28 April 2021
Huge congratulations to Upper Sixth students Ching and Grace who have each been awarded a scholarship by their first-choice university. Ching has received a Think Big Scholarship from the University of Bristol, where she has chosen to study Accounting and Finance. Grace, whose chosen field is computer science with cyber security, has been awarded one of only five Ada Lovelace Scholarships offered by the University of Southampton.
Ching’s description of her leadership and service as Woldingham’s Sacred Heart Ribbon and the volunteering and fundraising she has done for the Cardinal Hume Centre was part of an application that convinced Bristol that she would be a worthy Think Big Scholar. She also impressed with her career plans to use her professional skills to make a positive impact in a charitable sphere, helping NGOs to improve their financial accounting and governance.
Grace’s successful application comprised a 500-word essay in response to the question “Why is it important that today’s engineers and scientists are as diverse as the rest of the population?” In it she covered topics including how there are very few engineers from diverse backgrounds and how she doesn’t agree with companies ‘box ticking’ by using people from diverse constituencies to fulfil quotas, which she believes can diminish people’s self belief. She also looked at how Alan Turing was persecuted for his sexuality. Grace ended her impressive essay in an optimistic, personal and determined manner:
“Let’s be inspired by computers. They manage to communicate in one universal language without subjective prejudice - why can’t humans to do the same and treat one another as equals? It is imperative that engineering and science are more diverse, and I intend to be part of that movement.”