Chevening Scholarship Essays [PDF]

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1 Essay 1: Leadership and Influence “Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.” It is increasingly becoming a well-known fact that ‘influence is the new currency for success.’ This is especially true in this new social media era where several careers have taken off on the strength of social media influence alone, and a number of political careers have been elevated through the power and ubiquity of social media. Former American President Barack Obama, who used the Internet to orchestrate an unprecedented political campaign mainly using social media, is a prime example. As such, I am well aware that influence and leadership are intertwined, where one cannot exist without the other. Amassing influence is therefore, in my opinion, the surest way of achieving one’s leadership goals because, essentially, people can only be motivated to follow a person who possesses some degree of influence. It is with this knowledge in mind that I have therefore endeavoured to build my influence over the years in order to develop into a leader within both my profession and my community. This has seen me take on various leadership responsibilities in school, at work, and in the community. In high school, I held two main leadership responsibilities— I was both the Head Girl and Netball Captain at Kereri Girls High School. Being a Head Girl is the highest leadership position one can attain as a secondary school student, and as you can well imagine, with it came a lot of weighty

2 responsibilities. I was the overall leader of all prefects in the school and had to carefully use my influence to guide them towards exercising thoughtful and balanced leadership over the rest of the students. As the Netball Captain, I had to motivate my teammates towards achieving success in the various national and provincial competitions we would take part in. Even at the university, I found myself in a leadership role where I was tasked with heading the Fourth Year University Project Group. Professionally, I have consistently exercised my leadership skills throughout my career. As the Branch Operations Supervisor at NIC Bank, I oversaw teller operations, back office and customer service operations, and guided staff accordingly. In fact, in recognition of my leadership capabilities, I was rewarded with the ‘NIC Bank Branch Forex Champion’ award. These leadership roles have continued as I progress in my career at NIC and currently, I chair the NIC Securities Limited Welfare Committee. Within the community, however, is where I have most enjoyed exerting my influence as a leader because it has helped me to contribute towards the betterment of society in my own little way. I am a Mentor at Nyabururu Girls High School, Kereri Girls High School, and the Equity Bank Wings to Fly Program. As a mentor, I have been able to guide young people in terms of professional and academic mentoring, as well as financial support especially with respect to sanitary towels and other school items. In addition, I currently work with the Uthiru Area Chief to support disadvantaged families by donating clothes, food, and some financial support.

3 Essay 2: Networking “Chevening

is

looking

for

individuals

with

strong

professional

relationship-building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity, using clear examples of how you currently do this, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.” I believe that building a strong network is crucial for professional success, regardless of the career that one is in. From my own personal experience, I have come to discover that a strong and expansive network is invaluable as it provides you with insight into different trends in the professional world, in addition to giving you access to insider information on job vacancies. Moreover, there is so much one can learn just by interacting with people in different fields. I, for one, have learnt so much from medical professionals that I have networked with, knowledge that has allowed to me to better take care of my health by way of new nutritional choices I have made as well as preventative measures I have adopted against potential lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. After all, knowledge is power and one of the best ways of gaining knowledge is simply by interacting with people who are more knowledgeable than you. Social media networking has personally proven to be one of the most effective ways of building and maintaining relationships. I read somewhere that ‘Social networks represent the digital reflection of what humans do: we connect and share.’ This is undeniable, since social media has become the new way of forging relationships and sharing information. Personally, I love social media because I feel like it's the first step towards discovering professionals in the fastest, most convenient, and affordable way. LinkedIn, in particular, has been

4 such an indispensible platform that has allowed me to connect with professionals from my field and other professions as well. Understanding how the LinkedIn algorithm works and how to use SEO in LinkedIn has been priceless in helping me to build incredibly valuable connections with professionals within and outside of my field from all over the world. I am very proactive on LinkedIn, making sure to comment on posts or responding to comments on my own posts, ensuring that I add value as much as I can. When I finally get to meet these connections in person, it is so much easier for me to pick up from our online conversations and make reference to my previous communications with them. Even Facebook has been a great networking platform for me. Despite its reputation as being strictly for social engagements, I have discovered that there are a number of Facebook groups that are very professional and they have provided me with the opportunity to meet new professionals and learn new things. I have also had the pleasure of adding value and gaining from others as well. Other than social media, I do also enjoy face-to-face networking events. The NIC Bank End Year Party, for example, has been a great avenue where I have been fortunate enough to create and nurture lasting relationships. During this party, I have made concerted efforts to meet colleagues that I rarely get to engage with during the year and even learn of various happenings in the company that I otherwise would not have been privy to.

