Study a Bachelor's in the USA Scholarship - 2023 Finalists

We are proud to present the 2023 finalists for our Study a Bachelor’s in the USA Scholarship at educations.com

These candidates stood out from more than two thousand applicants as outstanding examples of up-and-coming, globally-minded individuals who are pursuing undergraduate programs in the USA. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Chinenye Glory Ezema

Nigeria

Pursuing a Bachelor's in Pharmacy at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio

Chinenye plans to study pharmacy with the goal of becoming an ambulatory care pharmacist in her home country of Nigeria.

Chinenye's background

Chinenye is a pharmacy student from Nigeria and a member of the Igbo tribe. Chineye sees that in Nigeria, certain chronic diseases still go unmanaged because people cannot access the care and medicine that they need.  

How Chinenye chose her country of study

Chinenye chose the USA as her study destination because of the wide range of opportunities available.  She was also impressed by the curriculum and teaching methods, including the emphasis on hands-on learning and internships for pharmacy students. For Chinenye, this means that she will have a chance to practice her skills before entering the profession. She is particularly excited by the opportunity to work in the ambulatory care clinic at the University of Toledo.

How Chinenye plans to become a globally-minded leader

After completing her degree, Chinenye plans to return to Nigeria and lead a non-profit clinic in one of the overpopulated cities where people struggle to access care and treatment. She hopes that by working as an ambulatory pharmacist she can help people in underserved areas receive preemptive care before their conditions become severe or unmanaged.

Elisa Platonoff

France

Pursuing a Professional Diploma in Film Scoring at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts

Elisa is a trained musician with a degree in music and sound professions. She wants to expand her skill set and professional network at the Berklee School of Music and aspires to a professional career in music composition for film and television.

Elisa's background

Elisa is a singer-songwriter who has been passionate about music since childhood. She studies classical piano, jazz, singing, and guitar. Her first EP was released this summer and she has produced compositions for student films and competitions. Elisa’s passion for music extends to dance and she has studied classical dance, jazz, and hip-hop and wants to try salsa dancing next.

How Elisa chose her country of study

This year, Elisa completed a degree in music and sound professions at Gustave Eiffel University in Noisy Champ. She wants to complete her training in stage and film composition at a diverse and multicultural American university and chose the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston because it offered one of the best-ranked programs in contemporary music. The school hosts an eclectic artist community of students and professors, and the curriculum emphasizes a modern approach that fosters creativity and success, with many graduates going on to achieve recognition in the music industry. Elisa looks forward to taking inspiration from the diverse student community as well as the expertise of the college’s staff and the local community.

How Elisa plans to become a globally-minded leader

Elisa draws inspiration and motivation from the cultures and communities around her and she brings that passion to her compositions. She also looks to romantic composers like Debussy and Chopin – musicians who were allowed to express themselves and were not afraid to push limits. For Elisa, their fearlessness allows their compositions to transport listeners to another place. She hopes to create music and compositions for film and theater that create that kind of sensation and hopes to pursue a career in composition for film, television, and musical theater in Los Angeles, New York, or France.

Koto Imahori

Japan

Pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Sports Psychology from the New York University in New York City, New York

Koto will study sports psychology to support her goals for reforming the culture and methods used in sports coaching and athlete training in Japan.

Koto's background

Koto trained in track and field from a young age, with the goal of pursuing a career in sport. She experienced firsthand the extreme pressure and unhealthy practices used to motivate and train athletes in Japan. In high school, Koto decided to transfer to the United States where she hoped to be able to train in a healthier, more supportive environment.

How Koto chose her country of study

Koto transferred to an international high school in Wisconsin, where she continued to train in track and field and competed in the US State Track Championships. The sports training and coaching environment in the USA was much healthier than what Koto had experienced in Japan, and she was able to overcome an eating disorder and compete in a healthy way. Her experience as a student-athlete in the USA inspired her to pursue a degree in sports psychology. Koto will start her degree this autumn at the New York University in New York City.

How Koto plans to become a globally-minded leader

Training as an athlete in both Japan and the USA has given Koto insight into the importance of sports psychology. Specifically, she sees that Japan does not usually include sports psychology or sports nutrition as a profession within its sports industry, which allows unhealthy training and coaching practices to proliferate. Koto wants to study sports psychology so that she can return to Japan and help to train a new generation of athletes with healthy, science-supported methods.