Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship - 2023 Finalists

We are proud to present the 2023 finalists for our Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship at educations.com. 

These candidates stood out from more than 8,000 applicants as outstanding examples of up-and-coming, globally-minded leaders who are pursuing Master's degree programs in Europe. They are listed below in alphabetical order. 

Alexia Peniguel

Australia

Pursuing a Master's in Opera Making and Writing at the Guildhall School of Music in London, UK

Alexia wants to challenge the male-dominated field of opera writing and provide alternative perspectives through her own compositions and her support of librettists' rights.

Alexia's background:

Alexia is an Australian with French heritage.  She has lived and worked in Germany for nearly twenty years, where she works as a musician, performer, and writer. Alexia recently discovered libretto writing, which combines the joy and passion of all her skills. Writing for music has reignited Alexia’s passion for storytelling, and she is excited to bring life to new stories through music.

How Alexia chose her country of study:

Alexia has been working with a German composer, writing text for orchestral and vocal performances.  She has found a passion for the ‘process of writing… an entire narrative that is expressed and heightened through music’ and began looking for ways to making this process a career path.  When Alexia found the Master’s in Opera Making and Writing offered by the Guildhall School of Music in London, the choice was obvious. Alexia is excited by the collaborative aspect of the master’s program, as well as the multi-cultural and performing arts traditions of London and the United Kingdom and she looks forward to the inspiration and ‘multiplicity of stories’ offered by the country’s heritage.

How Alexia plans to become a globally-minded leader:

For Alexia, opera is an art form that allows performers and audiences to experience a wide range of emotions and social themes. And while modern opera compositions are increasingly exploring socially and culturally relevant topics, the industry is still male-dominated, with only 9 percent of modern operas written by women. Alexia wants to use her master’s degree and career to create ‘work of the highest standard’ and challenge ‘the traditional narratives of opera by providing alternative perspectives.’ Alexia is also driven to support and advocate for the rights of writers and librettists in the field and aims to bring awareness to issues within the industry.

Ayleen Hernandez

USA

Pursuing an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from London, UK

Ayleen wants to use her medical and public health expertise to create systemic changes that promote better health outcomes for underserved and immigrant communities. 

Ayleen's background:

Ayleen is the daughter of undocumented immigrants from Mexico and she grew up witnessing firsthand the challenges migrants and undocumented immigrants in the USA have accessing accessing healthcare. As a child with US citizenship, Ayleen acted as ‘a language and cultural bridge’ for her family and this experience inspired her to pursue medicine as a career so that she could serve her wider community in a similar way.

How Ayleen chose her country of study:

In 2018 Ayleen participated in a study abroad program at the Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology at the University College London. While there, she stumbled upon a lecture about the impact on global health equity of malarial prevention programs at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTC). Ayleen was inspired by LSHTC’s commitment to improving global and public health. The school’s commitment to global health equity and the rigors of the public health degree will allow Ayleen to become the medical leader and advocate for underserved communities that she aspires to be. Additionally, Ayleen looks to the United Kingdom, with its universal healthcare system and diverse immigrant communities as inspiration for her practice in the United States, where quality healthcare is often out of reach for migrants and immigrants.

How Ayleen plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Ayleen plans to use the knowledge and skills she earns in the MSc in Public Health to return to the USA and work towards equitable healthcare for underserved populations and undocumented immigrants. To accomplish this, Ayleen knows that she needs to have a global mindset that will allow her to connect with people from all over the world. While Ayleen’s own family and community come from Mexico, the immigrant population in Houston is rapidly diversifying. Ayleen believes that her experience at LSHTC and in London will give her the skills and perspective needed to refine her ‘cultural adaptability’ and ‘promote global health equity’ in her own community and beyond.

Emily Ming Li Tan

United Kingdom

Pursuing a Master's Programme in Global Health at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden

Emily is a medical student from the United Kingdom. She plans to research the impact of gynecological conditions on women in developing countries, and hopes to use her career in medicine and global health to improve access and equity in healthcare for women in the UK and the Global South.

Emily's background:

Emily is a medical student in the clinical portion of her education at the University of Oxford. She has a passion for women’s healthcare and is particularly interested in the impact on and treatment of women with endometriosis in developing countries. Emily comes from a multicultural family and sees this as a privileged that has allowed her the ‘opportunity to consider different cultures’ throughout her life and education.

How Emily chose her country of study:

For Emily, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm offers a variety of opportunities that will contribute to her goals as a medical student and women’s healthcare advocate. The institute’s research teams are world-renown in the field of Women’s and Reproductive health and Emily is excited to continue her research into endometriosis as part of the program.  The degree structure also offers opportunities for fieldwork within underserved communities and developing countries, which will allow Emily to gain hands-on experience. Similarly, Emily looks forward to learning more about Sweden’s healthcare system and its commitment to global health.

