Chevening scholar Jamila Falak is growing her global network and developing key skills at the University of Leeds, so that when she returns home she can support the wellbeing and resilience of her local community in Jamaica.
Chevening is equipping me with the skills, networks, and confidence to turn a long-standing vision into practical approaches for social change.
In Jamaica and across the Caribbean, communities continue to navigate complex challenges like violence, disconnection, and unprocessed trauma. My goal is to use music and creative practices as tools for healing, resilience, and community rebuilding.
Through my MA in Applied Psychology of Music at the University of Leeds, I’m developing not just new knowledge, but the skills required to turn this vision into community-focused approaches that can support wellbeing and rehabilitation.
Moving countries, navigating academic pressure, managing personal grief, and showing up fully in a new environment has demanded a level of adaptability I didn’t foresee. Life hasn’t paused to make this journey easy. Instead, it has asked me to become flexible, expandable, and to bend without breaking.
These skills directly relate to my international development work as they are all essential for working in complex, resource-constrained environments.
Resilience, for me, is no longer just about endurance. It is about responsiveness. It is about knowing when to push and when to rest, when to speak and when to listen. There’s a Jamaican saying: “Wi likkle but wi tallawah” (We may not look big in size, but we are powerful beyond measure). I carry that with me daily. It reminds me that strength is not loud, it is consistent.
At the same time, I am developing practical problem-solving skills through my academic studies and applied research. My course has inspired me to think critically about how music and sound can support emotional expression, mental health, and community recovery. 
As a professional singer, I understand the power of voice, but Chevening has helped me to expand it beyond melody and performance into advocacy and dialogue. I am learning to communicate with clarity, honesty, and purpose, not just in academic writing or presentations, but in how I show up in conversations, in my community, and within myself.
Vulnerability and authenticity are strengths. Being honest about my experiences, grief, uncertainty, and growth has allowed me to connect more genuinely with others. Much like in singing, where the most powerful performances come from truth, I am learning that real connection is felt, not forced.
As someone who aims to work in spaces of healing, I understand now that people don’t just need solutions, they need to feel seen, heard, and understood.
Chevening is more than a scholarship, it is a global community. The relationships I am building here are opening doors I didn’t even know existed.
Through conversations, collaborations, and shared experiences, I am connecting with people across disciplines, cultures, and industries. These are not just new contacts, they are future partnerships. I am learning that community is one of the most powerful tools for change.
All of these experiences and new skills I’m learning are shaping my long-term goal: to return to Jamaica and make music-based programmes that support healing and social transformation, particularly for young people and those navigating trauma and violence.
Chevening is helping me move from vision to practice. It is expanding my capacity to lead, to serve, and to create meaningful change.
I used to think my vision for the future was something distant, something I was working toward. But now I understand that I am becoming it, in real time.
Every challenge, every connection, every lesson is shaping me into the person who can carry this work forward
If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s this: the future isn’t something we wait for, it is something we build through learning, collaboration, and action.
As a Chevening Social Media Ambassador, Jamila is sharing her scholarship journey by attending events and documenting her experiences of life in the UK.
Learn more about Social Media Ambassadors and what it’s like to study at the University of Leeds with a Chevening Scholarship.
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