Isabel O’Brien, first year student in the Dual BA Program between Sciences Po and Columbia University, has been awarded the 2018 Henri de Castries scholarship. Below is an excerpt of her personal statement

Astou Diouf from Senegal is part of the first cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars studying at the Sciences Po campus in Reims. Astou plans one day to start a business in the agri-food industry in Africa.

• Wendy Trogneux ©Sciences Po
  

After spending two years at the Sciences Po Reims campus in the Europe-Africa programme, Wendy Trogneux is spending her third year abroad in Beirut, Lebanon. She is learning Arabic, taking journalism and gender studies classes, interning at the Institute of Women Studies in the Arab World, and immersing herself in the effervescent street art and culture of Beirut. Discover her everyday life.

Zipporah Gakuu is a first-year student and part of the first cohort of Mastercard Foundation scholars at Sciences Po. From Kenya to her first steps on campus to today, her commitment to giving back to society and defending women and children’s rights is growing everyday.

Fitiavana Andry from Madagascar wants to play a part in her country's future. Fitiavana belongs to the first cohort of Sciences Po - MasterCard Foundation scholars, a programme that supports committed students from Africa.

• Evangeline Larsen ©Sciences Po
  

Evangeline Larsen was born and raised in Australia. Last year, after completing high school at Oxley College in Burradoo, New South Wales, she began the Sciences Po-University of Sydney dual BA programme.

Romaric Compaoré comes from Burkina Faso and is working on a project to facilitate access to water in his village. Romaric is part of the first cohort of Sciences Po - MasterCard Foundation Scholars, a programme to educate and support bright young African students with a personal commitment to changing the world around them.

• Amy Greene, assistant dean and James Quinn ©Campus Channel
  

“What can I learn at Sciences Po?”, “Are all the courses in English?”, “Why choose Sciences Po rather than another university?”, “What is the best way to prepare for the interview?”, “Is accommodation available on campus?”, “What are the best clubs and societies at Sciences Po?”, ... These are some of the questions that secondary school students asked current undergraduates and Sciences Po representatives during the live Q&A on 28 November.

It was exactly 15 years ago that Tilman Turpin first discovered Sciences Po. “I really appreciated Sciences Po’s international dimension, multidisciplinary nature and the interaction with practitioners,” recalls Turpin, who had come to the university as an exchange student. He decided to stay for his Master’s study… and has been here ever since. After four years heading the Poitiers campus, Turpin has just taken up directorship of the campus in Reims.

Malak Gadalla, who comes from Egypt, will matriculate to the Sciences Po Campus of Menton in the fall, where she will pursue the Europe-Middle East programme. The second in our 2017 #FirstYearsScPo series. Read the interview below.