A Chevener’s Story - Maria Payet: |23 August 2021

                                                                                                                                                                                             ‘My advice for those who are still hesitating to apply for Chevening….is to take a chance’

Over the course of this week, we will be featuring local case studies from alumni of the UK government-funded Chevening international awards programme, aimed at developing global leaders. This year’s Chevening Scholarship application window runs from August 3 to November 2, 2021. Today, we feature the story of Maria Payet, a Labour Statistics Specialist at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in South Africa – and 2016 Chevening Scholarship Alumnus.

“My name is Maria Payet and I am 34 years old. I always wanted to be a lawyer, but after my A-Levels, I was informed that it was not possible to pursue a degree in Law at the time, as it was not then seen as a national priority. I went on to study for a Double Major in Psychology and Criminology at Edith Cowan University (Perth, Australia) from 2007-2010. I then returned home with the understanding that I would continue with Psychology Studies, and take the steps required to become a provisional Psychologist.

“I joined the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2011, with the aim of leaving the office after one year to pursue a career in Psychology. I did not envisage a career in statistics, but I started loving the job. I was soon given the chance to do a Masters in Applied Labour Economics for Development. This suited my job description, as I was working with data to produce labour market statistics.

“As time passed by, I also realised that I loved undertaking Poverty Analysis. I was part of the team that produced the Seychelles Poverty Line in 2015, and after that, I decided that I wanted to further my studies in this field. I applied for a Chevening Scholarship because I believed that this would be the one chance that I would have to study ata reputable university of my choice. My boss at NBS had studied for her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Southampton, and after careful research, I decided to apply for an MSc in Social Statistics (Research Pathway) at the same university. Fortunately, my application was successful. I will never forget my Chevening interview at the British High Commission; it was one of the hardest interviews of my life! As the interview flowed, I told them about my passion for Poverty Analysis, and what I aimed to do afterwards.

“Chevening changed my life in so many ways; I got to study further in a field of my choice, but alongside that, I grew more confident in my work. I stopped worrying about whether I was good enough for the job, because I now have the credentials from a reputable university. I am now working as a Labour Statistics Specialist for the International Labour Organisation – which is a UN agency based in Pretoria, South Africa – where I work with 18 African countries (including Seychelles) for the production and development of labour market statistics.

“Chevening has contributed a lot to what I do on a day-to-day basis. The process of selection shapes you for the rest of your life; never before had I needed to write down my motivation for studying in this field – and write about my future plans with regards to my work. As I did that, I became more convinced that this is what I wanted in life; remember, I did not plan to stay in this field, but as I prepared for the interview, I knew that this is where I wanted to be.

“My advice for those who are still hesitating to apply is to take a chance. There is literally nothing to lose, because even if you do not get a scholarship the entire process of applying changes you and provides perspective on where you want to go.

“Chevening gave me the opportunity to choose something, work hard for it, and in the end, achieve it. I still have a long way to go in life, but I made it through the Chevening process. This gives me the drive to persevere and try harder in life.”

Note:

Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations, Chevening offers two types of award – Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships.

Chevening offers a unique opportunity for future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.

To learn more and apply before the November 2 deadline, visit:

https://www.chevening.org/apply/