5

Essay 3: Studying in the UK “Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future. Please do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form.” For my master’s degree course, I have a keen interest in specialising in Financial Economics and seek to pursue it in the UK at the University of Manchester, the University of Kent, or the University of Glasgow. My decision to zero in on Financial Economics as opposed to any other course has been underpinned by my long-term career goal, which is to rise through the professional ranks to eventually become the Chief Financial Economist in the National Treasury (Kenya). I am acutely aware that such a senior and important position will require expert-level knowledge and advanced understanding of financial analysis, planning and strategy, international and bilateral trade, investment policy, micro and macro-economic trends, global, regional, and sectoral developments, international business development, negotiating international agreements, trade litigation, and the production and distribution of goods and services. It additionally requires the ability to collect and process economical and statistical data, in addition to carrying out trade and economic research and high-level analysis using different sampling and econometric methods, hence my desire to become an expert in Financial Economics. Evidently, a rigorous course that equips me with the above knowledge and practical skills, and more, will therefore be critical. From my extensive research, all the three universities I have chosen offer very high quality

6 training in Financial Economics and I am confident that any of the three universities are well equipped to help me advance my knowledge in this area. The University of Manchester, in particular, stands out to me because it has been ranked at sixth place in the UK in the 2019 Academic Ranking of World Universities. It also offers a wide array of facilities and resources, plus numerous societies at the university, which will provide me with excellent opportunities for networking and exchanging great ideas. Moreover, the Financial Economics course ties in perfectly with my current educational background and professional experience. I possess a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi, and CISI Level 1 and Level 2 professional qualifications. Given my existing grasp of finance and economics, I will be able to cope with the challenges of the course with relative ease. As far as my work experience is concerned, I presently work as an Equities and Fixed Income Trader at NIC Securities Ltd. Before this position, I had worked as the Operations Assistant/ Supervisor at NIC Bank Kenya, the Relationship Officer (Operations) at Equity Bank Limited, the Acting Supervisor (Operations) at Equity Bank Limited, and the Relationship Officer (Operations) at Equity Bank Limited, respectively. These professional experiences perfectly lend themselves to the field of Financial Economics, and I have no doubt that I will be able to draw on my considerable hands-on experience in both Finance and Economics to handle the course’s requirements. My work and education are essentially going to serve as a natural progression into a Financial Economics career path.

7 Essay 4: Career Plan “Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Please outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your longer-term career goals. You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in your country.” I intend to put the new skills and knowledge I will have acquired from my education in the UK into good use in Kenya. Therefore, my immediate shortterm career goal as soon as I return to the country will be to use my new qualifications to search for a job that is commensurate with my master’s degree course. The position I already have in mind is that of a Personal Financial Advisor as it is a financial/economics advisory role, a role that I am very interested in. I will also seek a job as a Financial Analyst, Budget Analyst, Management Analyst, and any other related job. I anticipate that getting my first job after returning home will not be too difficult given my existing professional experience and the master’s degree I will have obtained. Moreover, since I have already built excellent relationships at NIC Bank, it will be the first place that I seek employment from. In whatever new job I will have secured, I will be able to put into practice everything I will have learnt in the UK. My medium-term career goal is to establish a consultancy company where I will be providing expert advice on all things business, finance, accounting, and economics. This will present an admittedly daunting yet rewarding challenge to me as it will be the first time I will be stepping out of formal employment into running my own business. This I plan to venture into after about 5 years of employment. By this time, I expect to have gained enough knowledge and skills, and should have saved enough capital to sustain my business for at

8 least 1 year. This one year grace year period will allow me to roll up my sleeves and build the necessary foundation for the business from the ground up before it becomes profitable and sustainable on its own. I quite look forward to this challenge. I will give myself about 10 years in this capacity so as to develop my skills, expertise, and also a strong network of professionals in the corporate world and government before eventually applying for a senior position such as Chief Financial Economist in the National Treasury. This is my ultimate long-term career goal. By this point, I will be in a much better position to use all the information I will have accrued from my education and work experience to provide the requisite expert advice that the government and government bodies need. All of these plans coalesce with everything that the UK currently engages in in Kenya. The UK has quite a healthy economic relationship with Kenya, even in the face of Brexit. It continues to export goods from Kenya and make significant investments into the country. For instance, in May 2019, the UK government committed to funding various high impact projects across the nation,

investments

that

are

worth

KSh14.5

billion

(approximately

£113,655,360). This came after a proposal for the establishment of a UKKenya Economic Development Forum, which shall be meeting biannually.

