When Lilian Wamere first started on the NCUK IFY in Nairobi, she was thinking about studying Humanities and a career in Law. However she changed her mind after she saw the size of the reading list and joined the Science and Engineering programme. Now, five years later, Liliian has just successfully completed her MPharm degree from the University of Manchester.

“I am very happy that I chose Pharmacy for my degree,” said Lilian. As well as learning about how drugs are made and what effects they have, part of the course involved visiting hospitals, speaking with patients and dealing with real case histories, which is something she thinks will be particularly valuable when she returns to her home country to start work as a Pharmacist.

Liliian was the first recipient of the President’s Scholarship Scheme, a unique funding project which is supported by the Northern Consortium Scholarship Fund, nine of the Consortium’s owner universities, Brookhouse International School, NCUK’s delivery partner in Kenya and British Airways.

After completing the four year degree course with a 2ii, she is now starting her Pre-Registration Year – a placement in Community Pharmacy with Boots the Chemist. The training year comes after Lilian secured summer placements with the internationally renowned company while studying at Manchester. After completing the year of training, she will be entitled to register as a Pharmacist and hopes to find work in a hospital based environment in Kenya.

The best thing about studying in Manchester for Lilian has been the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds, make friends and find out more about other cultures. “I am very grateful for the opportunity that the scholarship has given me,” she said, “The NCUK IFY curriculum is more integrated with the first year of a degree in a British university and it helped with the transition from the Kenyan system.”

And the worst thing about studying in the UK? Apart from missing her family, for Lilian, it has been the weather. “The first year wasn’t so bad but then we had snow which was very strange for me,” she said, “I have had to buy a winter wardrobe – and my first pair of boots.”

Lilian is pictured with her degree certificate after the graduation ceremony held in the University of Manchester’s Whitworth Hall at the end of July.