Chi is an Economics and Finance student in her final year at Queen Mary University of London. Chi was awarded a Performance Scholarship and is looking forward to starting her full-time position at Citibank UK.
My name is Chi, and I am originally from Vietnam. I came to the UK on my own when I was 16 to study A-levels in Maths, Economics and Business as I wanted to focus all of my studies on Economics and Finance.
I knew that I wanted to study at a Russell Group University so before I applied, I searched through the modules on offer and found that the modules offered in the Economics and Finance course at Queen Mary aligned closely with my interests. I also had friends who were already studying here and they all had great experiences so that also helped to confirm my decision. I am now in my final year and have had a brilliant time at university. I have lots of assignments to work on, but the lecturers are great and have been very supportive throughout.
Prior to receiving the Performance Scholarship, I was working part-time to help cover my living costs, however, as an international student I am only able to work up to 20 hours a week which has really limited my available income. I definitely think students now more than ever are worrying about finances. We are in a difficult economic climate with high inflation and rising living costs which is making it increasingly difficult to manage expenses whilst studying full time. Receiving this scholarship has been amazing. The awarded funds meant that I could leave my job and focus all of my attention on my studies. This award has really boosted my confidence and motivation to continue working hard and unlock my full potential. It is great to have my hard work recognised and receiving this award also made my parents really proud too which was wonderful to see.
I am really excited for the future and can't wait to apply my knowledge from University to my full-time career. In my first and second year I completed internships at Citibank UK which as a result has landed me with my first full-time position in Corporate Banking which I will be starting in July of this year. I am really looking forward to the exciting opportunities ahead of me and can’t wait to start my career!
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped fund my scholarship. I cannot explain how much I appreciate this award. It has given me so much more confidence and motivation to keep pursuing my goals and working hard. This award means so much and it’s a lovely feeling to have my hard work recognised. Thank you.