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Meet our Scholars

The thing I like the most about the Scholarship is how personal it is... I’ve been able to connect with the other Uggla Scholars, forming strong bonds with them... It’s also helped me gain confidence in reaching out to professionals in industry and gain an insight into the work they do.

Arifuzzaman, Cohort of 2021

A major aim of the Uggla Family Scholars Programme is to build a cohort of Uggla Family Scholars from across the world, creating a strong support network that will benefit each Scholar during their time at LSE and after they graduate. Therefore, you’ll be able to become an alum of both LSE and the Uggla Family Scholars Programme.

2022 Welcome

So, if you’re wondering what it’s like to be part of the scholarship Programme, hear from current LSE students about their journey at LSE and as an Uggla Family Scholar.

Year 3 Uggla Family Scholars

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Uggla Family Scholars of 2021, with the Uggla Family, Programme Manager Ikenna Acholonu and LSE Director Baroness Minouche Shafik at the Welcome event in October 2021.

Abdirahman - BSc Sociology

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Abdirahman is an aspiring commercial solicitor and has engaged in work experience in various sectors, such as the legal sector, banking, and private equity. Abdirahman’s interest in widening participation has led him to mentor as well as volunteer for local community projects. For fun, Abdirahman enjoys watching football, and is currently an active member of the Futsal society.

 

Student life at LSE - Virtual Undergradute Open Day

Hear from current LSE students sharing about why they applied to LSE and their student experiences during their studies - including Uggla Family Scholars Arif and Abdirahman!

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Student Life: a presentation by the Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad team followed by a Q&A with LSE students

Aleesha - BSc Politics and Economics

Aleesha

Aleesha is particularly interested in political economy and inequality studies. In her first year of university, Aleesha secured four internships at institutions such as the Institute of Economic Affairs and the Adam Smith Institute. She has won multiple awards for her academic achievements, including three scholarships. 

Aleesha is an educational YouTuber and Public Speaker who aims to help students get into their dream university and get their foot in the door at the world's best companies. She works at Debate Mate as a Junior Programme Director and Senior Mentor, where she inspires young people and manages employee data, client relationships, and recruitment strategies. Aleesha presented her poem for Queen Elizabeth II on her Diamond Jubilee, which gained national exposure on BBC, ITV, and Calendar News.


Aleesha's vlog - What it's like being an Uggla Family Scholar

 

What it's like to be a Uggla Family Scholar | Student Vlogs What it's like to be a Uggla Family Scholar | Student Vlogs
What it's like to be a Uggla Family Scholar | Student Vlogs

Aleesha's Blog - Behind the scenes of the Uggla Family Scholars Programme

It's comforting to know that as a Uggla Family Scholar, you already have your own little community away from home... For example, during my first year at LSE Bankside House, I was housed right next to most of the other Uggla Family scholars.

Aleesha shares her experience being on the Programme in her first year and the opportunities she has undertaken (and those yet to come)! Read her blog to find out more.

Student Mobility Awards 2023

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Aleesha Bruce upReach

Organised by the charity upReach, Aleesha was given an award to recognise incredible achievements by undergraduate students against all odds, as part of the Student Social Mobility Awards. Read about her achievements here.

Arif - BA History

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Arifuzzaman’s (Arif) interests are in civil service, finance, and consultancy. For four years, Arif has worked with various organisations and on different projects including; a three week internship with Ernest & Young; a six week internship with Société Générale working on IT systems and Python programming; a six month mental health initiative for the youth with the NHS and a voluntarily position as a Digital Designer for Muslimah, for an app supporting Muslim women.

Arif’s extra-curricular passions include photography, powerlifting, and creative writing.

60 seconds with... - Arifuzzaman, BA History and Uggla Family Scholar

As an Uggla Family Scholar, you'll receive extensive support to fulfil your ambitions, whether it be academic, professional or personal. Find out what Arif hopes to achieve during his time at LSE and with his Scholarship.

