In 2010 I won the Hornby Educational Trust Scholarship, which granted me the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to complete an MA programme in the University of Leeds. The whole experience has marked my life forever.

I arrived in Leeds early in September, a couple of weeks before the course started. This helped me settle in and find my way around the huge campus. Going back to student life after having been working really hard for many years was absolutely amazing. My decision to choose Leeds was based on the fact that, firstly, this university is very well-known for its high academic standards; and, secondly, the School of Education offers a full-time MA TESOL Teacher Education, which is my main area of interest in teaching. Having completed the course, I must say I am very pleased about how things turned out!

I took three core modules, which gave me a broader perspective of TESOL and enabled me to delve deeper into those areas of teaching and learning that I was most familiar with. By contrast, the three specialist modules in the programme were a challenging but immensely enriching and stimulating experience, which exceeded my expectations. Through them I learnt to reflect upon teaching and see the teaching profession – and especially teachers – from a whole new perspective. In particular, I became fully acquainted with issues pertaining to teacher education and curriculum design, which were the main reason for me to choose the programme.

Being a Hornby scholar brought changes in my life at different levels. Personally, I met many wonderful people, some of whom I now count among my friends. My university accommodation was a melting pot, with girls from five different countries in three different continents! Furthermore, the university Global Community offered plenty of activities, including wonderful day-trips, which made it possible to get together with people from all sides of the globe and learn about their cultures.

Professionally speaking, the scholarship has provided me with opportunities and support that would otherwise not have been possible. I have benefited from an excellent professional development programme.I feel that I have also developed new skills and professional links that I am sure will help me through my career, and will help me help others. Moreover, my year in England has given me the confidence in myself I was lacking and a lot of satisfaction in the realization of the tangible level of self-improvement I was looking for.