My journey to the Beacon was one that can be best described as a rollercoaster. But before I get to that, my name is Wise Musinguzi and I am a first year Ugandan Beacon scholar at the University of Surrey. For those that may not be familiar with the Beacon, it is a UK founded charity trust that currently runs the biggest undergraduate scholarship scheme for East African students to the UK. Whilst doing my finals in 2018, I got to learn about the Beacon scholarship and immediately took up interest. A few months down the road, I applied and was invited to Nairobi for interviews. This was probably to be one of the most important moments in life as I had to decide whether or not to travel over 600km to Kenya for an interview and potentially miss my second best option at Makerere University since the interviews clashed. to cap it all off, I wasn’t entirely sure whether I would achieve the required entry grades for the UK universities since one of my papers had to undergo a remarking. To cut the story short, I made the right call and here I am writing this whilst sitting in my university room in Guildford, England. I find this story particularly relevant because it showcases some of the qualities and aspects required by the beacon but also by life itself. Never say never and Never fail to try your luck!
Prior to my arrival in the UK, we had been briefed thoroughly briefed by the Beacon about what to expect and how to prepare ourselves for the change. Infant I had personally gone on to contact some friends currently attending university here. Despite all this, my first weeks weren’t a walk in the park and you shouldn’t feel afraid if they are not. It is perfectly normal especially when coming from such a different social and economic setting. Of course as a Beacon scholar there will be a bit of expectation from you to quickly settle in given your social skills but do not pressure yourself in any way and work at a pace that suits you. Most importantly, there is a big support network of fellow scholars and trustees to help you in any way possible and please feel free to open up, it really does help. One quick life hack I can probably let you on in right away is that Please learn how to cook!. Haha, it sounds trivial now but when you’re away from the comfort of home, you do not want it to bite you hard. In fact the good thing is you don’t even need to know a lot just practice a few easy meals you’ll be good to go.
Once you’ve settled in, I guarantee you, you will love it! From meeting new friends to visiting new places there is a lot be excited for. As a Beacon scholar there is a number of meet up opportunities available with fellow scholars at the leadership workshops in London. I recall my very first was in November and was such a refreshing experience having not seen most of the other scholars since arriving in the UK. These workshops offer a perfect opportunity to catch up with friends in other universities and develop your leadership skills. Our most recent workshop for instance centred around Self Management and Motivation and a lot was discussed about on the issue from setting priorities to building personal brands. The workshops are very interactive and even involve some very interesting games. To cap the day off, we usually have a stroll together around Central London whilst having a good laugh.
Being a Beacon scholar offers you not only the opportunity to have a world class education whilst being groomed as a leader and change maker, but also to curve out a life of your choice in a new and exciting country whilst you’re here in the UK.
