Ella Obonyo

21 years old, from Kenya, attending Imperial College London. Ella was awarded a Beacon Scholarship in May 2021.

Ella is studying towards a BSc in Medical Biosciences. She is a committed student with a steady record of achievement in her second year. She regularly listens to podcasts about Bioscience and Finance and has worked on her employability by securing an internship at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which is helping her make decisions about next steps in her education and career.

Ella plays for the university football team, training three times a week with matches most weeks. She also attends the gym or completes home workouts regularly, increasing that to four to five times a week in the summer term when the football season had finished.

Ella is an active member of student life at Imperial: she has been Secretary for the East African Society and Treasurer for the football team – in this role, creating and gaining approval for budgets as well as generating strategies at the AGM.

Ella volunteers at the British Red Cross, reviving the previously closed furniture shop, gradually building up her duties and using her experience to sort and sell clothes. She is also a volunteer A-level tutor for 'Tutor the Nation'.

Beacon Workshop Participation

Ella’s 2023 Summer Beacon Citizenship Project was about enhancing the learning experience of children at Young Life Africa Children’s Home by supporting the IT component of their 'Enhancement Programme'.

In Leadership Workshops, Ella has increased in confidence; she can be enthusiastic and is succinct and relevant in her contributions.