SCHOLARSHIP CORNER WITH BIJOU, EPISODE 6 | Muki Bichearline, Exeter, United Kingdom

 You Have the Experience. Now Learn How to Tell the Story.

Have you ever had an experience that you know is impressive, but when someone asks you to write about it, you don't know where to start?

You remember everything you did, the challenges, and how you felt. But when you put pen to paper, everything becomes a long, confusing story.

There is a simple technique that can help:

The STAR Approach.

S — Situation

T — Task

A — Action

R — Result

Let me show you how I could use one of my own experiences.

 MY CAMELTA STORY

In 2024, I had recently been elected President of the CAMELTA Littoral Chapter, and I was about to do something I had never done before: revive the chapter and organise a professional development seminar on my own. I'll be honest. I wasn't sure I could pull it off. Sometimes leadership begins when you decide to do something even when you're not completely sure you can do it.

 S — SITUATION

I had just taken on a new leadership role, and the chapter needed a revival and a professional development seminar for English language teachers. This wasn't something I could simply announce and expect to happen. There were procedures to follow, people to mobilise and many details to coordinate.

 T — TASK

My task was to organise the seminar and make sure everything was properly prepared; from obtaining official permission to mobilising teachers and coordinating the event.

 A — ACTION

So, I got to work. I went to the Regional Delegate for Secondary Education and submitted a formal application at the secretariat requesting permission to organise the seminar. Once permission was granted, I worked with the school where the event would take place. I sensitised teachers and worked through Heads of Department to encourage their colleagues to attend. I contacted the facilitators and I prepared certificates of participation with the participants' names. Then, I coordinated the different people involved and worked to make sure everything was ready for the day.

There were many little things to do. But I did them one step at a time with the help of the executive members.

 R — RESULT

Then came the day of the seminar and more than 200 teachers attended. The Regional Delegate sent a representative. The principal of the host school was present. Four pedagogic inspectors also attended. Participants registered, engaged with the sessions and, most importantly, teachers came together to learn and share.

At the end, participants received their certificates from the inspectors. What started as something I wasn't sure I could do became a successful professional development event, and I was incredibly proud.

BUT HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART FOR YOUR SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY.

I could simply write:

"I am an experienced leader. I have organised successful seminars for teachers. But what does that actually tell the selection committee? Very little.

Instead, I can show my leadership through the story.

I can show:

The situation I faced.

The responsibility I took on.

The actions I personally took.

The result of those actions.

That's much more powerful.

 SO, WHEN SHOULD YOU USE STAR?

STAR is useful when a scholarship asks you to:

 Describe a leadership experience.

 Give an example of when you solved a problem.

 Describe a challenge you overcame.

 Explain how you demonstrated initiative.

 Give an example of your impact.

 Describe a situation where you worked with others.

Instead of writing a vague paragraph, ask yourself:

S — What was happening?

T — What was I responsible for?

A — What exactly did I do?

R — What happened because of my actions?

And don't forget one more question:

What did I learn?

Because your scholarship story shouldn't only show what you did. It should also show how the experience shaped you.

However, don't turn STAR into four mechanical paragraphs: Your final scholarship essay should still read like a natural story.

STAR is simply a tool to help you organise your thoughts and make sure you provide enough evidence.

Think of STAR as the skeleton. Your story is the body.

 What's one experience from your life that you could turn into a STAR story? You may be surprised by how much scholarship evidence you already have.

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep speaking English with confidence. Muki Bichearline, Exeter, United Kingdom