How I answered questions that won me Commonwealth Scholarship —Precious Ozemoya

Precious Ozemoya is an international development practitioner. She is an advocate for sustainable development goals (SDGs) and works in the development and social sector. She recently graduated from the University of Bristol, through the Commonwealth Scholarship, where she bagged a master’s degree in Gender and International Relations. In this interview by Kingsley Alumona, she speaks about her life at Bristol, how she secured the Commonwealth Scholarship, and her work in diplomacy and cross-cultural collaboration.

How would you describe your studentship and life at the University of Bristol?

One of the major things that attracted me to the University of Bristol is that it is an internationally recognized leading educational institution renowned for its academic and research excellence. My course was a mixture of lectures, seminars, and presentations. Bristol has an excellent support system for students and the career services contributed to my professional development.

Bristol is a bubbling city. It has a good art scene too. I love seeing the graffiti paintings in the city. My studentship and life at Bristol were fantastically characterised by academic excellence, extracurricular activities, networking opportunities, and a very strong support system that helped me excel and navigate between academics and personal life.

How were you able to fund your master’s studies at Bristol?

My master’s studies at Bristol was funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship. I was a Commonwealth Shared Scholar, so I also got funding support from the University of Bristol. Additionally, I took student jobs at the University of Bristol such as being a Student Ambassador and working as a summer school mentor.

Which course did you study at Bristol? What was your project work about?

My master’s is in Gender and International Relations. My project research was on what factors affect women’s labour participation in the extractive sector.

My major findings are that factors such as the legacy of prohibitive legislation, that is the Mines and Collieries Act of 1842, the national legislature that removed women from British underground mines, still have effect to date on women’s labour participation in the extractive sector across the world.

Other findings from this research show that superstitious beliefs such as menstruation have been seen as bad luck in some customs which prevent women from being hired to work in the extractive sector, especially in artisanal mining. Another finding was that sexual harassment discourages women from working in the extractive sector since the sector is still dominated by men.

Was what you studied for your undergraduate degree the same as what you studied at Bristol?

I studied geology and mining for my undergraduate degree, which is different from my master’s degree. I changed my course for my master’s degree due to my interest in women’s and girls’ rights, and I have been working around sustainable development goal 5 (SDG 5). I enjoy bringing people together for positive interactions and this built my interest in international relations. My focus is on soft power, and I enjoy working around cultural diplomacy.

How were you able to secure the Commonwealth Scholarship?

I Googled to read more information about the scholarship – eligibility, essay questions, required documents for application, etc. Since I knew I was going for a social science degree for my master’s, I decided to acquire more work experience in the development sector. I took some free short courses and participated in some fellowship programmes to build my capacity. Also, I started working on some development projects.

I took networking seriously. I reached out to some individuals I admired who had careers in international development. Social media was very helpful in building my network. I read some blogs and social media posts about people who had previously won the scholarship. They shared tips on how to answer the scholarship questions.

It is important to read instructions before answering a question in the scholarship application. Be original. Do not copy someone else work, it would be flagged as plagiarism and can result in the scholarship organisation banning you. Be unique. Do not take things for granted. Spotlight your skills in your essays. Showcase through your answers that you have the potential to make a positive difference.

Use tools like Grammarly to improve your spelling and sentence structure. Allow someone to read your essay, they can draw your attention to how you are expressing yourself and areas that are not clear so you can improve.

Now that you are done with your programme at Bristol, what is next for you?

I currently work for GW4 which is an alliance among the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, and Exeter to combine expertise, infrastructure, and funding opportunities.

My goal is to continue to work in diplomacy. I look forward to working in the public sector, strengthening ties between Nigeria and other countries to enhance global peace, prosperity, and development.

While in the UK, what did you miss about Nigeria?

I miss the Nigerian weather. The UK weather is colder than the Nigerian weather. It would be sunny and still cold. Also, during winter, every day, the weather becomes dark.

Another thing I miss is the Nigerian food, especially vegetables. Although there are African stores in Bristol where I can buy Nigerian foodstuffs, I still miss eating fresh vegetables that we buy in Nigeria. Most of the ones available here have been dried. I prefer fresh vegetables. The good thing about this challenge is that I have learnt to improvise. I have been trying the varieties of vegetables here.

Initially, in the first few weeks when I arrived in Bristol, I felt a bit lonely. Then, I started engaging with people and forming new friendships. Also, my church is amazing in hosting social activities to connect individuals. People bake and cook meals and share with me. It is undeniable that racism and discrimination still exist. But I don’t feel I have been personally discriminated against. My experience is that Bristol is a friendly and diverse city with individuals from various cultures. People have been helpful.

What challenges did you face in Bristol or the UK, and how did you manage them?

The surprise was how the academic system is structured in the UK. The method of assessment was a bit different from my undergraduate studies. Also, I had a science background but was pursuing a master’s degree in the social sciences. My assessment was based on writing papers. I had to learn academic writing. As mentioned earlier, the university has a strong support system. My lecturers were also supportive. I used their office hours to ask questions on areas I did not understand.

When I felt overwhelmed, I used the mental health and wellbeing services. I attended workshops and had one-on-one sessions to discuss my challenges. Also, I enjoyed social activities. Sometimes, I took breaks from my studies to visit other cities in the UK. I enjoyed the experience of seeing a new city and that helped to reduce the academic stress. When I returned to Bristol after my trips, I felt more energised to study.

You are a development expert and an SDG advocate. What local and international projects have you worked on?

I have worked across various development projects and programmes. Amongst others, they include: I am a ONE Youth Ambassador. I am part of the East Africa Food Crisis Campaign. I have served as the Gender and Governance Executive of the Commonwealth Youth Gender Equality Network. I was a Judge for the Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition.

I served as the Directorate of Education and Cultural Exchange of the African Network of Youth Policy Experts (AFRINYE). I was a Global School Advocate for the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). I was a Coordinator for the Commonwealth Young Women Mentorship Programme, an initiative of the Commonwealth Youth Council.

Furthermore, I was a contributor to the 2021 National Research on the successes and challenges of adopting and implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 of Nigeria. Also, I contributed to the 2020 Nigerian Civil Society Consultations on the Voluntary National Review (VNR) for the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP – SDGs).

In one of your recent Facebook posts, you mentioned that you have travelled to Ethiopia. What fascinated you most about the country?

Ethiopia is an interesting country. I am a Christian and various verses in the Bible refer to Ethiopia. I decided to go there to have a glimpse of the country. When I visited the National Museum in Ethiopia, I learnt about ‘Lucy’, a skeleton fossil that was found during an excavation in Ethiopia and is said to be the origin of human ancestry, according to the school of thought that believes in evolution.

Also, I learnt about one of the prominent emperors of Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie. Some people believe he was a descendant of King Solomon in the Bible. He made Ethiopia the first African country to join the League of Nations, now the United Nations. Also, he conveyed the first meeting of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union. I had the opportunity to see his throne and the palace where he lived.

Your profile says you were awarded the National Youth Merit Award by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). What feats did you achieve to merit the award?

I was an active corps member during my service year in Ogun State. I initiated a girl’s leadership and education programme for female secondary school students in Sagamu Local Government Area (LGA) to increase girls’ retention in schools and maximise their leadership potential. Also, I was a member of the SDGs Community Development Service (CDS) group. I sourced educational resources and funding that led to the implementation of the step-up green project that created awareness of climate change among secondary students in Ogijo community.

At the end of my service year, I was one of the recipients of the Ogun State NYSC Merit Award.

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