Our scholars

Elisa has just started her third year as a St. Paul’s scholar. She has achieved outstanding grades and has fully integrated herself into the school community. She is part of the school choir, she plays football, takes part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, is vice-chair of ‘Girl Up’ and she did a summer course at UCLA with the Foundation’s support.

Until the end of Form 4, I had only ever had online lessons at school, so it was amazing to be able to make real friends once we returned to lessons. At St. Paul’s I have been able to test my limits and explore my potential, l which is something I cherish. The IGCSE curriculum challenged me and allowed me to discover my own potential.

Before becoming a scholar, I did not have half as many opportunities as I do now. There are so many things I thought I could never do, such as joining school clubs, IGCSE and IB, and studying abroad. In this sense, the school has really broadened my horizons and I have many more options than I thought I had, and I can achieve so much more than I thought I could.

I currently take part in the school choir, the football team,’ Girl Up’, Model United Nations, Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, as well as taking piano lessons. In Girl Up I am vice-captain. Joining a club helps you develop new interests; perhaps even things you think you would not interest you. Taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was something I would have never imagined doing, especially carrying out long treks. I didn’t even think opportunities like that existed, let alone that I could do it. It was something totally unimaginable. Being here has opened so many doors.

After a year of being a scholar, Claudia understands what a privilege it is to have choices at school. This is because she sees the impact St. Paul’s has had on her everyday life. She is involved in many extracurricular activities such as Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, basketball and Model United Nations. She tells us more about her first year as a scholar and about inspiring new scholars who have just arrived.

My first year as a scholar was amazing, so different from anything else I had done at my Brazilian school. I felt so welcomed here, everyone embraced and included me. However, it meant a whole year of adaptation.

I am in the basketball team and I have been involved in the business club. I also took part in the McCann Society, and I am now in the Model UN and volunteering at the charity, TUCCA. I have also taken part in DofE expeditions (photo below). It is so much fun taking part in these trips, especially with friends from school, with whom you forge close bonds through the experience of sharing challenges and completing the trek together.

If I reflect on my time as a scholar so far, I can see how my views on the world have changed. My horizons were very narrow before. The school curriculum challenges me to do more, and I am so grateful that I can now dream of going anywhere I want after graduating school. Seeing JP going to university in Germany, all that Ana does at school and the summer courses which the scholars attend has allowed me to believe that these dreams are possible for me too.

I loved meeting the new scholars this year, and to see the room full. It is especially pleasing to see the younger scholars, who will have so many opportunities ahead of them from an early age and to be in an environment which will develop them. I hope they will look up to us (the older scholars) and be inspired.

João Gabriel is in the middle of his IGCSEs, he feels like he is constantly being challenged and is learning from his teachers and classmates. He has been involved in the Physics and Maths Olympiads since the beginning, strengthening the school’s participation in these competitions. He dreams of winning many more medals.

Arriving at St Paul’s was very different to anything I had ever imagined. I met people with different perspectives of the world, started a challenging curriculum, took part in extracurricular activities, and encountered a different social environment. But what stood out most were all the opportunities on offer.

After a few months getting used to this new environment I can now say that I am totally engaged in the school and I find the curriculum a lot easier.

When I was awarded my scholarship, I remember worrying about having to go back a few months in my schooling, due to the different school calendar and because of the academic demands at the Brazilian school. However, I felt challenged, and I am grateful for gaining an extra year of opportunities and experiences.

My life has been transformed since becoming a scholar at St. Paul’s and my perspectives have totally changed since arriving here.  I had planned to stay in Brazil after completing school, however, I now see that I have other options. By engaging with people from different backgrounds I feel that I have gained more knowledge. It is not only the academic opportunities on offer here, but also the Foundation’s support which makes such a difference.

Ana Claudia is one of our oldest scholars and in her final year of the IB Diploma Programme. In addition to studying abroad she would like to make an impact on the world. She has been a student leader since being elected Sports prefect. Ana Claudia has loved her involvement in sport and drama at school as well as her experience on a summer course in the USA.

The transition from Form 5, which started online, to the Lower 6 with fewer restrictions imposed by the pandemic meant that I was able to get involved in so many extracurricular activities as well as service to the community projects. I took piano lessons, got involved in school sports and went to Rancho, where I met students from other schools and from throughout Brazil. This experience allowed me to get to know my school friends better, which helped me settle in.

My prefect application was also an important personal experience, as the application process is similar to that of applying to university. Being a prefect gives me the opportunity to express my opinions to a wider audience. We have weekly meetings at which we discuss proposals aimed at supporting the school. 

Being a Foundation scholar has allowed me to get a step closer to being able to study abroad. If it were not for the school’s help, I would not be as well prepared as I am. An example of this was the summer course I attended thanks to the Foundation’s support. I took a science course at an American university where I took part in field and got an idea of what life is like at university while meeting people from throughout the world. It was an amazing cultural and social experience.

I see myself having an impact on the world and contributing my ideas and solutions to some of the challenges that the world faces.