Holidays are coming to an end, and slowly St. Paul’s prepares for the start of a new school year. But our Foundation scholars kept themselves busy even during the holidays! During June and July, they’ve been in summer courses in universities abroad, enriching their academic and cultural experiences.
The summer course is an immersive experience that allows pupils to learn a lot about areas of their interest. It is also an opportunity to work on their skills for university and professional life, aside from allowing cultural exchange with students from other countries and opening their horizons through an international living. Knowing of its importance, the Foundation supports and funds these courses for our scholars.
This year, four o four scholars participated in different summer courses around the world. Mariana went to Levsin American School, in Switzerland; Elisa, to UCLA in California; Ana Claudia to Carleton College in Minnesota, USA; and Antônio to Earlscliff, UK.
Below, they share more about their experience in the last few years:
“The summer course gave me an idea of what is like to study Science in university. The activities allow us to learn practically, with field trips to different locations” said Ana, who studied Chemistry, Biology and Geology at Carleton College, USA, in the programme ‘Building Connections in STEM’. She also shared that the experience made her rethink her future in college and how she would fit better in a liberal arts institution rather than a big university.”
As for Elisa, she affirms that “this experience allowed me to get to know the world through different lenses, learning about a topic I didn’t even know I adored”. She studied Psychology and Neuroscience at UCLA, in California.
Aside from academic growth, they all pointed out how interesting it was to meet, live and study with people from different countries, building friendships and connections for life! Mariana also added that “the nicest and most enriching part of the experience was to get to know new people, learn new languages and traditions from completely different cultures.”