For Selina Rukaiya Suhee, the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship represents the culmination of a journey shaped by persistence rather than haste.

After graduating from BRAC University with a degree in Economics, she entered the development sector, working with organisations including BRAC International, iSocial Limited, and Swisscontact. Along the way, she witnessed firsthand how development initiatives and international collaborations can transform lives and communities. Those experiences gradually deepened her desire to expand her knowledge and engage with development challenges from a broader global perspective.

Studying abroad had always been something Selina wanted to do, but she kept putting it off because she was very close to her family and was concerned about the financial challenges.

“As soon as I finished my undergraduate degree, I began working and concentrated on establishing my career. From 2018 to 2024, while working at BRAC International, iSocial Limited and Swisscontact, I was exposed to different development projects and international collaborations.”

Seeing the impact of those initiatives inspired her to broaden her perspective and continue learning. When Selina was on her motherhood break, that’s when she realised it was the right time to pursue her long-standing dream of studying abroad, both to grow personally and to become better equipped to contribute to development work in the future.

Looking into the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship, she had been hearing about this since her undergraduate years.

“Thanks to BRACU, I was already aware of the scholarship’s reputation and impact.”

However, Selina learned more about the opportunity while exploring postgraduate study options on her UK university’s website. As she researched funding opportunities, she found detailed information about the scholarship and realised that it aligned closely with both her academic interests and goal of contributing to development work in Bangladesh. This motivated her to apply and make her dream of studying in the UK a reality.

Right after finishing Selina’s project with Swisscontact in October 2024, she decided to take parental leave. Upon asking what she did step by step, she said she started the journey with a clear sense of purpose.

“I knew exactly what I needed to study to strengthen my skills, and that clarity kept me grounded. Right after leaving my job, I stepped into a season that required endless patience, resilience, and waiting.”

Balancing motherhood, midnight SOP writing, and unexpected health challenges wasn’t easy, but Selina kept moving forward, even if it meant taking small, steady steps. That first year, she could only apply for two scholarships. One resulted in a partial offer and the other in a rejection. But she had made a promise to herself:

“I would only pursue my master’s if I secured full funding.” So, Selina deferred her offer, gathered her strength, and applied again with renewed faith.

“Alhamdulillah, Allah opened the door I had been praying for. Receiving the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship is more than just an academic milestone; it’s a reminder that faith, perseverance, and quiet determination will always see you through the hardest chapters.”

The first step in any meaningful academic journey is identifying the area that truly speaks to one’s purpose, according to Selina. And when one gets to know that, the right universities reveal themselves like stars aligning.

After six years in the development sector, Selina felt a pull to expand her vision, challenge her thinking, and understand the world through a global lens. This programme, with its bold focus on gender, development, and the deep structures shaping policy and inequality, matched her purpose with precision.

“I chose SOAS because I am ready to grow beyond what I already know. This is not just education, it is elevation.”

Looking back, the hardest part of the application was expressing her own story in the SOP to get university offers and patiently waiting for the result. It wasn’t just about writing an SOP; it was about aligning her journey with her academic ambition and showing why this path truly belongs to Selina.

The scholarship is wonderfully comprehensive. It covers full tuition fees, monthly living allowance, health surcharge, warm clothing allowance, two-way airfare, and visa costs. In short, it removes the financial barriers so that one can focus entirely on learning, growing, and making the most of this opportunity.

Selina’s journey from BRACU to the Commonwealth Scholarship feels less like a straight path and more like a quiet unfolding. It was a steady effort.

“Whenever I speak in interviews, I say this with genuine pride: BRACU prepares you for the professional world. It doesn’t just teach you; it nudges you out of your comfort zone.

In Selina’s work life, she has seen it again and again. BRACU graduates carry a resilience that shows up in how they work, how they think, and how they rise. She felt that resilience in herself too.

Choosing Economics was one of the most defining decisions of Selina’s life. She really loved the way lecturers taught her, which was mostly application-based. Right after graduation, she chose the development path, deeply inspired by Sir Abed and the impact of his work.

And that foundation built quietly, patiently, and often without even realising it carried her all the way to the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship.

“This journey is close to my heart because it showed me just how much patience, faith, and steady determination I was capable of holding onto. And now, I want to see how SOAS reshapes how global questions are understood and makes the familiar strange and the strange familiar,” concluded Selina.