North American (NAFKU) Scholarships - Keele University
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Recipients of Keele NAFKU Scholarships

Each year Keele University is delighted to welcome students from the USA and Canada. Many Keele alumni live in North America and their generosity has enabled The North American Foundation for Keele University to extend some exciting new opportunities to benefit from the unique experience of study at Keele.


NAFKU Scholarships help to fund Scholarships for American and Canadian postgraduate students at Keele University.

Other opportunities at Keele are supported by the Fulbright Commission and the Marshall Commission.

Recipients:

2012-2013 NAFKU Canada - Cristina Polsinelli
2011-2012: NAFKU USA - Natasha Flick
2011-2012: NAFKU Canada - Annabelle Flores
2010-2011: NAFKU USA - Morgan Davison

 

NAFKU Scholar 2012: Cristina Polsinelli

2012-2013 MA Criminology and Criminal Justice

Cristina at Keele Hall Cristina Polsinelli is the recipient of 2012-2013 NAFKU Canada Scholarship, which was created by the generosity of our alumni in North America. She graduated from Windsor University in Ontario in 2012. She spent one semester at Keele as a Study Abroad student in 2008. We met Cristina a few weeks into her Master's course to see how things are going.

So, Cristina, what are you doing at Keele now?

"I am doing a postgraduate course - MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice. I have always found the subject fascinating - I remember it was sparked off as a child when I read about Jack the Ripper. On my first trip to England I walked around Whitechapel but this year I plan to track down a Jack the Ripper guided tour in London!"

How did you first hear about Keele?

"In my second Year at Windsor (Ontario), I decided to do an overseas exchange. My grandfather told me a lot of stories about England because he had lived in England for a few years after leaving Italy. I narrowed my choice down to Keele as soon as I saw the photos of Keele Hall on the website. I even got a little bit emotional when I saw it - but it's proved to be even better in reality...."

What was your first impression of Keele when you arrived?

"As a study abroad student I was nervous at first of all the new people, and it was my first time in England. But after I tried out and joined the football team that all changed. The football girls were sitting on Keele Hall lawn and one afternoon they invited me over. It was just like some of the pictures I had seen of students sitting on the lawns and it felt perfect! I also joined the Drama Society and my friends were so supportive of me during my performances. I have met some wonderful people at Keele and I have made true friends - everyone has been welcoming and friendly. In fact I am planning a reunion in London in 2013 with all my old Keele friends together. I feel at home here - I love the campus, the people and the education system. I really enjoy the flexible approach to learning - it's more exploratory and more like a discussion than a lecture. In fact, it's magnificent, far above and beyond anything I expected. "

What are your aspirations for five years from now?

"I am going to stay focused on my course and then I hope to work with the police in Canada, using my criminology. I am also open to opportunities in the UK too. Whatever happens, I plan to travel and to stay part of Keele."

Cristina in Italian Gardens What do you hope to gain from your scholarship year at Keele?

"Well, the course is already better than I hoped. The lecturers have tailored the programme to reflect my specific interests and those of the 24 or so people on the course. My particular topic is "Edgework" - the ways in which extreme or "on the edge" behaviours occur in modern society and how that applies to criminology. I am so excited to have the opportunity to study at Keele again."

Anything you would like to add?

"My scholarship depends on the kindness and generosity of fellow Keelites in Canada - I want to thank them for being so kind and supportive. They have changed my life and made my dream come true, to study again at Keele! I met some Keele alumni in Toronto a couple of years ago and they were wonderful. It felt like one family despite our differences in years from a gentlemen in his 80s right down through all the generations to the youngest, me, who had not even graduated yet! Thank you all so much!"

NAFKU Scholar 2011 Natasha Flick

2012 MA Diplomatic Studies

Natasha Flick was the first in her family to graduate - from San Diego State University in Business Administration and Finance, Cum Laude and with Distinction. She says that the time she spent studying in the United Kingdom (2009-2010), “shaped my future more than anything else”.

Natasha Flick What are you doing at Keele?
My degree from San Diego State had a business focus but I am making a big switch for my Master’s course at Keele. It’s called Diplomatic Studies and I am drawing on International Relations modules too. I really wanted to study an international course at an international university.

How did you first hear about Keele University?
When I applied for Study Abroad from San Diego State my choices in the UK were London, Leeds and... a village called Keele. I researched Keele and it looked perfect for me. SDSU is a huge urban campus with over 80,000 students and I didn’t want to study in a city. I felt like I didn’t really belong there so I wanted to be part of something more accessible, to be part of a community. The more I read about Keele the more it sounded like the place for me.

