IELTS USA proudly selects Nadia Issah and Ainur Khaliollayeva as the recipients of the 2024 Andrea Scott International Graduate Scholarship award. This scholarship is given in recognition of their unwavering commitment to developing their English language skills and exceptional dedication to pursuing social justice and educational equity.
A chance encounter on a bus ignited Nadia's passion for English at a young age. This early fascination grew into a lifelong commitment to mastering English, not just as Ghana's official language, but as a gateway to broader opportunities. Reflecting on her participation as a representative of the Youth Consultation Process, Nadia does not “believe that [she] could have accurately captured the feelings and perspectives of the youth in attendance without the grasp of English and the communication skills garnered over the years.”
Nadia has shown a profound commitment to social justice, focusing on refugees and marginalized communities through the Girls Guide Association Ghana. She also worked within the legal department of the Air Force Directorate of the Ghana Armed Forces supporting peacekeeping officers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Southern Sudan.
When it came time to seek study-abroad opportunities, she “chose to take IELTS, even though it was not mandatory for graduate school applications because of the belief that the scores would prove to academic institutions that [she] had a good grasp of English language from [her] education.” Nadia's search for the right educational path led her to American University's International Peace and Conflict Resolution program because “the United States is one of the leading countries vested in championing international relations and fostering peacebuilding. [She] believed that the United States conviction to peacebuilding would be reflected in the caliber of universities with curriculums based on peacebuilding and conflict prevention.”
Ainur's journey with English began with the word “butterfly,” symbolizing freedom and opportunity. Her personal experiences of educational disparities in Kazakhstan fuel her commitment to addressing educational inequity.
She has “developed free digital literacy video courses for school students utilizing YouTube and WhatsApp, reaching over 300 participants across 10 regions”. Her use of digital media as an educational tool is inspired by her desire to solve problems for communities that “lack basic digital literacy skills” and to provide “resources for self-education in the Kazakh language due to Russian language dominance in Kazakhstan.”
Motivated to have the “freedom to travel,' or 'freedom to choose a job,” Ainur sought to improve her academic English language skills with IELTS preparation materials. “English wasn't part of the curriculum for four years, so [she] actively learned it on [her] own by reading books, listening to podcasts, and engaging twice weekly with a native speaker to enhance [her] speaking skills.”
The Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology (LDIT) program at Harvard School of Educationcombines media, education, and technology allowing Ainur to merge her journalism career and work with Connect-Ed to “create educational media products and content that are accessible to everyone through technology.”
The Andrea Scott Scholarship provides up to US$15,000 to international students with academic and professional experience in eight impact areas who are pursuing graduate degrees in the United States.
Nadia and Ainur exemplify IELTS's commitment to empowering people to pursue their goals of studying abroad. Learn more about how you can support international students’ continued English language growth and contributions.