Chevening Scholar Poly Leon embraces opportunity at Birkbeck
As a Chevening Scholar and student fundraiser, Poly Leon is making the most of her time at Birkbeck while helping create opportunities for future students.
For Poly Leon, choosing to study at Birkbeck was about more than earning a master’s degree. It was about broadening her perspective, building an international network and opening new opportunities for her future.
Originally from El Salvador and currently studying MSc Public Policy and Management, Poly came to London as a Chevening Scholar after studying international politics in China. Her decision to study in the UK was driven by both academic ambition and personal determination.
She said: “The UK has been a big international player around politics, so I really wanted to come here. But then I thought about how to get here, as it’s so expensive. After I graduated from high school, I wanted to make it my goal for my parents not to have to spend any more pennies on our education.”
After successfully securing a scholarship to study her undergraduate degree in China, Poly began the competitive year-long process of applying for a Chevening Scholarship. When it came to choosing a university, Birkbeck stood out immediately.
Drawn to Birkbeck’s central London location, academic expertise and close-knit community, Birkbeck was the only university she applied to. She said: “I have not regretted that decision at all. It’s given me so much more than just education.”
Moving to London for the first time brought challenges, including navigating the capital’s competitive rental market, but Poly says the experience has been overwhelmingly positive. As a Chevening Scholar, Poly quickly found community through a Birkbeck WhatsApp group for scholarship recipients, helping students connect before term even began.
She said: “We have developed this really good friend group. We’re from different backgrounds, all alone, and we needed to meet friends. Plus, we’re in this cosmopolitan city where you can go out and everything is going on.”
Alongside her studies, Poly has fully embraced student life, working as a student ambassador across Birkbeck’s social media and events. Poly is also working as a telephone fundraiser, speaking with alumni and encouraging them to donate to Birkbeck to support student success. Although she had not worked in fundraising before, she was curious about the sector after seeing how prominent it is in the UK, particularly among charities and NGOs.
She said: “Ultimately it’s about speaking with people and finding out about their story.”
As someone studying on a full scholarship, the impact of philanthropy feels especially personal. She said: “Thinking about how that money potentially will help people finish their studies or afford their living in London makes it even more important to do it. Hopefully a lot of students can benefit from that.”
Poly is now preparing for her dissertation, which will explore the relationship between China and Latin America, with a focus on technology and artificial intelligence in international policy. Looking beyond graduation, Poly says her time at Birkbeck has given her far more than academic knowledge: “I have learned a lot about London and a lot about myself.”