ETE: Building Momentum One Scholar at a Time
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Ana-Maria Mikhail, a MSc student in Metals and Energy at Imperial College London, the secret sauce to cement a career in the mining industry will be the momentum of scholarships like BMO’s Equity Through Education program. Raised in Kuwait and then Portugal, she says support from the BMO scholarship offered her the financial stability to be able to dedicate herself to her Master’s, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a young woman, I'm happy to see more universities and large mining companies offer scholarships for women to enter the industry and challenge some of the barriers that we do face,” says Mikhail, who also attended BMO Global Metals and Mining conference in March. “I feel like you have to see a kind of momentum in that sense,” she said. “When you see other women around you, pursuing careers in this industry, you feel more inspired to do so yourself.”
On September 23rd, 2020 BMO’s Equity Through Education program celebrated 16 years of supporting scholarships, education, and inclusion by donating institutional equity trading commissions to charitable organizations.
[text on screen] Growing the good with zero barriers to learning.
Ana-Maria Mikhail: My name is Ana-Maria Mikhail. I grew up in Kuwait for most of my life, but I moved to Portugal when I was 13 to finish high school.
After that, I started my BSc in geophysics at Imperial College London. Geophysics was a great fit for me because I had the chance to combine my interests in maths and science with my inclination to enter the natural resources industry.
During my degree, I enjoyed learning about the many facets of Earth Science and geology. But I did feel like I was seeking a larger commercial application of what I was learning.
The BMO Equity Through Education scholarship has offered me financial stability, and especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, I was really grateful to be in a position where I didn't have to worry as much about my finances on top of studying for my masters.
My master's covers many aspects within the mining finance industry, from mineral deposits and extractive metallurgy to more financial subjects like accounting, derivatives and portfolio management.
Attending the Global Metals and Mining Conference virtually was a really great opportunity as a student, because it allowed me to contextualize topics within mining finance that I've learned during my master's course.
The fact that the BMO conference was so centralized on how mining companies are approaching ESG, investment, risk and growth shows that there's a significant focus on improving sustainability in all aspects of within the mining space.
The industry has traditionally been very male dominated and male oriented. But as a young woman, I'm happy to see more universities and large mining companies offer scholarships to enter the industry and challenge some of the barriers that we do face.
I feel like you have to see kind of momentum in that sense, you know, when you see other women around you. pursuing careers in this industry, you feel more inspired to do so yourself.
I hope that going forward in my career, I can continue to be a spokesperson for women in mining and in finance. I would love to help mentor and encourage young women to pursue careers in either or both industries.
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