Shawn Mwenje

2023 Shawn large22 years old, from Kenya, attending the University of Cambridge.   Shawn was awarded a Beacon Scholarship in May 2020.

Shawn is studying towards a BA in Architecture at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. A committed artist, he has completed 15 hours of studio work per week. He also secured an internship at NGO 'Learning Without Borders', working on social content and marketing.

Shawn enjoys fitness activities, going to the gym three times a week. He has produced three illustrations this year and has secured spots in student exhibitions for his art. He also enjoys creating and publishing YouTube content.

Shawn is active in college life: he has been a Student Ambassador and a UniBuddy mentor, photographing events, giving college tours, and corresponding with 18 prospective applicants. He is the Events Officer for the HipHop Society and a Committee Member of the Architectural Society, organising several events. He enjoys events at the Cambridge Union.

Shawn uses his love of art to support his citizenship activities: he raised funds for his Citizenship Project by sales of his art and then ran a series of art workshops for children in a community centre, opening their eyes to what art can do to boost their self-esteem. He was pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoyed teaching. He also volunteered in a UK workshop renovating a site for students, and at a church barbecue.

 

Beacon Workshop Participation

Shawn’s 2022 Summer Beacon Citizenship Project was about organising painting workshops at the Mituini Hope Centre, giving the children there a creative outlet and a sense of educational achievement.

In Leadership Workshops, Shawn has shown himself to be good at critical thinking, an active participant and very resourceful. As a team leader, he is willing to challenge ideas from team members, checking back on them later.