Scholarsh­ip Programme 2022 winners announced

Nyla Rawlins from Hackney, Carlita Franco from Newham, and James Henry from Waltham Forest, have each been awarded a full scholarship of tuition fees and a maintenance loan supplement worth £2,700 per year, as well as facilitation of relevant work experience placements within the Here East business community and mentoring opportunities during the course of the degree.

This programme is open to students currently residing in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, ensuring that local people are able to reap the many benefits offered by the world leading education institutions, businesses and individuals that call Here East home.

This is the second year of the scholarship programme. Leon Maduro, Jenny Hoang and Maryam Hussain who are Here East scholars from 2021, successfully finished their first year.

Nyla Rawlins, who currently works at Stagecoach school with 3 - 7 years old pupils, will be studying Musical Theatre at LMA, commented: “The scholarship has not just provided me with a sense of financial security, but a sense of security in my chosen field. Musical Theatre is a difficult field to break into, especially for someone from a working-class background, so I am elated by the scholarship offering networking as well as work experience opportunities which will be of extreme importance on the completion of my degree. The arts have been very important to me whilst growing up and have helped me become the person I am today. I want to achieve positive change and know through the arts I can achieve this. This is why I am attending LMA to study Musical Theatre. Being able to do a degree in something I love so much with support is amazing and am so grateful that Here East have given me this opportunity.”

Carlita Franco, who likes acting and writing scripts has been elected to study Acting and Performance at LMA, commented: “I applied for the Here East scholarship to help support me while I’m studying acting and performance at LMA. I was so happy when I found out I got it, I remember being really nervous to open the email. The scholarship is such a great opportunity and I am so grateful to be able to receive it. I also think it’s so generous of Here East to offer this financial support as university can have some students worrying when it comes to the thoughts of paying back tuition fees and managing money. I’ve heard really good reviews and everyone seems to love their time here and not want to leave which I can tell will definitely be the same experience for me too.”

James Henry, who will be attending Staffordshire University London to study Concept Arts, commented: “I love to draw & create stories using art & video. It’s been something I’ve been doing for many years and even now. I applied for the Here East Scholarship because I wanted to grow more skills with the networking and work experience they provide in the program. I'm attending Staffordshire University London to study Concept Art for Film and Games and I'm willing to work really hard to make my dreams a reality. I hope to work in a gaming company and eventually work as a freelance Concept Artist. Every step is always a new lesson to learn and grow.”

Since opening in 2016, Here East has remained committed to ensure the lasting legacy of the Olympic Games in east London and this programme marks the latest community initiative from the campus to ensure that young people and residents continue to feel the benefits of Here East and its tenants.