Page 2 - CHEVENING CLASS OF 2019 YEAR BOOK

Dear Chevening Class of 2019, Wow. What a year.
To complete a master’s degree in any year is an achievement, but to do so during a global pandemic, with much of the world in lockdown, is extraordinary – and I am so deeply proud of how the Chevening Class of 2019 has responded to the challenges of 2020.
There is no doubt that this has been a difficult year.
I know though, from talking to you and your POUKs that for many of you, the Chevening network has been a lifeline. I’ve heard about how you have set up study groups and networks within your universities
or regions and about the ways you have provided emotional support for each other. For me, this is what Chevening is all about. We are not just a network for the good times, we are here to support each other through the difficult times as well.
Of course, being Cheveners, you have gone above and beyond in your responses to the pandemic. Not only have you supported each other, but you have also provided support to peers at your universities and vulnerable people in your communities. A number of you have been involved in researching ways to tackle
the virus. You can go forwards knowing that you may not have had the experience you were expecting in the UK, but that you rose to the challenges you were presented with. I am extremely proud of you and
I hope you feel pride as well.
There have, of course, been plenty of good times this year. We celebrated Chevening’s 37th birthday in the traditional way, with lots of cake. We spent a virtual ‘night at the museum’, exploring the Victoria and Albert Museum’s hidden treasures and we celebrated the phenomenal 3,420 hours you spent volunteering at our digital volunteering awards ceremony. I was personally honoured to welcome so many of you to day two of the Chevening Conference in July and was inspired to hear about the diversity, depth and innovation of your research.
I know that many of you have managed to make the most of the relaxed lockdown restrictions in the past couple of months and see some more of the UK. Brighton beach, Stonehenge and Arthur’s seat in Edinburgh have all been making plenty of appearances in Chevening’s social media feeds!
I hope that this will not be the last time you visit our beautiful country.
What next? You will return to your home countries feeling, I hope, just a little older but much wiser.
I hope that your desire to make a difference in
the world has only grown and that you now feel even better equipped to turn your vision into a reality. I know that whatever you go on to do, the Chevening network will be there for you every step of the way. Join your local alumni network, sign up to Chevening Connect and keep in touch with your local UK embassies and posts. You never know what opportunities the Chevening family may offer you.
So it’s farewell for now Chevening class of 2019, but it’s not goodbye. And remember...You’re a scholar for a year, but you’re a Chevener for life.
All the best.
Naomi Rayner
Head of the Scholarships Unit, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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