Winner of the Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship 2024

Meet Hannah Sherrod, the winner of the Study a Master’s in Europe Scholarship 2024 by educations.com.

Hannah is a marine biologist from the USA. She works in the Organic Chemistry research laboratory, studying microplastics in whale species. After completing her Master’s, Hannah plans to pursue a PhD and eventually become a professor to educate the next generation of students and conduct valuable research to understand the impacts of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems.

Hannah’s Background

From childhood, Hannah has had a passion for the ocean. Witnessing the effects of human activities on the sea and beaches, she decided to pursue a career in Marine Biology to study marine pollution and its impact on marine life. Hannah graduated from California State University, Long Beach where she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. During her undergraduate career, she was involved on a research project where she studied the impacts of microplastics in cetaceans, and currently she works at a plastic pollution research center. She has always had a deep curiosity and passion for the ocean, and this curiosity turned into determination to educate the next generation of scientists and conduct research to better understand and reduce the number of contaminants in marine ecosystems.

How Hannah chose the country of study

Hannah chose to pursue her MSc in Marine Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation (MVEC) program in England at the University of Exeter because of the wide range of conservation research conducted in the UK along with the opportunity to explore the biodiverse ecosystem of the Cornish waters where she plans to expand her fieldwork skills. During her bachelor's, Hannah contacted several researchers within the field, discussing the possibility of continuing her work under their supervision at the University of Exeter. She was inspired by the research conducted by past students and current professors at the university and is delighted to work with her Principal Investigator (PI) on her research thesis where she will study microplastics in the biological systems of marine mammals. Hannah is extremely excited to embark on this next chapter of her life as she studies at a university that aligns exactly with her career goals.

How Hannah plans to become a globally-minded leader

Hannah plans on becoming a professor after completing her master’s and PhD. Hannah has had the privilege of working with mentors who have left an impact on her education, and she similarly wishes to leave an impact on future students by educating them of the ways in which plastic pollution negatively impacts marine ecosystems. Hannah is determined to create change, globally, through teaching and conducting research in hopes of seeing a less polluted future.

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