How would you describe Keele?
It’s very welcoming and everyone is quick to help. Everything is close by and it’s so English - and yet there are people here from all over the world. Not just the students but the professors too. Even if they are English, they have all lived or worked abroad. It’s a great place to get a world view. And it’s gorgeous. Walking to class every day I see something new, something different, it’s just beautiful.

Why did you choose Keele for your postgraduate study?
I knew Keele already and I loved it here – and I didn’t want to do my Masters in the USA. The courses there have a narrower focus, very America-centric, and I wanted to see another side of the story. The course here has a real global perspective and the students on my course are so diverse too, not even half of them are English. There are people from Turkey, Afghanistan, China, lots of countries, so my viewpoint is being challenged all the time. There are genuine multicultural dynamics that I could never experience in the same way in America. You can imagine it’s always a lively debate for me as the lone American in the class!

What are your aspirations for your time at Keele?Natasha Flick
I am taking it a day at a time. The study abroad course was varied as I took courses from here and there. But now it’s focused and serious, very intense, and I like feeling embedded here in a scholarly community. There are no lectures; it’s all debate and discussion, so you can really challenge the professors and one another. That’s very different from my undergraduate experience.

‌What are your ambitions for five years from now?
I always thought I wanted to work in a multi-national business but now I am starting to think I might work in a government or political setting. I haven’t decided yet but I like looking at what makes people work together, how people and countries cooperate to make things happen. If I do work in business it will have to be in an international or multicultural setting.

Why would you recommend postgraduate study at Keele to fellow Americans or Canadians?
There is nowhere in America like Keele; well... I haven’t found anywhere quite like it. There is a feeling of a common purpose, people who really want to learn. It feels more serious than when I first came two years ago for a study abroad experience. There’s a real sense that we are all involved in something together. Keele is great. I love Keele.

NAFKU Scholar 2011 Annabelle Flores

2011-2012 MA Human Rights, Globalization and Justice

Annabelle by tawney Building Annabelle Flores is the first Canada Scholar. She studied at Ottawa University and graduated in Criminology Magna Cum Laude. A native French and Spanish speaker, she completed a semester as a Study Abroad student at Keele University and appreciated the opportunity to study in English. Annabelle says: “The great experience I had at Keele is part of the reason I wish to return for my postgraduate studies here.” Annabelle is a dedicated athlete and gymnast.

We met Annabelle a few weeks into her Master's course.

Annabelle, what are you doing at Keele?

I am getting involved in life at Keele and in Britain generally. I came to Keele before on study abroad from Ottawa University for one semester but I spent most of that short time with other international students. This time I want to get to know British students better and to improve my English because my first language is French.

How did you hear about Keele University?

It was not really planned, it was more of an impulsive decision. I am part Venezuelan so that Latin character may partly explain it. I was at Ottawa University and Keele was just one of the options for study abroad in Criminology. I liked the idea of studying in Britain but I didn’t do any detailed research before I came. Once I got to Keele I liked it and then I heard out about the Master’s programme in Human Rights, Globalization and Justice. It is a unique course, unlike anything else I have seen elsewhere, and certainly not a course I could pursue in Canada. I knew Keele already and I liked the course so it was a very easy decision. Keele seems to be a traditional university with a good community life. I really liked the idea of being in the country. Ottawa is a big city and there are cars honking everywhere but there are cows on campus here – that’s weird!

What was your first impression of Keele?

I really thought I would be studying in Keele Hall and was a bit disappointed to be based in the modern buildings. Keele Hall was how I imagined a British University to be with old rooms and corridors but it's a modern University, of course. But I like the way of teaching here; the groups are much smaller than I am used to – sometimes only a small number of students – so we have much closer connections to the lecturers. In the past I was used to working through set courses and sitting in lectures with hundreds of people but here there is much more independent learning. I was not accustomed to “empty space” in the timetable but now I realise it’s for me to fill it with my own learning, with guidance from the lecturers. That’s very different for me. Oh, and the food – it’s chips with everything. I asked for a salad and got half salad and half chips. Why?

What are your ambitions for five years from now?

