Malinda McPherson

Churchill Scholarship, 2014-2015

On my first day at Cambridge, a professor stood in front of the new PhD and MPhil students in my department and said: “The majority of the important and interesting conversations you will have this year will not take place in the Faculty. They will happen at your college over formal dinners, at the pub with friends, during a coffee break. Make time for those moments to happen.” This statement has guided my year at Cambridge. I’ve learned that often the best discoveries and insights occur in unexpected contexts, and therefore it is important to continually seek out and say yes to the myriad of opportunities and experiences that Cambridge, or any year abroad, can offer. The Churchill Foundation encourages Scholars to travel, attend conferences, devote time to sports, music and travel, make connections and fully embrace the Cantabrigian lifestyle, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be a Churchill Scholar.