“I joined the School in Primary 6, coming from a small local primary where I was happy and settled. My mum suggested the move, and although I was nervous, I quickly found my feet thanks to a brilliant buddy and the warm welcome I received. Looking back, those early days shaped so much of who I became.
Sport was a huge part of my experience. I’d always played football, but rugby was new to me. Over the years, I worked my way up through the teams and eventually played for the First XV. The friendships built on the pitch, with classmates and fellow students from across the School, were some of the strongest I made.
I tried all sorts of activities: choir, debating and more. The School offered so many opportunities that choosing how to spend my time was the hardest part. Academically, I had my ups and downs, like most people. My mum used to tell me I didn’t push myself enough, and at the time I didn’t really see it. I struggled with maths, which is ironic because my career now revolves around numbers. Some subjects really stayed with me, especially those that encouraged me to think differently. One subject in particular clicked so much that I achieved the top mark in my year.
As I moved up the School, I kept a fairly broad curriculum because I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go next. I studied a range of subjects, including English, art and modern languages, one of which was the language spoken at home in my family. That grounding in language and structured study paid off later at university.
The support around future pathways was outstanding. Our careers teacher took time with each of us, helping to make sense of the many choices ahead. I nearly applied for one degree but changed my mind just before submitting my forms. That last-minute switch turned out to be exactly right for me. My tutor at the time encouraged me and backed my decision completely.
One of the highlights of my school years was a senior trip to New York. We visited major landmarks, saw a Broadway show, explored museums and even toured the offices of a major tech company. I still talk about that trip. It was something most of my friends from outside school could only dream of experiencing.
Today, I’m working as a Graduate Quantity Surveyor on a major renewable energy project and am about to proceed to Quantity Surveyor at the close of the graduate programme. My closest friends remain those I met at School. We often say that those years were some of the best of our lives. The teamwork, camaraderie and sense of community helped prepare me for adult life in ways I didn’t appreciate until later.
I didn’t actually know I was on a bursary until the end of Sixth Year. Once I found out, everything made sense! My parents worked incredibly hard, but the School would not have been possible for us without support. I wasn’t shocked, just deeply grateful. It made me realise how much that support had given me: opportunities, friendships, confidence and a future I might not have reached otherwise.
If you’re considering donating to the bursary fund, I hope you will. I plan to support it myself once I’m further into my career. You never know what potential a young person holds, or how far they could go if given the chance. For someone like me, the bursary didn’t just open a door, it opened a life I couldn’t have imagined. And I would love one day to be able to give my own children the same experience”.
*Not his real name
