Congratulations to current student Tala Al-Chikh Ahmad (French and Arabic, Somerville College and Crankstart Scholar) and former student Ffion Hughes (Master of Public Policy, Exeter College and Rhodes Scholar) who are heading over to McGill University in Montreal, Canada, as finalists for the McCall MacBain Scholarships.
Tala
Inspired by her year abroad in Jordan, Tala served as co-president of Student Action for Refugees, organising initiatives to support refugees locally and mobilizing students at Oxford.
Tala was president of the Oxford Iraq Society, where she organized cultural and fundraising events and created spaces for Iraqi students to connect. In addition, Tala served as secretary of the Oxford Syria Society and managed social media for the Oxford Arab Society. She interned with Reclaim Childhood, supporting sport-based programs that empower refugee girls across Jordan, and with Caritas Cyprus, providing Arabic and French translation for asylum seekers.
“It is an amazing opportunity to be part of, and I am extremely grateful to be selected as a finalist, » said Tala. « I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself throughout the process. I feel proud to represent my origins, my university, and my background.”
Tala is applying for Master of Arts programs at McGill. “Through an MA, I hope to explore different approaches and perspectives on post-conflict recovery in regions that have been most affected, » she added.
Ffion
A recent graduate of McGill and Oxford, Ffion Hughes works as a Policy Analyst at the British Columbia Ministry of Health in Vancouver, Canada. She holds an Honours History undergraduate degree from McGill University, with minors in Political Science and French. Ffion also holds a Master of Science in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology and a Master of Public Policy from the Oxford, where she studied at Exeter College as a Rhodes Scholar.
Throughout her studies, Ffion volunteered at several shelters and day centres supporting people experiencing homelessness. While completing her undergraduate degree, she also worked as an Interfaith Activities Assistant and co-chaired McGill’s Committee on Student Services. In Oxford, Ffion led discussion-based tours on colonialism, racism, classism, and discriminatory policies as a Senior Guide with Uncomfortable Oxford. She also completed an internship on youth homelessness policy with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness/Making the Shift. In her current work, Ffion supports efforts to address British Columbia’s toxic drug crisis, recently project-managing and co-leading a major provincial policy development initiative.
« I am beyond thrilled to have been selected as a finalist for the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill, » Ffion said. « This program will empower me to pursue my goal of becoming a lawyer dedicated to serving the public interest. I hope to deepen my understanding of the legal aspects of health and social policy, while drawing from my own lived experience with obsessive compulsive disorder and anorexia to understand key legal debates surrounding mental health. »
Ffion is applying for law school at McGill.
Read more: Oxford students shortlisted as McCall MacBain Scholarship finalists