"To be connected to Sam’s memory in this way is the greatest privilege of my life, and I will always strive to honour and uphold the values he embodied."
This week's Human of York is Malak, the first person to graduate from York having received the Sam Pegram scholarship.
Sam Pegram was a former student who dedicated his life to humanitarian work. After volunteering in Jordan, Sam came to York and flourished in the LLM programme.
In 2019, Sam’s life was cut short in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, en route to Nairobi for humanitarian work.
The scholarship, set up in his memory, supports international students like Malak who are dedicated to advancing human rights. Malak is now hoping to make a difference as the first Sam Pegram scholar to study an LLM in International Human Rights Law.
"Being chosen as the first scholar is both a profound honour and a great responsibility, and I am forever grateful to Sam’s parents, Mark and Debbie, for entrusting me with the chance to be part of Sam’s legacy."
Mark and Debbie have also formed a strong bond with Malak, adding: "It has been an absolute pleasure to meet Malak. We feel so positive about the difference she will be making to other people's lives."
