MSB Scholarship Recipient Thriving!

Published Wed, Feb 22, 2023
Written by Sarah Pietryga

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EduNations is noted for saying, “Educate a child today, change a nation tomorrow.”  The Masta Sabi Bukman Scholarship Program (MSB Scholarship) was created in 2021 to invest in the higher education of some of the brightest and best students in Sierra Leone who can bring hope and a future back to their beloved country. In 2022-2023, the MSB Scholarship was awarded to Samuella Sesay, who is currently a sophomore studying biology at La Roche University in Pittsburgh, PA. We asked her a few questions about how her time studying in the US has been. 

What do you want to do when you graduate? When I graduate, I want to go into medical school and study to be a gynecologist. I am from Sierra Leone and I have seen the great need for more gynecologists based on news I’ve heard and also what family friends have gone through. I love helping people in any way and the most efficient way to do that is by saving lives.

How has receiving the MSB Scholarship helped you to achieve your dreams? Receiving the MSB scholarship really has helped me pay for my tuition. Right when high school was ending, I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but in the entire country of Sierra Leone, there is only one medical school and it is under-resourced. I have always loved working in labs and doing practical work but I knew that wasn’t the place to do it. The United States was the best place, but education here is very expensive, so between me and my family, we knew that was going to be an obstacle due to insufficient funds. But after receiving the MSB scholarship, I was able to come to the US and pursue my dream. This means so much to me because I am happy I get the opportunity to learn and specialize in my career and do something I have a passion for. So this scholarship is helping me achieve my dreams.

What is your favorite part of studying and living in the US? A couple of my favorite things about studying and living in the US is that I get to do more experiments in the laboratory and at La Roche, I get to meet different people from all over the world and learn about their cultures since La Roche is a very diverse school. I am a student leader at the LIFE Christian Fellowship at school so I enjoy having Bible Studies every week and being reminded of God’s love for me. And the last thing I enjoy is the four seasons. Fall is my favorite because of how beautiful the leaves look when they are changing.

What is your least favorite part of living in the US? My least favorite part about living in the US is that I am away from my family. I have been around them my entire life so being away from them is definitely my least favorite part.

What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge is getting used to the cold weather in the winter! I love the snow but I do not like the cold.

How can we be praying for you? Prayer requests for me will be to continue doing my best in school and working towards achieving my dreams and that God will continue providing for me as he is right now.

What would you like to say to those who have donated towards your scholarship? To those who have donated to my scholarship, I want to say thank you. I am not sure I ever will be able to say a thank you that will express how greatly I appreciate your giving. Your giving is helping me achieve my dream and helping me build a life for myself. Know that when you are giving to me, you are also giving to God and that you will be rewarded twice as much as you are giving to me. I thank God and pray for you frequently.

If you are interested in giving to the MSB Scholarship to invest in the higher education of students like Samuella, click here.