Science students win top scholarships

Two students from London Metropolitan University have secured scholarships worth up to £15,000 from the Sir John Cass Foundation Lord Mayor Bursary Programme.

Date: 22/11/2012

Two students from London Metropolitan University have secured scholarships worth up to £15,000 from the Sir John Cass Foundation Lord Mayor Bursary Programme.

Sabah Ayaz and Mujakkir Ahmed competed against students from seven other universities before being offered the scholarships, worth £5,000 annually for a maximum of three years. 

The scholarship programme, run by the Sir John Cass Foundation, aims to support local students who are working towards a degree in a scientific subject.

Sabah, who studies BSc Biomedical Science at London Met, said: “My dream is to become a doctor and wining this bursary has helped pay for my education. Now I can work less hours at my job and focus harder on my university studies. 

“It feels absolutely amazing knowing you were selected out of the many students who applied! It has also made me more motivated and determined to work hard and achieve my dream.”

The students, who both study in the Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing at London Met, received their awards at a ceremony at Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor. 

For Mujakkir, winning the scholarship is a life-changing opportunity. “If I'm being honest, the very first thought that came to my head when I heard the news was ‘this could be the start of something new.’”

However, the good news doesn’t stop there for Mujakkir and Sabah. They have also been invited onto the Barclays PLC mentoring programme, to be launched at Canary Wharf in December. 

“I thought ‘this just keeps getting better!’”, said BSc Chemistry student Mujakkir. “It will be a massive help getting mentored by someone experienced and being put on the right path. I feel it’s very important to get as much advice and knowledge as you can, so this mentoring scheme will really help me fulfil my future plans.” 

In the meantime, both Sabah and Mujakkir are looking forward to continuing their studies at London Met. 

“I love the multicultural atmosphere in the University and the staff are just brilliant!”, said Sabah. “The professors are all very intelligent and go out of their way to give us the best quality education. They always go the extra mile whenever a student needs help.”  

Paul Blagburn, Widening Participation and Recruitment Strategy Manager at London Met, is delighted for the students. He said: “Scholarships of this size are very rare and it’s testament to the students' drive and commitment that they produced exceptional statements to convince the panel in what was a highly competitive process. 

"These opportunities should really give the students a great platform to build a great career.
 
"Congratulations should also go to the other five London Met applicants who worked really hard to produce excellent applications but missed out on this occasion."  

Find out more about studying for a science degree at London Metropolitan University

Sabah Ayaz and Mujakkir Ahmed receiving their awards