Go Global MBA scholarship - 2023 Finalists

We are so proud to present the 2023 finalists for our Go Global MBA Scholarship at educations.com.

This year, our nine finalists stood out from over a thousand applicants.  These individuals represent the passion, dedication, and confidence required for strong global leadership.  They are presented in alphabetical order by surname below. 

Esther Ajari

Nigeria

Pursuing an MBA in Business, Economics, and Policy, and Multinational Management at the Wharton Business School in the USA

Esther is a medical doctor and founder of The TriHealthon, an NGO focused on improving the health and well-being of vulnerable women and children in Africa. Esther plans to use her MBA to work in multinational government organizations like the African Union and the United Nations.

Esther’s Background

As a doctor and advocate, Esther gives vulnerable women and children access to healthcare, provides resources and training, and conducts research to end period poverty, teen pregnancy, and childhood malnutrition in Africa.  Esther has been a Dalai Lama Fellow, an African Union Ambassador, and an international consultant to the Council of Europe.

How Esther chose her country of study

Esther had planned to study Community Health at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as a global study winner with the Student Network Organization in 2020.  Due to the global pandemic, the program was completed digitally, and the experience gave Esther a sense of the benefits of international study.  When she decided to pursue an MBA, she knew it would be as an international student. Esther chose Wharton’s business program because the school boasts numerous electives and multidisciplinary majors that will allow Esther to shape her experience as an MBA student.  She plans to double-major in business, economics, and policy, and multinational management.

How Esther plans to become a globally-minded leader

Through her work with The TriHealthon, Esther has realized that the best way to create large-scale societal change is to do, not ask. By earning an MBA from Wharton Business School in the United States, Esther hopes to gain the multidisciplinary knowledge needed to transition into a leadership role within governments or organizations that facilitate change on an international scale.

Nikolina Konjevod

Croatia

Pursuing an MBA in General Management at Geneva Business School - Madrid Campus - in Spain

Nikolina is an art history student, currently studying in the UK.  Her passion for art has inspired her to pursue an MBA to help her develop her ideas for digitally preserving artwork and making art accessible to a wider audience through digital platforms.

Nikolina’s Background

Nikolina is completing her bachelor’s degree in art history at the University of York. Her passion for art is most evident in her work writing for an arts and culture magazine organized by the University of York. For Nikolina, art – and appreciating art – is both an academic interest and a solace in stressful times. She wants to make art and its therapeutic benefits available to everyone, no matter where they are.

How Nikolina chose her country of study

Nikolina recently completed an internship with the Croatian Association of Fine Artists, which helped her to develop her ideas for an international art digitalization business. Additionally, her undergraduate degree introduced her to the complexity of international art laws and the legal regulations around the international art market.  Nikolina realized she would need a greater understanding of business, law, and international management to realize her art digitization goals.  She selected the Geneva Business School because it offers world-class business programs and the opportunity to study in Madrid, where Nikolina can draw inspiration and experience from the city’s vibrant arts and culture scene.

How Nikolina plans to become a globally-minded leader

Nikolina plans to leverage her MBA degree and the experience and contacts she will establish in Madrid to develop an art digitization business. She plans to seek out like-minded individuals and organizations, where she will take the lead in creating a platform where art can be preserved, protected, and shared with the public. 

Nguyen Le

Vietnam

Pursuing an MBA in General Management at INSEAD in France

Nguyen earned her BBA in Supply and Value Train Marketing and Management at Texas Christian University, where she was a Resident Assistant and the president of the Vietnamese Student Organization. She has a passion for volunteering and servant-leadership and aspires to be a global citizen at the forefront of positive change.

Nguyen’s Background

Nguyen works in procurement and supply chain management and she has a passion for creating a positive social impact.  Nguyen has worked with several NGOs as a volunteer and intern, specifically the Adera Foundation in Ethiopia.  Her time with the Adera Foundation forced Nguyen to step out of her comfort zone and develop skills in communication and an understanding of the intersection between business and culture.

How Nguyen chose her country of study

Nguyen grew up in Vietnam, completed her undergraduate degree as an international student in Texas, and has volunteered and interned in Africa. When Nguyen determined that an MBA would help her realize her goals of servant-leadership and social impact, she decided to focus on business schools in Europe to expand her international experience to a new region. She chose INSEAD in France because the program has an outstanding reputation for leadership development, and the intensive nature of the program would allow Nguyen to accelerate her plans. The program also focuses on international experience, with a diverse cohort of students and a semester in Singapore.

How Nguyen plans to become a globally-minded leader

Nguyen intends to combine intellectual curiosity and desire to be a servant-leader with the business acumen acquired through an MBA to establish and lead an organization to create income-generating activities and educational opportunities for underserved women and families in Southeast Asia.

