Julia Prus, at the time of applying for the scholarship, was a third-year student at the bilingual Stefania Sempołowska High School in Warsaw. She was actively involved in youth political bodies such as the Youth Parliament of the Republic of Poland and the Mazovian Voivodeship Youth Council. She was also a mentee in a mentoring programme with Member of the Polish Parliament Aleksandra Gajewska, within which she organised her own parliamentary event dedicated to the role of women in politics. Julia was engaged in the Young Women Leaders Network project (now the SML Foundation), where she served as a “community” team leader. At the time of her application, she had also been offered admission to the prestigious United World Colleges programme in India.
Currently, Julia is a first-year student at the University of Hong Kong, where she is pursuing a double degree in Finance and International Relations. She is a graduate of Mahindra United World College in India and a former board member of the SML Foundation, where she now serves as Talent Manager. Her work focuses particularly on women’s issues, especially menstrual poverty – a field she has developed experience in both in India and currently in Hong Kong. She also uses her background in youth politics to build a community of Polish students in Hong Kong. Academically, she is particularly interested in the economic development of countries and has participated in research projects in Qatar, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
Julia remains consistently committed to supporting women. For nearly two years as a board member of the SML Foundation, she worked to empower young women from smaller towns in Poland. She is currently active in supporting migrant women in Hong Kong, particularly in addressing menstrual poverty. This academic year, she also took part in the “Cut for Love” project, where – after professional training – she provided haircuts to seniors and neurodivergent individuals in Hong Kong.