Having received an excellence scholarship, Milton came from Peru to study the Grande Ecole Master’s programme
Born in a town near the Amazon rainforest in Peru, Milton joined the MBS Grande Ecole Master’s programme this year as the recipient of an excellence scholarship. Having graduated in communication sciences and completed several internships in cultural, educational and environmental marketing, he seized the opportunity to study in France and define his projects relating to equal opportunities and sustainable development, which are subjects close to the heart of MBS.
Why did you join MBS?
I had the good fortune of being able to obtain a degree from a French Grande Ecole. I’d tried to come and study in France on several occasions but it was the MBS Foundation for Equal Opportunities that allowed me to achieve my dream! For me it’s the opportunity of a lifetime and the 1st step on my way to creating a company, as I want to develop my own media company dedicated to education, culture and the environment. I came to MBS to find all the skills I will need to carry out this project, and also because I feel reflected in the values defended and conveyed by the school.
How was your arrival ?
MBS provided outstanding support. From the start, the school has helped me on all fronts and made it as easy for me to settle in Montpellier as possible. I would also like to warmly thank Sophie Gosselin, the Foundation Director. I simply had to follow the advice I was given about visas, paperwork, transport, accommodation, allowing me to focus calmly on the reason I’m here: to study! I am also very grateful to be able to study intensive French classes during the first months here, even though I’m doing the English curriculum.
At first, I was a little apprehensive of certain subjects as I didn’t know a lot about finance or management, but the students are so supportive of each other that I’m always being helped upwards! I have never felt alone and been able to make great friendships with the Dominican students in my year group. We work a lot together outside classes so that no-one is left to struggle. There’s a ‘family’ atmosphere that I love.
You are heavily involved in projects on education, equal opportunities and global responsibility. Can you tell us a little about them?
I’ve always cared about these subjects. So I try to get involved as much as I can. At home, I was a member of several youth organisations, including the Centre for Environmental and Social Research, and I volunteered for various organisations, like Sernanp, which reports to the Ministry for the Environment.
This year, I’ve committed to be a MBS PHARES tutor (helping students with disabilities to succeed in higher education). It’s a perfect occasion for great encounters, to share experiences and learn from other people. I have benefited from equal opportunities, even now with the excellence scholarship, and I know how important that is. Equal opportunity is very important for me, so I want to do my bit too.
I am also involved in protecting the environment. In Peru, I created a project called “3 Litres of Reading”, which involved giving children books in exchange for 3 plastic bottles, to fight pollution while giving them access to reading and therefore culture. Thanks to the support of the MBS Foundation, I was able to present this project and its achievements to the annual international COY 13 Conference of Youth, the official ‘youth’ section of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was held in Germany this year.
As an international student, I also seized the opportunity to become a Campus France e-ambassador to talk about my studies in France. I write a blog (in French), about my experiences as an international student in Montpellier. Have a look !
