How Maisha, a Bangladeshi Scholar, Secured a Fully Funded Bachelor’s Through the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award

Salam! I’m Maisha from the bustling, densely populated city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, a country blessed with the most romantic rainy season in the world.

I’m studying Math and Environmental Sciences (Bachelor of Science). Academically, I’ve been doing mathematical research since high school and mentored thousands of Bangladeshi students for international STEM competitions, so math felt like the right fit for me.

Personally, I wanted to pursue math for my mom, as she has been the main reason I’m so good at math: purchasing advanced upper-year British curriculum books to tutor me at home, which always put me two classes ahead of my school. Since she couldn’t pursue math during her Bachelor’s and Master’s, I wanted to fulfill that.

Additionally, UBC has the best resources to work for climate justice and environmental causes with the kindest faculty. Giving back to Bangladesh was always the goal, and the Environmental Sciences stream was the perfect way to do it. So I combined them (more details later).

Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award Details

Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award, full-ride scholarship (covers every possible thing you can imagine), University of British Columbia.

Were You Offered Any Other Scholarships?

Sweet Briar College Presidential Scholarship (100,000 USD)

Educational Background

I studied at Bangladesh’s top high school for women, Holy Cross College, where you have to take a competitive admission test followed by an interview to get in. I was surrounded by a class full of female scholars from all over Bangladesh that automatically kept me motivated to be an academic weapon.

My HSC GPA was 5.00/5.00. I was always the atypical nerd who would be vocal to address an issue for positive change. Ironically, not going with the typical academic flow and bending the system was helpful to reach my goals regarding study abroad.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the University of British Columbia (UBC)?

• Networking is the greatest factor. Because I was involved with Science Olympiad, National/International Research competition-based student circles, I was able to learn that it was possible to get scholarships for undergrad abroad, which helped me start my university listing research.
• I took the SAT and scored in the 95th percentile. I only used Khan Academy, Books by Erica Meltzer (RW), and College Panda (Math). My DET score was 140/160, and I only used their website’s practice materials. I only gave IELTS after acceptance for Canadian study permit application and has a band 7.5 which I didn’t prepare for at all.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award?

First, I made my university list (32 colleges, later narrowed down to 27). Then I charted the deadlines (Common App, ISFAA, CSS Profile). These were done 6 months before the deadlines, so I’d suggest starting early.

It’s necessary because there is so much basic information input you have to do (including your parents’ graduation years and degrees!), which is a very long and tiring process, so make sure you’re done with the boring stuff first.

Then I wrote my draft personal statement essay (Common App 650-word essay). Because I started early, I was able to roast it multiple times like a stand-up comedian, laugh about it, and rewrite it 67 times.

I’m mentioning this because this helped me so much for college-specific essays after Common App application submission, and I didn’t have to panic at the last minute and was able to reuse my drafts for those sections. I wrote 121 essays in total throughout my application.

How is Your Experience at the University of British Columbia (UBC)?

Before applying, I thought UBC was Underground Boxing Club. I had no clue what this institution would mean to me one day, or how many opportunities, friends, and homes away from home were waiting for me there.

I remember I was applying last minute, and just one search to the website left me wonderstruck and gave me that “instinct” that I have to be there.

Adjusting here was tough, of course, but absolutely rewarding. I not only study late at night, but have quiet walks at Wreck Beach, cycle near the Rose Garden, and sprain my ankle hiking mountains.

As a Bangladeshi woman, spending years seeing sexual harassment as the norm and sacrificing all these little hobbies for safety, these meant a lot to me.

How Do You Rate the University of British Columbia (UBC) Academically?

I’m not a rating scale type of person, even though I’m a math major. It’s unrealistic and ambiguous to understand the depth of someone's or some institution’s excellence.

UBC’s motto is “Tuum Est,” meaning “It is yours.” UBC definitely turns out how you would want it to be. If I have to rate it, I’ll rate it out of the world!

How Does the University of British Columbia (UBC) Support International Students?

If you arrive as part of the International Scholars Community of UBC, I assure you that you’ll be part of a group that has meaningful stories about life’s ultimate purpose in the most wonderful way possible.

There are many advisors for many different causes, only to help YOU get that degree at your own pace. UBC is highly multicultural and respectful of each identity, so it’s rare to feel like an outcast.

UBC has a dedicated International Student Advising office and drop-in hours for any assistance. Most importantly, the senior international students are there for you to have a coffee chat.

What Did You Pursue After the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow Award?

I was heavily involved with UBC Sustainability Hub. I became UBC’s delegate to COP30 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) right after my first year.

I built my venture, InfrastructHER, with Innovation UBC to explore social entrepreneurship and created leadership opportunities for students. Now I’m UBC’s COP31 delegate.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I think my application stood out because of the way I approach life and measure success. My name, Maisha, means “life,” and I have always reflected on what it means to live meaningfully.

Rather than pursuing titles or associating myself with influential names to feel important, I have tried to invest my time in doing work that contributes to something larger than myself, whether through research, climate justice, or community engagement.

I also recognize that having exceptional recommenders, including professors from top 50 universities who supervised my research, may have strengthened my application.

However, I hope what ultimately distinguished it was the substance behind those recommendations: the work I chose to pursue, the questions I cared about, and the impact I hoped to create.

I believe my application reflected not just what I had accomplished, but why I wanted to accomplish it.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I’m the person today because of what my past version experienced. I’d never change a second of it.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Go through the scholarship description and ask yourself which parts, activities, research, volunteering, and personality match that description, and organize your profile with those sections as top priority.

Nowadays, universities prioritize video call interviews or recorded interviews. So, please make sure you're not just a good writer, but also a good public speaker.

And don’t obsess over titles; rather, understand why you need the scholarship and how you would make the most of it.

And please remember the universe is in abundance. There’s at least one scholarship or opportunity waiting for you. So if your intentions are pure, you definitely got this!