Dayana Pingelova
2 years ago

Winners of the Studyportals International Distinction Awards 2021

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Eindhoven, 25 August 2021 

For yet another year, Studyportals hosted the annual International Distinction Awards and awarded the scholarship to the two best candidates! The Awards were created in order to help students finance their studies abroad and lend them a hand in achieving their dreams!  

 The 2021 scholarship consisted of two prizes:  the big one of 10,000 EUR, and the smaller one of 5,000 EUR. Studyportals welcomed participants from all around the globe – applications were received from people from Romania, all the way to Papua New Guinea and many other countries! 

 After long and careful reading and assessment of a little over 540 motivation letters, the Studyportals team chose the best 25 candidates from the first round and invited them to the second round – the interviewing stage. The participants were ranked based on: 

  • how ambitious, enthusiastic, passionate, original, and involved they were with their subject of choice 
  • how open they were to further development 
  • to what extent the scholarship would change their situation 
  • whether they intended to change the world for the better in any way 

During the interviewing stage, the Studyportals team got the chance to meet the amazing candidates (even though it was only through a screen) and hear their inspiring stories and motivations behind the desire to win the International Distinction Awards.  

 What followed were a few long days of assessment and consideration of the applications from the interviewing stage, which eventually resulted in Studyportals choosing the two winners for 2021: Ashemeza Rita and Andrea Daniela Rodríguez Vera! They both come from different backgrounds, however, what they have in common is the unprecedented desire to make the world a better place and the plan on how to do that. 

 The Studyportals team wanted to surprise the winners, so instead of immediately announcing that they’ve won, the two lucky girls were told that the Studyportals team was going to film a video of ‘A day in the life of’ for each of the applicants. During the video shooting days, the winners were told they’ve actually won, resulting in the amazing videos of their reactions! The reactions of Rita and Andrea are now available on our YouTube channel. 

 The 5,000 EUR prize went to Andrea Daniela Rodríguez Vera from Ecuador. She wishes to spread kindness and equality by helping people’s personal and financial growth. Andrea Daniela will be studying the Master’s in Wealth Management at the University of Luxembourg. She has taken part in multiple extracurricular activities and volunteering programmes in high school already, such as carrying out community service projects (as a member of Rotaract Cumbayá), volunteering at the Oncology Hospital SOLCA, and being a founder of “Awaken Your Inner Power” at the San Francisco University of Quito (a personal development club aiming to empower students to follow their most ambitious goals by relying on self-confidence, self-love, and other precious values). 

 The 10,000 EUR prize went to Ashemeza Rita from Uganda. She dares to challenge the norms to make the world a better place for young girls. Rita has always been passionate about journalism, so she will be studying the Master’s in Communication: Media Management at Universita della Svizzera Italiana. Her talent to “get to the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of things”, along with a lot of hard work, have helped Rita go from a girl in a small village to an amazing young woman who is a radio host and is eager to achieve her dreams, whatever it takes!  

 Studyportals will be hosting the International Distinction Awards again in 2022. The application form has already been opened. The Studyportals team wishes all the future applicants the best of luck and would like to once again thank everyone who has already applied!

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