Annabelle Aish, a student at University College London, is the fifth recipient of the Cornell Club of London's annual scholarship to attend Cornell's six-week summer session. Adriana Rovers/University Photography
Annabelle Aish wants to help make a difference in people's lives in any capacity she can.
"It is amazing to see people in the worst situations achieve so much," she said.
A self-proclaimed "optimist with cynical moments," Aish already has spent six months teaching English in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of East Africa, and has studied geography for one year at University College London.
The Cornell Club of London, the alumni association representing the United Kingdom, selected this 20-year-old world traveler to be the fifth recipient of its annual scholarship to attend Cornell's six-week summer session. The club raises enough money to pay tuition, housing and a meal allowance for the winner.
"I am delighted to see some student movement from the UK to Cornell, cementing the relationships we have with UK universities, and I know the members of the Cornell Club join me in this. 'Life on the hill' was very important for them, and they want as many students from this country as possible to share their experiences," said Liz Simpson, resident director of the Cornell/Brown/Penn UK Centre in London.
Aish found out about the scholarship through a poster on the bulletin board of her department. She admits that she never thought she actually would get the competitive and selective award. Simpson said the scholarship committee was impressed by Aish's "lively yet thoughtful personality," that she was interested in studying subjects not part of her degree program and that she had already lived independently abroad. Because she could also explore her outdoor interests, such as hiking and sailing, Aish was "an ideal choice," Simpson said.
Studying political science and oceanography has taken up the majority of Aish's time since her arrival in June. "I am so glad I have been given the opportunity to study something I otherwise could not explore during my course of study in the UK. In Britain, you have to declare what you are studying before you even enter the university," she said.
In comparing university education in the United States to Britain, Aish said professors here are much more laid-back. "Classes here are much more discussion-based and force you to think on your feet on many issues in order to defend your position. In England, we go away from the classroom, do research and write up a paper. There are advantages to both ways."
Aish said she has had an extremely enjoyable summer in Ithaca. An avid sailor, she has reaped the benefits of living near Cayuga Lake.
Aish's father is in the computer software business and lives in Philadelphia, while her mother resides in Sweden and works doing statistical analysis of social science research.
Originally from Winchester, England, Aish attended a boarding school near Oxford for seven years. Though she loved her time there, she felt it was an "amazing and liberating experience" to leave that sheltered environment and travel to Africa to see an entirely different part of the world. She says she would like to return to Zanzibar someday, but she says she worries about the political instability and corruption that abound there.
Previous winners of the Cornell Club of London award include students from Bristol University, Oxford University, Cambridge University and Warwick University. Each student has pursued a different path, whether it be further education or work as a journalist or teacher. Her future, Aish said, is anybody's guess right now. "I am interested in so many things. I just love to learn, so it makes it hard to commit to any one career path."