I’m currently studying the MSc in Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, supported by the Office for Students £10,000 scholarship. This conversion course has allowed me to fully focus on something I’ve been working towards for a while – developing the ever so desirable technical skills and applying it into my fields of choice.

The £10,000 has made a significant difference. Because I’ve been able to allocate funds where they were most needed, covering living costs, equipment/courses for my skills development, and easing the pressure to work long hours. Meaning I had the capacity to dedicate myself to learning and career-exploring. Something not to be taken for granted.

My current postgraduate course (MSc Computer Science) has been incredibly challenging but simultaneously rewarding. From the start, we’ve covered data science fundamentals, algorithms, software engineering, machine learning, and cloud technologies. I’ve built solid foundations in programming with Python, using SQL and sharpened my understanding of AI models and their real-world application. I’ve learned to analyse data with purpose, write clean code, and work collaboratively on software projects as well as develop my own application supported by unified documentation.

One thing I value about this program is the diversity of the cohort. As a woman in a very male-dominated field, it’s been clear to me how important visibility and representation are. I’ve been in the military and science fields, and in both, the lack of a female perspective in decision-making is something I have seen up close and find problematic. The chance to study MSc Computer science provided me with opportunity to not only tackle this imbalance but to be equipped for actively making things different. Better.

Education background-wise, I completed Military High School in Czech Republic before coming to the UK to study BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth. During that time, I supported myself financially by working nearly full-time hours alongside my studies, as I didn’t qualify for a maintenance loan due to my EU status. Even though I graduated with a first-class degree, I was constantly split between jobs and university deadlines. There was no time to just study or a safety net to support me. And that’s what this scholarship has allowed me to do and have for the very first time. It provided me with more than just a financial relief, but a time and space to finally focus and perfect the skills I intended to.

After I complete this degree, my goal is to explore the UK market and potentially return to the military as an IT specialist. With the skillset I build here, I can see myself working either in progressive local company or more established defence fields. Having a British postgraduate degree in IT will allow me to pursue officer-level or managerial roles that tend to be out of reach for women. I plan to challenge that and be part of the shift of what leadership in technology and defence can and should be like.