Bath students shine in British Council's International Student Awards 2009

One of our undergraduates, Nigerian student Yoma Okwa, has been named, together with  Slovakian student Natalia Kucirkova (from Psychology), as  a runner-up in the regional finals of the UK’s biggest international student competition.  For details click here. To enter the competition, international students were encouraged to write a personal 'letter home' in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that help make their time in the UK so rewarding. Yoma Okwa 'letter home' is given below

Dear Students,

My name is Yoma Okwa and I am in my first year studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Bath. Before starting my university studies, I completed my A-levels at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire and my secondary education at Queen's College, Lagos, Nigeria.

Three years ago, when I was told I would be continuing my education in the UK, I was very excited. I wondered how I would live in a place different from what I was used to. I decided that I would adopt an open-minded and positive attitude, free of expectations.

The environment I arrived to at college was very welcoming and this encouraged me to adapt quickly. I was in a boarding school and soon made friends with fellow students as well as course mates. My teachers encouraged me, 'to get in there, and get involved'. As time went by, I gradually came out of my comfort zone and began to seek to participate in activities outside of schoolwork. This was to help me build stronger relationships with my peers and also to become a well-rounded person. I started taking music lessons; in particular I began to learn to play the violin. My music teacher recognised my zeal to learn and passion for music so he asked me to consider joining the choir which I did. We performed at various high masses and other special events. This gave me a sense of belonging and spurred me on. I then auditioned for the part 'skid row' in the musical 'Little Shop of Horrors'. I was successful and in all it was a successful production. Following this, I was invited to audition for a role in another musical 'Les Miserables'. This was also a great success and because of a high demand, an additional four days were added to the initial one-week slated for the show to run. My confidence started to soar and I realised that we often look down on ourselves and we need others to show us the good things we possess.

Coming from Africa, I had known and seen what it meant to be living in poverty but I did not quite know how I could contribute towards changing this. Studying in the UK, has given me an opportunity to change this and I have learnt how to help others in my own little way.
At school, I was elected as a committee member of a pupil led charity, 'Learning to Care'. This was a practical way for me to contribute in various fund raising activities and create awareness for the vulnerable of society. I was part of a team of ten that organised a banquet which raised an excess of £10 000. This was used to fund a holiday week for disabled children and to buy a generator for St. Peters Kubatana in Zimbabwe, a school that had no electricity as a result of the political unrest in the country.

I also became aware of the need for fair-trade and recycling, so with the help of a teacher and two colleagues, I started a fair-trade and recycling group at my school. As part of the recycling group projects we established a proper recycling system, which included bins around the compound and people to collect and dispose in the recycling machine every Monday.

In Nigeria, swimming was the only sport I did. In trying to gain an active and a healthy life style like my peers in the UK, I have picked up other sports including hockey, badminton, and tennis. By volunteering to teach badminton to yr 7 students at school, I was able to gain a 'level 2' sports leadership award.

At the end of my A-levels studies I not only achieved excellent grades, but also I was awarded a full colours service award, given to students who had made a significant contribution to college life.

Currently at university, I have continued to take hold of the opportunities available to me. I joined the rowing team and have participated in several competitions thus far. At present, I am training for the Henley Regatta, a national rowing competition.

My peers nominated me as an Academic Representative for my course. My main responsibilities include bridging the gap between staff and students. This has helped me further develop my inter-personal skills.

I have learnt so many new things and have been able to overcome my fears. I have done things I never thought I would be able to do. I have learnt the essence of serving and have derived great joy from it. It is amazing the numerous opportunities available here. There are so many things to get involved with as a student, which strengthen your character and ability to live with others. The options are limitless and the only thing, which can really hold you back, is not having the right attitude. I encourage you to keep a positive attitude at all times.

I very much hope my experiences have helped you gain insights into life in the UK as an international student. I am confident of your ability to fit into the fast paced social and academic life here and I cannot over emphasise the limitless advantages of studying here. I hope I have been able to persuade and encourage you to take a bold step and unleash your potential to succeed.