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Uggla Family Scholar Arif shares what he would like to achieve and accomplish during his time at LSE and beyond.

'Studying at LSE' school visits

Arif visited his former sixth form to speak to current year 12 and 13 students, and delivered sessions for year 12 and 13 History students, to talk about his experiences of applying to, studying at LSE, and as an Uggla Family Scholar.

Read Arif's blog to learn more about his visit - My time as a Student Ambassador: Reaching out to my sixth form

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Arif delivering a presentation on his experiences applying to and studying at LSE, as well as his experiences as a scholarship recipient as part of the Uggla Family Scholars Programme to year 12 and 13 students at St Paul's Way Trust School in January 2023.
[We were] very impressed with Arif… he delivered a fantastic session… We are very proud of what he has achieved.

Kawtar El Ouaraini, Careers Education and Guidance Manager, St Paul's Way Trust School

 Widening Participation Awards 2023

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Arif with his 'Oustanding Contribution to SMRSA' Student Ambassador Award 2023. LSE's Widening Participation Awards celebrate the outstanding contribution of our Student Ambassadors, who are key in supporting our promotional and recruitment events for prospective students!

Klevisa - BA History

Klevisa

During her first year, Klevisa has gained work experience with Morgan Stanley and in wealth management at the Uggla Family Office. She has gained an interest in pursuing a career in asset management, private equity and corporate law. Klevisa also established her tuition business in which she teaches and coaches local underprivileged students. Previously, she has been part of her student council at her secondary school and interned in marketing at MVF. In her spare time, Klevisa is an avid reader, mostly interested in non-fiction books.

Mahnoor - BSc Sociology

Mahnoor

Mahnoor's experiences as an international student from Pakistan have led her to want to help underprivileged and disadvantaged communities, both locally and globally. Her volunteer work extends from heading an animal rescue program to leading a public speaking workshop for visually impaired children in Lahore. At LSE, her efforts for inclusion and diversity include her research internship at LSE's Inclusion Initiative to now being the Vice President of LSE's Pakistan Development Society.

Mahnoor aims to work in social and community service organisations to create tangible change. She is also interested in journalism and consultancy work to hold leaders accountable, and to advance workplace development in terms of gender and ethnicity. Her hobbies include writing prose and painting. 


Mahnoor's paper -  'How the rising cost of living is widening inequality and affecting the most vulnerable'

Crucially, the setbacks of the cost-of-living crisis are not limited to advanced economies such as the UK. Developing countries across the globe – and disadvantaged groups within them – have unique challenges to face during this time as well, especially those heavily dependent on commodity imports.

Read Mahnoor's paper she co-wrote during her internship with The Inclusive Initiative, and a summary of her work in her blog with the LSE Business Review.

Raza - BSc Actuarial Science

Raza

Having previously attended multiple schools in several countries during his educational journey, Raza has soaked up a variety of communication skills, cultural knowledge and problem-solving skills that he still uses today. As an Actuary, he will apply his maths skills into the fascinating and evolving world of banking and finance.

He experienced this first-hand in his work experience at the HSBC headquarters in Canary Wharf. During this he saw for himself how maths and statistics can be applied practically to real-world problems through a climate change exercise he worked on within a team of life insurance actuaries. He is now looking for more opportunities to further his experience through internships in the summer.

Samiha - LLB Bachelor of Laws

Samiha

Samiha is setting the ideal foundation for a career as a commercial solicitor. She has previously worked with firms such as Linklaters and Hogan Lovells and is currently interested in finding further legal opportunities. She has recently achieved this by securing a Training Contract which she’ll undertake at Clifford Chance.  Additionally, Samiha is passionate about promoting inclusion and social mobility, as shown through her voluntary work for the charity Zero Gravity and the Social Mobility Foundation.

