Where are our alumnae now? Donna has been enjoying catching up with some of our alumnae to see where they headed after two years in the Sixth Form at Trinity. We share their news here.
JESSICA O’SULLIVAN
When asked what the best piece of advice she would give to Sixth Formers today, she said: “Never be afraid to admit you don’t understand something, or that you need help. Also, enjoy your time at school – you will never get to be with your friends every day, all day, again. Just enjoy! You’ll miss it when you are older.”
ELEANOR LEWIS 2015 leaver Eleanor studied Chemistry, Maths and Music at A Level and completed an extended project as well as AS Biology. She went on to read Biochemistry at the University of Birmingham, followed by a Science PGCE and a Masters’ in Education, both at Cambridge. Eleanor has been working with young people since she graduated and is now a Chemistry teacher. Donna asked her what the best piece of advice she had been given at Trinity. “Sara Ward once told me 'You can’t fix everything.' At the time I was panicky about being able to control things and help as many people as I could! But now I’m a teacher, I totally understand what she means.” And what advice would she give her 18-year-old self? “Try to live in the moment a little more. Most of the things I worried about actually turned out fine, so try to enjoy your time at school and don’t spend time worrying about the future.”
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www.mytrinity.org.uk
LUCY ELLIS-KEELER Lucy, who left Trinity in 2015, read Philosophy at the University of Bristol having taken A Levels in English Literature, Religious Studies and History.
Jessica was our first Head Girl at Trinity having joined our Sixth Form in 2011. She went on to read Modern and Medieval Languages (French and Spanish) at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, finding time to take History and Portuguese modules as well. Jessica works as a Commercial Manager at Sky, having started there on a graduate scheme in 2018. Donna asked her whether the skills she learned as Head Girl helped her in her career. “I acquired leadership and teamwork skills working in partnership with Ejaaz Ahamadeen, the Head Boy, dividing and conquering the tasks we were given. I also developed my presenting, public speaking and time management skills – all of which are invaluable in my role today.”
DEESHA GANGULI
alumni@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
She is now a Compliance and Operational Risk Officer at Bank of America for EMEA, based in London, having started her career at the bank on an internship in 2017. Bank of America have supported her in working to achieve her Capital Markets qualification from the Chartered Institute of Security and Investments (CISI). Lucy supports multiple lines of business to manage Compliance and Operational Risk exposure, looking at policy, laws, rules and regulations, as well as risks posed by people, processes, external events and systems. Lucy is heavily involved in Bank of America’s partnership with the Vital Voices Mentoring Walk initiative which matches emerging female talent with senior mentors, offering guidance, career advice and support, born out of their own experiences. Having won two awards consecutively, within the bank’s prestigious employee recognition schemes, Lucy has progressed quickly and is an inspiration to young graduates interested in banking careers. “Choosing to study at Trinity transformed my sense of confidence and totally realigned my ambitions once I believed I could achieve anything I set my mind to. The school has a fantastic culture. It encouraged me to use my initiative to pursue my interests both academic and extra-curricular, and provided an incredibly positive and collaborative environment to grow and learn in. Learning from teachers passionate about their subject, who truly understand how to achieve great results but also learn how to think outside the curriculum was so valuable.”
We left the last word to one of our current Lower Sixth students.
Deesha was our sixth Head Girl for the academic year 2017-18. She is in her final year as an undergraduate at Warwick University reading Politics and International Studies.
ELLA SULLIVANMARTIN
Deesha said: “I did Politics, Economics and Geography at A Level and absolutely loved them all! Something that stands out about my time at Trinity is the fantastic range of opportunities and experiences students can get involved in, which helped me develop other interests outside academics.”
Ella is in our Lower Sixth where she is studying A level Psychology, English, Religious Studies and Art.
Deesha is working hard on her dissertation on ‘Celebrity Culture in International Development’ and has very kindly volunteered to come back over the summer to assist the Alumni Department.
SHREYA GANGULI Shreya was Head Girl for 2018-19 and is currently in her second year at the University of Edinburgh, studying History and Politics having gained A Levels in History, Politics and Religious Studies at Trinity. She told Donna she is really missing all her classes and teachers!
“I came to Trinity following a great experience at an all-girls school, where I really enjoyed learning. However, since joining Trinity, I noticed that the mixed classroom presents a more open and diverse discussion between us as students. The co-educational environment certainly generates a range of views, with everyone welcome and willing to contribute. I noticed very quickly that the classroom environment improved my confidence to express myself, as I was given the chance to justify my views and debate with my peers. I feel that I have developed a better understanding of the content being studied and improved my academic capability alongside this. Without the environment at Trinity, I don’t think I would have developed this level of confidence and ability to speak coherently in and out of the classroom.”
Shreya said: “There are lots of things that stand out from when I was at Trinity, but I especially enjoyed being in an environment that was so positive and supportive. There were so many wonderful opportunities and people when I was at Trinity, and I feel very grateful for my time there.” Shreya starts a year abroad at the University of Oslo, Norway, this August.
alumni@trinity.croydon.sch.uk
www.mytrinity.org.uk
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