The Scholars Programme inspires a love of learning in students aged 8-18, providing practical experience of higher education and helping students develop the skills needed to thrive in academia and their careers.
We’re proud of the impact our programme has on both GCSE attainment and university progression; we’re also incredibly proud of what students have gone on to achieve since taking part in The Scholars Programme. In this vein, we wanted to share student ambassador Emma’s story with you.
Emma took part in The Scholars Programme in 2019 when she was in Year 9, learning about physics with a PhD tutor. She then went on to study Computer Science at Lancaster University and is now a Software Engineer on an 18-month graduate programme with Mastercard.
“I grew up in High Wycombe, and from a young age I always loved learning. At primary school I was in the top set for most subjects, and although my parents hadn’t been to university themselves, they always encouraged me to make the most of every opportunity. Still, university never felt like something people like me did.
At my secondary school, the focus was firmly on going to college and taking BTECs. A levels or university simply weren’t part of the conversation. In fact, working hard wasn’t considered “cool”, and saying you wanted a career like law or medicine was just not what you did.
My family also assumed university would be unaffordable. We didn’t know about the financial support available, so it wasn’t even discussed – interesting in theory, but definitely not for us.
Everything changed in Year 9 when I was selected for The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme. My school chose their highest-performing students, and even though I didn’t really know what the programme was at first, I felt proud – and excited about the chance to visit a university.
My course was in physics, and the day we visited Oxford University was honestly transformative. I was absolutely blown away – it felt like being on a film set. I never knew somewhere like that even existed.
That visit sparked something in me. It made me realise there was an exciting future out there if I was willing to tune out some of the voices around me and work hard. That spark of motivation is what carried me through my GCSEs, and I’m so grateful I took part in the programme early enough for it to make a real difference.
The programme stretched me academically in ways I’d never experienced. It was the first time I had to work independently, stay self-motivated, and produce longer pieces of writing. I didn’t realise then how valuable those skills would be. It was a brilliant introduction to university-style writing. It taught me how to reference, and it massively helped me when I wrote my EPQ at A level.
The biggest change was in my mindset. For the first time, I could picture myself going to university — something that had never felt realistic before. I went home, told my mum that I genuinely wanted to aim for university, and together we started researching the financial support available — something neither of us had known existed.
Finishing the programme inspired a big decision: I realised that if I wanted to keep my options open, I would need to move schools for sixth form. I’m so glad I did the programme earlier. If I’d only done it in sixth form, it may have been too late for me.
Before The Scholars Programme, I thought I would take a BTEC in either business or health and social care and go into a related career, that’s what most people did. But after the programme, everything shifted. Instead of specialising in one subject post-16, I chose to take three A levels.
This gave me the freedom to explore different careers — which I definitely did! I went from wanting to be a lawyer, to a doctor, and then finally discovering my passion for computer science after going to a coding club with a friend.
Looking back, I know that if I had gone down the BTEC route, I wouldn’t have had the flexibility to change my mind so many times or explore so widely.
Moving to a grammar school for sixth form was also a huge culture shock. At my previous school, hardly anyone did their homework; at the grammar school, forgetting it once was a major issue. But thanks to The Scholars Programme, I’d already learned how to push myself, manage my workload independently, and feel confident in academic environments.
Today, I’m a Software Engineer on an 18-month graduate programme with Mastercard, and I am hoping to progress into a DevOps role. When I look back, I can see clearly how pivotal The Scholars Programme was in shaping my path. It opened up a whole different world for me. It made me see that university was an option — something that just wasn’t on the cards at secondary school.
Without The Brilliant Club, I don’t think I would have pushed myself during my GCSEs, considered A levels more seriously, or taken the leap to move to a grammar school — all decisions that helped me progress to Lancaster University to study Computer Science.
The Scholars Programme didn’t just introduce me to university life — it gave me the belief, the skills, and the confidence to get there.”
Non-selective UK schools and colleges can find out more about the benefits of The Scholars Programme for their students by making an enquiry.