Shu-Ting (Olivia) Liang

Taiwan

Pursuing an MBA in General Management at Carnegie Mellon University in the USA

Shu-Ting works in logistics and supply chain management in Taiwan. As a woman in a male-dominated sector, Olivia wants to become a leader who will foster women’s inclusion in industry and help women in Southeast Asia achieve higher education and rise out of poverty.

Shu-Ting’s Background

Shu-Ting has a passion for strategy and pursued a BBA at Providence University in Taiwan.  Her degree included a year at Ashland University in Ohio, where she studied business administration. Since graduating, Shu-Ting has worked in logistics and supply chain management. She has served as Assistant to the President in two separate roles. For Shu-Ting, this experience has helped her to develop as a leader and to understand the function of effective leadership within a team.  

How Shu-Ting chose her country of study

As an undergraduate student, Shu-Ting was involved in international student activities both in Taiwan and while studying abroad in Ohio. She appreciated the opportunity studying abroad gave her to get out of her comfort zone and to gain new perspectives. When she decided to pursue an MBA, Shu-Ting looked for a program that would be flexible and allow her to choose several concentrations to broaden her experience in business. The program at Carnegie Mellon University in the USA also offers a dynamic student community and the opportunity to get first-hand experience in the American market.

How Shu-Ting plans to become a globally-minded leader

Working in supply chain management has given Shu-Ting real-life experience in the interdependencies of business and society. She wants to leverage that experience to make processes and industries more sustainable and to demonstrate female leadership in a male-dominated space. Shu-Ting’s goal is to use her leadership potential to create more inclusive spaces within the industry and to gain the experience needed to start businesses and foundations that will help vulnerable women and children pursue education.

Elia Marcos 

Spain

Pursuing an MBA in General Management at London Business School

Elia is an engineer with a passion for sustainability.  She works with a non-profit in Spain helping startups in the sustainability and technology sectors develop partnerships that will allow them to scale and grow.

Elia’s Background

Elia completed an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design. She pursued a master’s degree in Material Science and Engineering to focus on materials and understand how to develop new products more sustainably. After graduating, Elia worked in 3D printing and product management. She hopes to use her skills and knowledge to move into sustainability consulting with the long-term goal of developing an industry marketplace for recycled materials.

How Elia chose her country of study

Elia wants to focus on improving sustainability for industries within Europe and focused her MBA search on European programs.  The London Business School stood out both because of its academic reputation and its commitment to sustainable development through initiatives like the Wheeler Institute. Elia is also excited by the diversity offered at LBS and looks forward to learning from and connecting with people with different experiences and new ideas.

How Elia plans to become a globally-minded leader

For Elia, sustainability is a global issue that needs to be tackled collectively. She sees that individual cities and countries can implement measures and policies that promote sustainable development but unless the initiatives are adopted globally, the impact will remain local. Elia’s goals are two-fold.  First, she wants to move into sustainability consulting after graduating to help corporations improve their efforts to produce products sustainably.  And Elia also aims to use her experience in engineering, product design, and business to create solutions for corporations looking for sustainable and recycled materials for their production.

Jeremiah Ogbonna

Nigeria

Pursuing an MBA in General Management at the University of Manitoba in Canada

Jeremiah is a finance manager from Nigeria who knows first-hand the struggles young people in rural areas have accessing education. Jeremiah wants to combine education and business to develop ways to support children who faced similar challenges to achieve their education goals.

Jeremiah’s Background

Jeremiah grew up in rural Nigeria where education was highly prized. Jeremiah was one of only a few local boys accepted to the primary school.  This achievement gave him access to education that allowed him to pursue his dreams and he wants to use his education to expand access to education for more children.

How Jeremiah chose his country of study

For Jeremiah, Canada was an obvious choice.  The country offers stability and safety, with high academic standards and globally recognized universities. He chose the University of Manitoba because it is one of Canada’s most prestigious research institutions, and its MBA program emphasizes leadership development through experiential leadership and mentoring.

How Jeremiah plans to become a globally-minded leader

Jeremiah’s background in finance has given him insight into the business world. He wants to expand that understanding and broaden his perspective through an MBA degree.  The MBA program at the University of Manitoba will allow him to specialize in areas where he can leverage his skills to bring change and prosperity to his community and country.  Jeremiah aims to become a globally-minded business leader out of Africa.

Olaoluwa Oginni

Nigeria

Pursuing an MCIS at Colorado State University in the USA

Olaoluwa is a wildlife and conservation biologist completing a master’s degree at Colorado State University. He is passionate about animal and social welfare and plans to develop strategies to help support parks and wildlife sanctuaries in developing regions.

