Young Black Student Wins UK Scholarships After Many Rejections

A young woman named Josiane Pouadjeu Kammani overcame numerous setbacks in her pursuit of a higher education, ultimately being accepted into four UK institutions on fully paid scholarships. Josiane faced many obstacles when applying to institutions in the UK to continue her education after college, but her perseverance paid off as she was rewarded with four acceptance letters and an additional offer because of her exceptional A-level grades, which included three distinctions.

Josiane reflected on the difficult path she walked to reach her goals and shared her narrative on LinkedIn. She talked about how she balanced her A-level coursework with her exploration of other options, including applying to colleges in the US and the UK and looking for degree apprenticeships. Josiane acknowledged that this was her busiest time of life. She remembered spending months drafting college essays, tailoring her resume to each application, and getting ready for interviews after staying up late. Josiane didn’t apply to Oxbridge as her friends at Brampton Manor did because it wasn’t her desire and she didn’t want to take on more stress.

Rather, she focused on chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a Bachelor of Engineering and applied to multiple UK universities, such as Imperial College, Nottingham University, Manchester University, Bath University, and University College London. She also pursued five tech degree apprenticeships and applied to ten US institutions via the Sutton Trust.

Josiane stressed that she did not regret her efforts, despite facing rejections. Ultimately, she was admitted into four out of the five UK institutions, was awarded a Black Heritage Scholarship from Imperial College that covered all tuition, and was able to land two tech apprenticeships with IBM and Goldman Sachs, two prestigious firms with acceptance rates that are less than 5%. She also did an internship at a top FinTech company and had interviews with several elite US universities, such as Stanford and Rice.

Josiane, despite her accomplishments, acknowledged her regret at being turned down by every one of the ten US universities she applied to, but her faith in God never wavered. She ultimately made the choice to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Digital and Technology Solutions at Queen Mary University of London, while working toward an apprenticeship as a software engineer at Goldman Sachs. Josiane was incredibly appreciative of her mother, who helped her prepare for interviews and celebrated her accomplishments, as well as her friends, family, and professors who helped her along the way. She suggested to other applicants that it would be easier to succeed if they surrounded themselves with positive individuals.