Keeping Your Options Open

“She didn’t make me feel anything other than somebody who was meant to be there. In fact, everyone I met showed a real interest in me and made me feel at ease. Whilst I might have started the day feeling anxious, I left it quite excited.”

After success in the interview she elected to study Spanish, Psychology, Maths, English and Economics as her six IB courses. The ability to study such a broad mix of topics that she enjoyed meant Salehah could keep her future options open. She had a strong focus on academic achievement however, despite being kept busy by the course, she sought opportunities outside of the classroom to ensure she made the most of her time at Bradfield.

BRADFIELD ULTIMATELY HELPED ME TO BECOME THE PERSON THAT I WANTED TO BE.

She cites her participation in a production of Antigone during her first term as a real personal challenge but one that marked her transition to

feeling at home at Bradfield. It allowed her to meet many people from different year groups and different houses and broaden her circle of friends, which in turn gave her confidence.

Her Tutor also encouraged her to try debating, something that she entered with some trepidation.

However, Salehah quickly recognised that some of the other debaters were from her Economics class so she felt she was engaging in an activity with friends, not against true opposition and that therefore, even if she made a flawed argument, it wasn’t the end of the world.

“I identified that I could be more self-confident, so I set that as one of my goals and Bradfield ultimately helped me to become the person that I wanted to be. The play, debating and volunteering were the key stages in my Bradfield journey that enabled me to grow in confidence. It was clear to me that people at Bradfield really cared about me and cared about what I had to say.”

Salehah thoroughly enjoyed volunteering at Bradfield, especially visiting the after-school clubs at local primary schools. She had a real boost being involved with the Carwarden Summer Olympiad, for which she had the chance to shape, coordinate and facilitate activities on the day. “The Olympiad was fun as well as being very uplifting. I still talk about that experience to this day because I am proud of the part that I played.”

All these experiences cemented the feeling that Bradfield was interested in her as a person and cared about her. She was also surprised, in a good way, by how tolerant the school was of her faith, describing the College as a place that encourages people to share their beliefs openly and without fear of judgement. She felt that she was supported for being herself and explains that there was always an alternative if there was something that she didn’t feel comfortable doing or something that didn’t work with her beliefs.

“I had a pre-conception that being a practising Muslim at Bradfield would be tough, but in reality, it was a total non-issue. Bradfield was accommodating in every sense and I was able to observe my faith without fear or favour.”

Salehah’s own aptitude to offer pastoral support was also recognised with her being chosen as a Faulkner’s Prefect in the Upper Sixth. Even in the Lower Sixth she volunteered to help in our first-year boarding House, where she was a friendly face for the junior pupils to chat with and also provide a bit of homework support if required. “As someone with younger siblings, being able to help Faulkner’s pupils felt like a very natural thing to do.”

THE IB GIVES YOU A GREAT GROUNDING IN THE DISCIPLINES THAT YOU WILL REQUIRE AT UNIVERSITY.

Working with young people is something she is considering doing in the future, but right now she is focused on finishing her degree. She has loved studying Social Sciences and believes that the breadth and content of the IB course, including Theory of Knowledge and the mini-dissertation that is the Extended Essay, were the perfect preparation for her degree and university study more broadly. “I’m glad I chose the IB because it gives you a great grounding in the disciplines that you will require at university and softens that transition.” She also believes that the IB has given her an advantage over A Level students who seem to struggle with study skills that are core competencies in the IB syllabus.

In addition to writing her dissertation, Salehah has started coding with the aim of transitioning into UX design and was recently successful in securing a ‘Technology Accelerate’ trainee position, working in technology design, for Cancer Research UK. Salehah has proven that her strategy to keep her options open has been a success and we wish her every success in her new role.

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