Sarah

French, Hospitality, Mathematics

Why did you decide to study here at Coulsdon Sixth Form College?

I had a friend who’d applied and told me I should join her. I attended the open event and spoke to many of the friendly teachers who made me feel so welcome. From then, I knew it was the College for me.

How did you find the course you studied at Coulsdon?

I already had an idea of what I wanted to study- Maths because I thoroughly enjoyed it at GCSE, French as a result of my Moroccan background, Hospitality for my love of food and communication with people, and Spanish as I wanted to expand my knowledge of other languages.

You were selected for a Trip to America- Tell me about this.

I discovered the trip a year earlier and heard that it was a great opportunity. From then, I applied and I got accepted. The trip was in July 2019, and spread over 2 parts. For 1 week, we stayed at a summer camp in Virginia with people from various backgrounds. Whilst we were there, we took part in a range of workshops, trips and often spoke about world issues. For 2 weeks, we stayed in Chicago where people kindly opened up their homes for us to stay. When we were there, we visited various grassroots & refugee organisations, and visited the charity After School Matters, which provides high school teens opportunities to explore and develop their talents, while gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond.

 What did you learn over there?

The America trip taught me a lot. One of those things is that integration is important to society as we are all social creatures. It also allowed me to open my eyes to the issues of the world and that everyone should have access to a safe environment where we can talk about these issues.. Learnt how to act independently (had to use public transport on your own)

What are your plans after College?

I’m currently looking at Apprenticeships or internships in food journalism or other areas of hospitality.

Have you been involved in extra-curricular activities?

Yes, I took part in the Network for Teaching and Entrepreneurship business camp. This was an intense workshop learning about how businesses work and how to pitch. We had the chance to go to London to show what we had learnt, where we won the local programme against other groups from London. As a result, we got to go to Budapest to compete internationally. This opportunity built my interest in business and enhanced my public speaking skills. I also volunteered as a mentor for the next year group.

 Do you have any advice for students coming to study here?

Don’t be afraid to take opportunities and have a positive outlook on as much as you can. Have confidence and be kind to yourself. If you know your personal values and morals, no pressure in society will get to you, everyone has something to offer.

 

Sarah, 2019

Previous school: Norbury Manor