Announcing Our 2020 Crowd Scholar Grantees

Crowd Scholar is proud to announce its 2020 Crowd Scholars. Our three Scholars were selected from a pool of 185 applicants following an intensive application process consisting of a written application and two rounds of interviews. This year, more than ever, we faced incredibly difficult decisions in selecting our Scholars. In addition to the general uncertainy of our times, we received an overwhelming number of applications from brilliant, hardworking, and resilient students that will undoubtedly go on to great successes. As a result, however, and as is the case every year, we are more than confident in our three Scholars and are looking forward to supporting them through university and beyond. Congratulations to Ruby Chesney Spedding, Buraq Ahmed, and Hilary Odunayo. 

The 2020 Crowd Scholar: Ruby Chesney-Spedding

Ruby worked part-time at Waitrose, competed in coastal rowing, and was a young carer for her mum all while excelling academically in sixth form. In her interviews, Ruby shone as a mature, genuine, and thoughtful individual. You can find Ruby's full profile here.

The [Randomly Drawn Donor] Crowd Scholar: Buraq Ahmed

Born in Iraq but raised in Wales since coming to the UK with his grandmother at age 3, Buraq leads scout troops, debates competitively, and even started a tutoring group to help other students in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. In his interviews, Buraq shone as a determined and kind individual with a passion for medicine and personal growth. You can find Buraq's full profile here.

The 2020 John Bennett Crowd Scholar: Hilary Odunayo

Hilary volunteered as a cadet and pursued her passion for economics and finance while in sixth form. She is spending her gap year developing professionally and personally at an asset management firm. In her interviews, she shone as a resilient, introspective, and positive individual. You can find Hilary's full profile here.