Henok Gheotom
Spreading light
Henok Gheotom is the inaugural recipient of the Quantedge – Cambridge Refugee Masters Scholarship.

Arriving in the United Kingdom with his family as refugees, Henok overcame the significant odds stacked against him and thrived academically, receiving a 1st Class degree in economics from the University of Bristol. From Oct 2020, he will be pursuing his Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Economics and Finance at Cambridge.

In his spare time, Henok volunteers regularly as a mentor to other young people from similar backgrounds and hopes to continue paving the way to opportunities for others like him.


Tell us more about your family's journey to the United Kingdom.

I was born in Eritrea, a country in East Africa that shares its borders with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. Together with my mother and older sister, I arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1997 to seek political asylum. It was after the Eritrean War of Independence (1961 – 1991) – my father had spoken out against political injustice and was arrested. Fearing political persecution, my mother decided to flee the country with my older sister and me. I was not even 2 years old when we arrived in the UK to seek asylum and do not remember much of that period. What I know about my culture I learn from my mother, who always made sure that we were still in touch with our Eritrean roots.
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The initial years living in a foreign country as a political refugee were especially difficult for my mother. She did not speak a word of English and had to fend for herself, a single mother with two young children in tow. She did her utmost to eke out a living and give my sister and me the best possible childhood and education under these challenging circumstances.
 
Today, our family is happily reunited in the UK. After losing touch with us for more than 10 years, our father managed to flee to the UK in to join us. ​
Picture
Henok as a child.
"The initial years living in a foreign country as a political refugee were especially difficult for my mother. She did not speak a word of English and had to fend for herself, a single mother with two young children in tow. She did her utmost to eke out a living and give my sister and me the best possible childhood and education under these challenging circumstances."


How did you find out about this inaugural Scholarship and what made you apply? 

When I applied to the University of Cambridge, I noticed that international students could apply to be considered for scholarships offered by the Cambridge Trust. Given my unique situation – I came to the UK as a refugee but was by then holding a British passport – the Development Office at King’s College reached out to me about a potential funding opportunity.
Picture
Henok (middle) with friends at Covent Garden, London.
"With a history of academic excellence going back centuries, the University of Cambridge is one of the world’s most prestigious educational institutions, not just in the UK where I live but also across the world. I am very excited to have this opportunity to study at one of the most academically enriching environments in the world."
One thing led to another and the Admissions team followed up to arrange for an interview for this inaugural Scholarship offered by the Quantedge Foundation. I understand that the Scholarship was initially scheduled to commence for the following Academic Year 2021/22 and I am very grateful for the special consideration (at short notice!) to support me for my studies for this Academic Year 2020/21. I would otherwise have had to take on a large debt to finance my master’s education.

With a history of academic excellence going back centuries, the University of Cambridge is one of the world’s most prestigious educational institutions, not just in the UK where I live but also across the world. I am very excited to have this opportunity to study at one of the most academically enriching environments in the world.


Why did you choose to study economics and what are your plans post-graduation?

I find economics a very versatile subject that lends itself easily to applications across many different fields. Apart from the standard macroeconomic and microeconomic modules, there are also areas such as behavioural economics, neuroeconomics (which cut across multiple disciplines such as neuroscience, cognitive/social psychology) and different sub-fields of economics. At the end of it, you come out with a broad range of skillsets: quantitative, data analysis, problem-solving, etc. An economics degree provides a good foundation for a wide range of different careers such research, data science and finance.  
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At Cambridge, I intend to take advanced econometric modules, as this would equip me with skills to carry out more sophisticated empirical research, should I decide to pursue a PhD in the future.
 
In terms of immediate plans post-graduation, I am currently inclined towards roles in economic consultancy or asset management, as these roles would enable me to regularly apply the range of theoretical insights from economics and finance that I have learnt to the real world.
"I find economics a very versatile subject that lends itself easily to applications across many different fields... At the end of it, you come out with a broad range of skillsets: quantitative, data analysis, problem solving, etc. An economics degree provides a good foundation for a wide range of different careers such as research, data science and finance."


You have been volunteering with The Access Project for close to a year now.

The Access Project (TAP) is a unique in-school mentoring and personalised tuition programme that helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds gain access to top universities in the UK. It involves volunteer tutors offering weekly free tuition in subjects they are passionate about to students who are studying for their GCSEs/A-Levels examinations.
"Given the significant impact the programme had on me, I decided to volunteer as a tutor so that I could pay that same support forward to other students. I have been volunteering for close to a year now and look forward to continuing this throughout my studies in Cambridge."
I had been a tutee on the programme (receiving help with Economics) from 2012-2014 and found it an incredibly helpful experience. Aside from clarifying theoretical economics concepts, my tutor also gave me advice on how to write my personal statement for my application to university.

​​Given the significant impact the programme had on me, I decided to volunteer as a tutor so that I could pay that same support forward to other students. I have been volunteering for close to a year now and look forward to continuing this throughout my studies in Cambridge.


In your free time, you enjoy travelling and discovering new places.

I thoroughly enjoy travelling because it offers an insight into another country’s history and culture and widens one’s global perspective. This enables a greater understanding of people from different backgrounds, which can help you connect better with others. This is important as we are living in an increasingly globalized world – it confers benefits in terms of forming personal relationships as well as in professional settings with businesses increasingly having international clientele.
"I thoroughly enjoy travelling because it offers an insight into another country’s history and culture and widens one’s global perspective. This enables a greater understanding of people from different backgrounds, which can help you connect better with others."
Due to travel costs, I have only travelled within Europe and to Eritrea, so far. When it is safe to travel again, I would want to discover the different parts of South America and Asia.
Picture
Henok (rightmost) with friends at Cheddar Gorge, Bristol, England.


Imagine yourself in 10 years. What do you hope will be different about you then compared to now?

I definitely hope to be in a position where I have the resources to make the differences I wish to see now. Reflecting on my time in school, I observe that while talent is equally distributed, some lack resources to foster that intellectual curiosity. I want to bridge this gap and promote access to education as an agent for social mobility.
 
In the near term, I hope to continue volunteering, whether it is offering free tuition, assisting with university applications or signposting students to organisations that are willing to help. In the long term, I hope to be able to go even further to offer financial support to others from similar backgrounds, and enable opportunities just like the one Quantedge Foundation has given me with this Scholarship.
Picture
Henok (second from right), with friends at a birthday celebration.


​​What advice do you have for other fellow refugees or young people from similar backgrounds? 

I have 2 tips to share.
First, be resourceful. Look around to get a good idea of the different organisations that are already out there and the type of help they offer, such as free tutoring, mentorship, financial assistance etc. In the UK at least, I have realised that there is some help available for people of similar socio-economic backgrounds as myself. Now that I’m aware of them, I go out of my way to point out those resources to others who may benefit from them.
"Things do not always go according to plan. This can be frustrating at times, but being resilient will put you in a good position to recover from particular setbacks and go on to achieve more."
Second, be resilient. Things do not always go according to plan. This can be frustrating at times, but being resilient will put you in a good position to recover from particular setbacks and go on to achieve more.
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