the pitfall of using AI to write their story, but this can’t convey the nuances of what you did in the past and what you’re working towards. 

Women in particular have a tendency not to apply because they don’t believe they’ll be successful. But it’s important to have confidence and believe in yourself. Even if you aren’t selected, you went through the exercise, which is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on your achievements and think about your future. And that's a success in itself.