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Posted April 20, 2026

From government affairs to Chevening Scholar: why I chose to pause my career in London

From Government affairs to Chevening Scholar

I still remember the moment it became real. I was sitting at my desk in El Salvador, in the middle of a normal workday – emails, meetings, deadlines – when I saw the notification: I had been awarded the Chevening Scholarship.

For a second, everything paused. This was something I had thought about for years. Studying in the UK, being part of a global network, and stepping into a completely different environment. But at the same time, I had already built something I was proud of. I was working in government affairs in the tech sector, engaging with policymakers and contributing to conversations around digital infrastructure and public policy. And suddenly, I had to make a decision: do I keep going… or do I step away?

The uncomfortable part no one talks about

From the outside, this kind of opportunity looks like an easy yes. But what people don’t always see is what you’re leaving behind. I wasn’t starting from zero. I had momentum. I understood my work, my space, and where I was heading. I was used to being in rooms where conversations mattered, where decisions were being shaped. Choosing to leave that – even temporarily – felt uncertain.

There’s something uncomfortable about going from being in the middle of action to stepping back into a classroom. From doing to learning. From contributing to observing.

And naturally, the doubts come in:

  • Am I losing time?
  • Am I falling behind?
  • Will this actually make a difference later?

Why I still chose to pause

Chevening ScholarshipAt some point, I realised the question wasn’t whether I was moving forward or backward.

It was whether I was growing in the way I wanted to. Working in government affairs gave me incredible exposure, but it also made me aware of what I didn’t yet fully understand. I could see how policies played out, but I wanted to better understand the systems behind them.

I wanted time to ask bigger questions:

  • What actually makes a policy successful?
  • Why do similar policies work in one country but fail in another?
  • How do global power dynamics shape national decisions?
     

Those aren’t questions you can always explore when you’re moving from one meeting to the next.

The Chevening Scholarship made that possible – and it led me to pursue my masters degree at Birkbeck, University of London, a place that allowed me to balance academic depth with a global, diverse environment.

Starting again, but differently

Arriving in London didn’t feel like a reset. It felt like a shift.

At Birkbeck, University of London, I quickly realised that learning wasn’t just about absorbing information – it was about questioning it. The academic environment pushed me to think critically, challenge assumptions, and build my own arguments in ways I hadn’t before.

But the biggest change came from the people around me. In one classroom, you hear perspectives shaped by experiences across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America – all interpreting the same issue differently. That alone forces you to rethink what you thought you knew. You start to realise that there’s rarely one “correct” way of understanding the world.

Seeing my experience differently

One of the most valuable parts of this experience has been reconnecting with my own background – but from a different angle.

Situations I had lived through professionally started to make more sense when viewed through academic frameworks. Conversations in class often reminded me of real meetings, real policies, real decisions. It didn’t feel like I had stepped away from my career. It felt like I had zoomed out – and in doing so, understood it better.

Was it worth it?

Pausing your career is not the safe choice. It comes with uncertainty, trade-offs, and moments where you question if you made the right decision. But for me, it was worth it – not because it replaced my experience, but because it deepened it.

A final thought

We’re often taught to see careers as something linear — always moving forward, always progressing. But real growth doesn’t always look like that. Sometimes, it looks like choosing to pause. Because coming to London has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve met incredible people, built meaningful connections across the tech and policy sectors, and been exposed to perspectives that have genuinely changed how I think.

It’s also an experience I don’t think I could have fully had in my own country. There’s something about stepping outside your environment – and even your continent – that pushes you to grow in a completely different way.

And looking back, this wasn’t a pause. It was a step forward.

Postgrad Ambassador Fabiola LeonAuthor’s bio: Fabiola Leon is a Chevening Scholar 2025/26 from El Salvador currently pursuing a masters degree in Public Policy at Birkbeck, University of London.

She previously worked in government affairs in the tech sector, engaging with policymakers on issues related to digital infrastructure, public policy, and innovation. Her interests lie at the intersection of technology, policy and global development.

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