She spent her summer interning with The Inclusion Initiative, resulting in her authoring an academic article surrounding the feasibility of taxing automation in the LSE Business Review.

 Samiha's article - Should machines be taxed like people?

Taxing the use of automation can be a feasible method of increasing governments’ revenue. A robot tax may prevent the large-scale displacement of low-medium skilled workers and mitigate the negative effects of automation on the working class and the potential increase in wealth disparity. The government should be mindful of the discussed challenges that come with implementing the robot tax.

Read more from Samiha's work published in the LSE Business Review as part of her internship with The Inclusive Initiative.

'Studying at LSE' school visits

Samiha visited her former sixth form to speak to current year 12 and 13 students about her experiences of applying to and studying at LSE, and her experiences of being an Uggla Family Scholar.

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Samiha delivering a presentation on her experiences applying to and studying at LSE, as well as her experiences as a scholarship recipient as part of the Uggla Family Scholars Programme to year 12 and 13 students at Northampton School for Girls in January 2023.
Huge thanks to former student, Samiha... for her inspiring assembly on her experience of studying Law at a prestigious London university & the amazing support she has had through their Uggla Family Scholarship.

 The Sixth Form at NSG

 

Samuel - BSc Politics

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Sam is originally from Birmingham and currently lives in London. He is passionate about UK & US politics, social justice for young carers and state school students, and social mobility. He enjoys the arts with the Barbican Centre being one of his favourite places to visit.

He likes studying the social fabric and urban planning of London, from its transport to its architecture, and the consequences of these decisions on the average person.

 

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Samuel and Raza leading a campus tour for the 2022 cohort of Uggla Family Scholars during Welcome in September 2022.

 

Sarah - BSc Social Anthropology

Sarah

Sarah has a passion for inclusion and culture. Alongside earning an IB Diploma at the United World College in Mostar, she was engaged in social justice work and various peer-support initiatives. Today, she continues to seek out opportunities that reflect her values.

Her internship at The Inclusion Initiative in her first year, where she co-wrote a research article on the cost-of-living crisis, is one such opportunity. Sarah's continued engagement in volunteer work within the heritage sector and social justice organisations in the UK also reflects her interest in society and advocacy. 

Sarah Open Day
During our Undergraduate Open Day in July 2023, student helpers including Sarah helped to welcome visitors and answered questions from prospective students about studying at LSE.

Sarah's article - 'Inclusion, inequality, and responses to the cost-of-living crisis'

With the costs of energy, housing, and food on the rise around the world, families are in desperate need of support. Some employers in the UK have been providing employees with food, discounts, and flexibility. Trade union membership is higher than in the past 30 years, but low-paid workers are underrepresented, and the government must provide targeted support for them.

Learn more about Sarah's co-written paper during her internship with The Inclusive Initiative.

Year 2 Uggla Family Scholars

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Uggla Family Scholars of 2022, with Lance Uggla and Programme Manager Ikenna Acholonu at the Welcome event in October 2022.
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First and second year Uggla Family Scholars attend a Programme workshop in September 2022.

Ana - LLB Bachelor of Laws

Ana

Having been a double scholar in a boarding school for sixth form, Ana is acutely aware of the need for financial stability to be afforded to young people wanting to access education. As such, she has worked extensively with several charities and is passionate about care-experienced, orphaned and estranged students accessing education. She has hopes of starting her charitable trust to help young people impacted by these circumstances.

Ana has already completed several internships in commercial law firms, an area she hopes to continue exploring further, alongside gaining experience within private equity. She hopes to use her career as a tool for further philanthropic endeavours for her charitable work to gain further traction. Outside of academics, Ana is also a huge foodie, enjoys working out, and watching true crime documentaries - the latest being the Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix documentary.

Harris - BSc Economics

Harris

During his gap year, Harris independently learned how to program in Python. In his spare time at LSE, Harris is creating projects using Python while learning other languages and data science topics, such as Java Script and machine learning.  