How Emily plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Emily strives to become a medical practitioner with the skills to impact and lead policy aimed at providing access to healthcare for women in the UK and in the Global South. The Master’s programme at the Karolinska Institute will give Emily the opportunity to learn more about healthcare policy and the impact of healthcare initiatives. After finishing her Master’s degree, Emily plans to complete her medical degree and work in developing countries around the world to gain professional experience in clinical practice and healthcare policy and economics.

Nanako Ueda

Japan

Pursuing an MSc in Environment and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science

Nanako is a climate finance analyst from Japan. She plans to use the expertise from her graduate degree to work in the promotion and analysis of projects aimed at sustainable economic development and socio-environmental issues.

Nanako's background:

Nanako’s is driven by her desire to contribute to building a sustainable world through economic developments that bring ‘positive effects to the environment at the same time.’ Nanako sees the complicated relationship between development and environmental health and has worked to place herself in industries and positions that allow her to measure the impact of interventions. 

How Nanako chose her country of study:

The UK was an obvious choice for Nanako because it is a leader in impact valuation methods.  Nanako chose the MSc in Environment and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science because it offers a variety of course options, including ones that will allow Nanako to hone her project appraisal and policy evaluation skills.  Nanako hopes to gain knowledge and skills that will help her to develop projects that will have a positive impact on the environment at both the macro and micro scales.

How Nanako plans to become a globally-minded leader:

The culturally diverse community in Edinburgh will provide Sarin with the ideal environment to mature as a globally minded leader. She looks forward to learning from skilled academics and to exchange knowledge with her peers from all around the world. SNanako plans to use her master’s degree to become a ‘person who can contribute and make actual impact to global issues.’

After graduation she hopes to move into a position within a multinational or international institution like the United Nations or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, where she wants to become a leader who can help to ‘accelerate economic development and bring positive effect on the environment’ by identifying and championing projects that will have a real impact.

Rhoda Boadu

Ghana

Pursuing the SUSFOODS MSc Sustainable Food Systems at Università Cattolica del Sacro Curoe (Italy), the University of Ghent (Belgium), and Isara (France)

Rhoda is a quality assurance officer from Ghana who has a passion for sustainable development. Rhoda plans to use her degree to develop sustainable food sources from Ghana's underutilized crops and address issues of food waste in Ghana and the rest of the world.

Rhoda's background:

Rhoda completed an undergraduate degree in Post Harvest Technology and currently works as a quality assurance officer for a fruit drying company in Ghana.  During an undergraduate internship, Rhoda traveled to the northern part of Ghana where she saw how local women preserved food and prolonged the shelf life of products. Rhoda was inspired to try some of the methods at home and saw the potential for innovative and ethical food production from Ghana’s underutilized crops. She decided to pursue a master’s degree in sustainable food systems to help her pursue this goal.

How Rhoda chose her country of study:

The SUSFOODS MSc program is hosted by institutions in three countries – Italy, France, and Belgium – and for Rhoda, this was ideal.  She sees this unique master’s degree as an opportunity to explore and learn from three great food cultures and to use her creativity to delve deeper into alternative and traditional ways of preserving food.  Rhoda is also inspired by the countries’ commitment to sustainable innovation and is interested in learning more about the systems each country uses to minimize food waste.

How Rhoda plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Rhoda intends to become a key industry player in food production and product development.  Rhoda sees that Ghana has a great resource in its agriculture system that is often underutilized and the SUSFOODS MSc is Rhoda’s first step towards bringing environmentally and ethically sound food production and preservation methods to Ghana’s food industry. Rhoda hopes to design products and processes that will allow her to advance Ghana’s agricultural industry and bring it to the forefront of African food production.

Ria Phi

Philippines

Pursuing an MSc in Mental Health in Children and Young People at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland

Ria studied Psychology and History, Law, and Society at the American University of Paris. She wants to use her master's degree to pursue a career in mental healthcare and advocacy for children and young people in the Philippines.

Ria’s background:

Ria grew up in Manila and saw firsthand how people struggled to get opportunities because of ‘structural problems and systemic issues of justice.’ She pursued an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree which gave her the chance to see how ‘historical, social, and legal issues’ have an impact on mental health and well-being.  Ria has deep interest in child development and involved herself with organizations that help at-risk and disadvantaged young people in both Manila and Paris. These experiences have given her a perspective on how sociocultural factors impact children’s well-being.

How Ria chose her country of study:

Ria chose Scotland because the country has a reputation as leader in education and child development.  Scotland also boasts a strong selection of psychology graduate programs, and the MSc in Mental Health in Children and Young People at the University of Edinburgh ‘enthralled’ Ria because of its holistic approach. Ria is also excited by Scotland’s multiculturalism and diversity, which aligns with her ‘passion for cross-cultural experiences.’  

How Ria plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Ria’s goal is to become a mental health and well-being practitioner who is able to ‘make meaningful connections with people from all over the world.’ She wants to advocate for the well-being of children and young people because improving the well-being of the next generation will make – and help young people make – a meaningful impact on the world. To this end, Ria believes that having a global mindset and a holistic approach will allow her to implement early psychological interventions in ways that are lacking from current psychology practice.