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 Josh’s story with you.
Josh completed The Scholars Programme in 2017 when he was in Year 12, learning about marine biofouling with a PhD tutor from Liverpool John Moores University. He’s now studying Medicine at Imperial College London and doing an intercalated PhD in bioengineering.
“I grew up in the North of England and went to a school where not many people go to the most selective universities.
“The Brilliant Club was a huge source of inspiration and encouraged me to push myself when I was in school. I know how successful the programme was in my own experience and for friends who were also involved in the programme.
“As my parents didn’t go to university, the support I had from my Scholars Programme tutor helped to prepare me for the next step. Having contact with someone who has first-hand experience of university and being able to ask questions and pick their brain a bit was massively helpful and made a big difference for me. I was able to build up a picture of what university is really like.
“The programme also helped prepare me academically as I got a taste of the more independent style of learning that is expected at university.
“Knowing ahead of time what university would be like helped to prepare me to make that transition both academically and socially. I still found it a bit challenging at the start, but I was lucky to find a close social circle, which also helped. If I had not taken part in The Scholars Programme, I can see that I would have had a very different experience and it would have been much more difficult to ease myself in.
“I’m currently doing an intercalated PhD in bioengineering during medical school at Imperial College London. The project is looking at developing a new way to deliver drugs to brain tumours. My PhD finishes in July 2026, where I’ll then return to medical school. I’m hoping to become an oncologist in the future, but also keep an active research interest while being a medical doctor.”
Non-selective UK schools and colleges can find out more about the benefits of The Scholars Programme for their students by making an enquiry.