I want to help people. I would like to set up or be part of a programme for people in forced marriages or in human trafficking or something similar. That’s part of what I am studying at Keele. I’d love to stay to work in Europe but I will probably have to lay the foundations of my career in Canada. I have a good connection with Ottawa Victim Services; my supervisor there was happy about me taking this course and encouraged me to return there, to work with victims of crime.

What are your aspirations Annablle near Tawney Building for your time at Keele?

Just to learn about other people’s perspectives, different cultures, different problems, different values. I can meet a lot of people here from different countries and it’s great to learn first-hand from people and not just from books. It’s a good place to meet people and also to meet yourself. When you are away from home you soon discover your strengths and weaknesses.

In May 2012 Annabelle was invited to accompany the Vice-Chancellor and other colleagues from Keele to visit alumni in North America. Here's what she said about the experience:

I had the chance of spending a week in North America (Victoria, Vancouver, Portland and San Diego). Not only could I enjoy the magnificent views that these cities had to offer, I was also able to meet some interesting people. Indeed, this experience allowed me to share my experiences as an international student studying at Keele University for my master’s degree; how the learning provided gave me more opportunities to think critically, how I am able to explore different parts of the world and the problems they face and also, how I can challenge myself into studying in English and living abroad. However, what I really appreciated from this experience of meeting Keele alumni and what I will take with me is their own experience from Keele, how fond their memories as students are and their journeys to get where they are now. I realised that university shapes an individual and prepares them for their future, not only on an academic level but also on a personal level. I am getting excited about the challenges that await me on my own journey. All in all, I consider myself lucky to have experienced being the Canadian scholar of the NAFKU scholarship. Thank you, Keele, and thank you, Keele alumni!

NAFKU Scholar 2010 Morgan Davison

2011 MA Human Rights, Globalization and Justice

What are you doing now?
I recently graduated from San Francisco State University and I arrived at Keele just two days ago from my home in California (September 2010). I am staying for a few days in Lindsay Hall until my long-term home in Hawthorns is available to move in – and I am doing all the orientation activities and finding my way around this huge campus!

Morgan at Keele How did you hear about Keele University?
I wanted to study a master’s degree in Human Rights but I also wanted to study outside the USA so that I could experience study somewhere new and different. I found that US universities tend to offer courses with a very strong Law focus but I wanted a much broader perspective. I searched a website that lists course at Universities all around the world and as I narrowed down my search I identified courses in Egypt, South Africa and several places in the United Kingdom. Keele became more and more prominent in my research. I had not heard about Keele before but the more I learned the more it attracted me. San Francisco State is a “commuter university” where people travel to do their classes and then leave and there isn’t much of a community feel. I really wanted to experience a traditional university lifestyle, living and working with fellow students. And I wanted to get away from the big city too – SFSU has thousands of students and lots of tall buildings close together – so Keele sounded smaller, more tranquil and a perfect environment to live and study. It seems ideally placed - near enough to a town for amenities but a little detached so it is great for studying. I will be living in Hawthorns so I am looking forward to village life!

So why did you choose Keele?
The size of campus and the landscape of the historic estate. I love history so the heritage of Keele appealed to me. Keele seemed to be a traditional university with a real community life. I spoke to someone who knows Britain and they recommended it above all my other UK options because of its long history and its reputation. I was also persuaded by its excellence in my chosen subject. It is fantastic to be able to study across disciplines – for example, law, politics, international relations - and to combine them into a broad understanding of my subject. When I read about the interests of the various professors they were ones that interested me, too. It very quickly became my first choice. When I saw that the NAFKU Scholarship was being offered to, that clinched it for me.

What is your first impression of Keele?
I have only been here a couple of days and this is my first time in the UK. Keele has already lived up to all my expectations. I love all the space and the green fields and trees. Everyone is really welcoming – from the moment of being picked up at the airport everyone has been friendly and helpful. I can stop anyone to ask for directions or a question and they immediately do everything they can to help!

What are your ambitions for five years from now?
I would love to be working on Human Rights for a major NGO such as Amnesty. Better still, I’d like to work with the United Nations. I did an internship and then worked for a year with the United States African Development Foundation so that confirmed my career choice.

What are your aspirations for your time at Keele?
Just take one day at a time, one step at a time. I will see how the year goes and decide later whether I want to stay longer or move on. I will go wherever life takes me! I am going to study hard and make the most of this opportunity – I am grateful for the NAFKU Scholarship, it has made a tremendous difference and it will enable me to do and experience so much more with my opportunity!