Essay 3: Studying in the UK Despite being among the top ten destinations for foreign direct investment in Africa and initiating reforms that have led to economic growth since 2003, Kenya faces a high poverty rate and a widening inequality gap. This is due to the lack of evidence-based policies, corruption and political instability during elections. The fact that the number of

9 millionaires is expected to increase while the number of poor people is increasing in the next decade should be a concern for any policymaker in the country. This has motivated me to pursue a Master’s degree in International Development to gain knowledge and skills on poverty reduction, development and addressing inequality. Though much of my career has been in banking, my experience with poor rural communities as a parliamentary candidate in the 2017 General Election makes my case to switch careers The MSc Applied International Development offered at the University of Reading is my first choice. The university is among the top twenty institutions in the United Kingdom by research intensity and top thirty by research power which will develop my research competencies to come up with effective evidence-based poverty reduction policies. I plan to specialize in their Agriculture and Social Development pathway as this will be in line with my goal of addressing poverty using agriculture In addition, the course is offered at the Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics (GIIDAE) where I can take electives in agriculture such as Agriculture Project Planning and Management in Developing Countries taught by Dr. Chittur Srinivasan. My second preferred course is MSc International Development: Poverty, Inequality and Development offered at the University of Manchester. Apart from learning strategies and policies being implemented to advance equality, development and reduce poverty, I will also have a chance for a field trip to experience the global challenge of inequality in another country as part of the course. Based on the 2018 World QS universities rankings by subject, the university is rated 14th in the world and 3rd in the United Kingdom on Development Studies. My third choice is MSc International Development at the University of Edinburgh. The course is appealing because apart from learning about the historical approaches of international development and politics associated with the subject, there is a whole unit on contemporary issues and organizations of importance to development policy and

10 practice. The university also offers an eight-week research-based project where one is attached to an institution either in the United Kingdom or overseas with an option of completing a research dissertation based on the fieldwork or print and library sources. This will also provide practical experience to complement coursework. The University also has beautiful classic buildings and surrounding scenery that would provide a perfect getaway after lectures to refresh the mind Overall studying in the UK will provide an opportunity to build collaborations to achieve Kenyan Vision 2030 which aims to industrialize and transform the country into middleincome status while ensuring high-quality life for her citizens

Essay 4: Career Plan According to a 2017 report by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, over 70% of Kenya’s poor and hunger-stricken people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Growth in the agricultural sector has been estimated to be over ten times more effective in reducing poverty compared to growth in other sectors in poor countries. According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the sector employs over 40% of Kenya’s population. This could increase if more efforts are directed there and this is why am seeking to build on my experience with rural poor communities to pursue a career in International Development. This will impart me with knowledge and skills to influence policies on poverty reduction through small-scale agriculture, rural development and research. In the short term, I see myself starting a community-based organization in Murang’a County that will endeavour to transform agriculture into a viable businesses for rural small-scale farmers. I will achieve this by seeking partnerships with the county government and relevant social enterprises such as Juhudi Kilimo to increase smallholder farms productivity, enhance marketing systems and offering business, safety standards

11 and technical skills training. These initiatives will turn small-scale farms to businesses, link them to regional and global food chains and create job opportunities. I plan to serve in the next Murang’a County Government as a County Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture and Cooperatives. In this role, I will work with the County Assembly to improve the reliability of water supply for irrigation for small-scale farmers, build more wholesale market sheds, employ more extension officers, identify and invest in first-mover crops and improve on feeder roads to support agriculture. In the long-term, with experience and skills gained in the local government, I plan to serve as Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, chairing the Agriculture, Trade and Cooperatives Committee. In this role, I will build on my success with the County Government to work closely with the Executive arm of government to spearhead legislation to transform Kenya’s Agricultural sector to ensure food security and create more jobs. I will lead negotiations with United Kingdom Multinationals such as Marks & Spencer to increase their fair-trade products in Kenya and rope in more tea and coffee factories in their supply chain. In addition, I will advocate for Diageo to replace imported grains with local crops such as sorghum and cassava for their beers. This will promote trade between Kenya and the United Kingdom, deepen our relations and create jobs in the country. By following this career progression, it will be possible to make necessary adjustments based on my experience and the prevailing circumstances.