Gap Year Adventures For Triumphant Students
Intrepid students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull are jetting off to exotic destinations on a high after achieving outstanding results in their A Level examinations, announced today.
While more than 850 students at the College have earned university places, a handful are deferring their university studies to undertake volunteer projects abroad.
Among them is 18-year-old George Walker from Bentley Heath, who will shortly be tavelling to Ghana for an exciting Gap year adventure. The ex-Arden School pupil, who harbours ambitions to become a doctor, will be working in a local hospital as an extra pair of hands on the wards, as well as travelling to rural communities and orphanages as part of an out-reach medical programme.
"I am already first aid trained, but I really want to become a doctor and this trip will give me valuable experience towards that," he said. "Of course, the hospitals in Ghana are not as sophisticated as in the UK and there are about 100 times as many doctors here as there are in Ghana, but this will present a real challenge and will give me the opportunity to see tropical medicine, which you don’t see much in the UK. I am looking forward to experiencing the culture in Ghana and will be living with a host family."
George has a place at university waiting for him when he gets back, where he will study Medicine. He earned this place after getting straight A grades in his A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, French and Mathematics, as well as an A in Critical Thinking.
Like George, Tim Stewart and Joshua Close are planning to do volunteer projects abroad. Both are travelling with BMS World Mission and Tim is going to Brazil, while Joshua is off to India.
For Tim (aged 18, from Solihull), his trip to South America will be to support pre-school children as part of the PEPE project, as well as working at local schools, churches and orphanages. The former Alderbrook School student plans to take up a place at Sheffield University upon his return to study Geography. He is sure of his place after getting all A grades in his A Level subjects of Economics, Geography, Mathematics and AS Philosophy.
Tim said. "I’m really looking to my trip. At the moment my Portuguese is not that great, but I’m sure by the time I come back from my six months in Brazil I will be conversationally fluent. It is a great opportunity to experience a new culture and help the local community. PEPE is a great scheme which helps pre-school kids who would otherwise be too poor to have pre-school care."
Tim is considering a career in teaching in the long term, while his friend Joshua Close (also aged 18 and from Solihull) is thinking about a career in civil engineering in developing countries. With that goal in mind, its no surprise that Joshua has opted to study a degree in Civil Engineering at Loughborough University and his place is assured after getting top grades in A Level Graphics, Mathematics, Physics and AS Economics.
Before he starts at Loughborough, Joshua has Calcutta in India to look forward to. While there the ex-Tudor Grange school pupil plans to teach basic English and Maths skills to young people, as well as helping with some building projects.
"BMS World Mission do projects all over the world," added Josh. "I put India down as my first choice of places to go and lucky that’s what I’ve got. I will be turning my hand to whatever they need me to do while I’m out there. It might be teaching basic English and Maths or working on building projects. I can’t wait."
George, Tim and Joshua are three of six students whose volunteer trips abroad are being part funded by the College’s Terry Kitson Award for Services to the Community this year. This scheme was established to remember the late Terry Kitson, a governor at the College from October 1992 to September 1999. Students work with the wider community was an issue close to his heart, hence a bursary was set up as a fitting memorial to a friend and colleague and a way of supporting students looking to undertake voluntary projects during Gap years.