In his final year at LSE, Harris plans to use his technical and economic skillset to create a digital start-up. He is also considering careers in private equity and data science. He has won multiple awards for his academic achievements, including two scholarships, and will become a mentor for Zero Gravity, a platform that digitally connects undergraduate mentors with state-educated, low-income students to guide them with applications for UK universities. 

Jason - BSc History and Politics

Jason

Jason has interests in the commercial law sector as well as various other fields, particularly the civil service. Having completed a 3-week internship at commercial law firm Weil Gotshal and Manges, as well as being supported through mentorship at WEIL and CMS, he aims to continue his progress into this sector whilst at university.

Alongside his professional interests, Jason is deeply passionate in charitable and volunteering interests surrounding supporting children with learning disabilities, spurred from his childhood as a young-carer for his twin-brother with Down syndrome.

Khushi - BSc Politics and Philosophy

Khushi

After earning her Indian School Certificate from Lucknow, Khushi decided to pursue a BSc in Politics and Philosophy. She is passionate about increasing access to education for women and girls and eliminating financial barriers to education. She worked at a non-profit during secondary school and looks forward to opportunities that allow her to engage with educational policymaking.

 

Khushi's blog - My First Term as an Uggla Family Scholar at LSE

From workshops to pizza, find out what's in store for Uggla Family Scholars as Khushi blogs about her experiences from her first term in the Programme!

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Lorenzo - BSc Politics and Economics

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Prior to joining LSE, Lorenzo was undertaking legal administration at TLT LLP in Bristol. However, he has spent most of his life in a coastal town called Aberystwyth. He is enthusiastic about gaining more legal experience, especially with the Bar. Lorenzo enjoys being part of the Debate Society as he believes it is important to challenge ideas and learn from diverse perspectives. Two of Lorenzo’s main socio-political concerns are gender inequality and social mobility.

Leandro - BSc Environment and Development

Leandro

Leandro is passionate about sustainability, and more directly the balance between growth and preservation which confronts advanced economies in the contemporary world. He has further interest in the science of climate change, seeking to gain further insight into how the rapid development of humanity is causing copious damage to the natural world and environment. He also enjoys rugby and running.

Sian - BSc Politics and Economics

Sian

Sian’s interests are in finance, asset management, wealth management and investment banking. She is interested in doing various work experience programmes in different sectors in order to gain exposure to different career paths. 

Sian has been on the Pathways to Banking and Finance programme at LSE for two years as well as being a Duke of Edinburgh South East Youth Leader. She has attended insight weeks at Rothschilds & Co and Morgan Stanley, which is where her passion grew for finance.


Learn more about LSE's Pathways to Banking and Finance, as well as other pre-entry outreach programmes for UK students with Widening Participation at LSE.

Skander - BSc Economics

Skander

HENOSIS, meaning ‘unity’ in Greek, was Skander’s most recent venture. Across two years, he gathered over 35 students and led a multitude of team projects, including a live discussion on intergenerational co-leadership with a former UN under-secretary general, to a ‘walk challenge’ initiative where individuals walked over 400km globally to raise funds for a charity school in India.

Skander is currently founding a student society operating at LSE, UCL and KCL called OUTTHEBOX (OTB) with the mission of inspiring and empowering the youth to pursue their true aspirations, featuring events ranging from interactive intellectual discussions with public speakers to social events to promote student initiatives. He has chosen a Machine Learning optional course in his BSc Economics degree to continue quenching his intellectual curiosity.

Swann - BA Anthropology and Law

Swann

Swann is passionate about various social injustice issues including social class disparity, as well as racial inequality and how these are translated when confronted to the legal system.

She is an aspiring solicitor, with an interest in Human Rights Law and Criminal Law, and hopes to actively engage in the advocacy for the Rule of Law. Her extra-curricular interests include watching documentaries and dancing.

 

Year 1 Scholars - coming soon!