Grantham student wins Amazon bursary

A student from Grantham has become one of a small number of women in the UK who have been selected for a prestigious bursary from Amazon.

Emily Liu, 19, of Manthorpe, Grantham, is studying Computer Science at King’s College London and is one of six female students in the UK chosen to receive the Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary each academic year.

Emily, who used to attend Kesteven Grantham Girls’ School, said: “I was always interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). From a young age, I loved playing with computers, but I didn’t actually think that IT could be a career path for me.

“Technology never felt like a career choice. I avoided the technical subjects and focused on subjects that could lead me to a career in business or finance. Thankfully, as I got a little older, I realised that I could have a career in technology.”

Emily almost missed the chance to make it on to the Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary scheme, but a late-night check of her emails led to a chance encounter with the programme.

Emily added: “It all happened really quickly. I was clearing out my emails one night, and I came across an email from my department. The deadline for applications to the bursary programme was that evening and I quickly applied. A few weeks later I received an email saying congratulations.”

The Amazon Women in Innovation Bursary offers funding of between £3,500 and £7,500 per year to a female student from a low-income household attending one of the three universities which neighbour its three UK development centres.

As well as the bursary helping with Emily’s living costs over the four years of her degree, Amazon will also provide mentoring on business skills like CV-building and interview techniques.

Emily believes that more women should pursue careers in areas that they are passionate in, adding: “I would definitely encourage women to pursue STEM subjects. A lot of people are interested in STEM but, because of gender disparity and imbalance, they are deterred from going into the field.”