Olaoluwa’s Background

Olaoluwa grew up in Nigeria, where he earned a degree in wildlife and ecotourism management from the University of Ibadan.  Olaoluwa is passionate about wildlife conservation, enjoys being in nature and birdwatching, and is now completing a degree in professional science masters (PMS) in Zoo, Aquarium, and Animal Shelter Management. Through his current degree studies, Olaoluwa has learned more about the challenges smaller zoos and parks, especially those in developing regions, face in obtaining funding for research and conservation.

How Olaoluwa chose his country of study

Olaoluwa is currently studying PMS Zoo and Aquarium Management at Colorado State University.  His capstone project inspired him to pursue an MBA in Information Technology to develop digital strategies and solutions for wildlife conservation efforts in Africa and other areas of the world. The MBA program at Colorado State University offers the opportunity for Olaoluwa to combine business and technology, and he has been supported and inspired by the student community at CSU.

How Olaoluwa plans to become a globally-minded leader

As an international student, Olaoluwa has experienced the benefit of different perspectives and unique experiences. He wants to use his position as someone who understands the challenges developing communities face to tackle issues with technology. Olaoluwa is confident that his ability to empathize with and resonate between two worlds will give him the ability to lead in the field of conservation.

Kunjoo Park

South Korea

Pursuing Engineering and Technology Management at Columbia University in the USA

Kunjoo is an engineer working in the automotive industry. He focuses on EV technology and currently works as a calibration specialist for General Motors.  Kunjoo is pursuing an MBA to develop his business skills in hopes of developing his own startup in EV technology.

Kunjoo’s Background

Kunjoo studied electrical engineering at Washington University. He also studies programming and software development and has been involved in an innovation club that designs small electric vehicles. Kunjoo and his team recently took first place in a racing competition. For Kunjoo, the automotive industry’s future is in electric vehicles, and he wants to combine his engineering expertise with his passion for innovation.

How Kunjoo chose his country of study

Kunjoo has studied abroad before and knows the benefit of international experience. He also knows that his goal of becoming a leader in the EV industry will be best served by a degree from the United States which is a leader in developing core technologies for electric vehicles. Kunjoo chose Columbia University because the Business School allows students to combine a Master of Engineering with an MBA.  The program also offers hands-on experience through work placements and internships, and the school’s location in New York City puts it in the heart of business and innovation networking.

How Kunjoo plans to become a globally-minded leader

As an EV engineer, Kunjoo knows that the transportation industry is extremely future-oriented and for Kunjoo, that future is electric vehicles. Adding an MBA to his engineering experience will allow Kunjoo to identify areas of the industry that are open for development and innovation. Kunjoo is specifically interested in exploring opportunities to lead the way in developing tools and processes for testing EV battery capabilities and creating solutions and technologies that can improve safety and performance.

Shreethi Srirama

India

Pursuing an MBA in General Management at Cambridge University in the UK

Shreethi is a product manager and blockchain developer from India who wants to combine her experience in Fintech with business expertise in the hopes of developing legal technology solutions that will give underserved people in India – and the world – access to legal services.

Shreethi’s Background

Shreethi studied electrical and electronics engineering and computer science at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay.  Since she graduated, she has worked in Fintech as a software engineer, blockchain developer, and most recently as a product manager, where she has had a chance to develop leadership skills and gain a greater understanding of business strategy. 

Her experience in the blockchain consulting company, Blocknaut has also given Shreethi insight into the startup community and the challenges companies face during the scale-up phase. Shreethi hopes that an MBA will give her the business acumen to combine with her engineering and software skills so that she can develop her own technology-driven solutions for the digital legal services sector.

How Shreethi chose her country of study

This will be Shreethi’s first international education experience, and she applied to and was accepted to programs in both the US and the UK.  Shreethi is excited to have chosen the program at the Cambridge Judge Business School because Cambridge offers entrepreneurship special interest groups for students, like the Ignite Program.  Shreethi has a keen interest in history and looks forward to experiencing the historical legacy and college structure of Cambridge, as well as the longstanding friendly rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge especially the annual rowing competition. For Shreethi, studying in the UK also offers a wealth of business networking opportunities and diverse contacts that will help her to develop her ideas for a legal tech startup.

How Shreethi plans to become a globally-minded leader

After graduating from Cambridge, Shreethi hopes to gain more work experience as a consultant within Fintech or Legal Tech in the UK. Her current experience in blockchain development has given Shreethi insight into the gaps in the market for legal tech and she sees opportunities to become a leader in this type of technology in India, and the rest of the world. As a leader, Shreethi values democracy and open communication with her team. She wants to model these leadership qualities in her business development, and Shreethi is particularly interested in developing solutions that will democratize legal services with the goal of providing access to underserved populations in India.