GDST PEARSON & SILVER AWARDS

Congratulations to Pari and Ammara (Y12) for both receiving GDST Pearson & Silver Awards. The Awards are presented to pupils to assist towards the cost of attending courses with a classical content, eg summer schools in Classical Greek or Latin at Bryanston, Durham or Repton Schools, University or King’s Colleges, London, or Lampeter (Univ. of Wales). The committee considered the following criteria when looking at the applications:
  • Academic excellence in classical subjects
  • Commitment to study a classical subject at university
  • Contribution to school life
  • Financial need
  • Determination to overcome practical difficulties in studying classics at school where these are encountered

Ammara said:

To win the GDST Pearson Silver Awards, I tapped into why I really love Classics and what I needed to do further my passion. I had the JACT Greek Summer School in mind and explained in my application that learning Greek would “allow me to unlock the core of Classics.”

Some weeks before I had attended the UCL Odyssey Festival (that substituted their annual student play which was cancelled) and heard Emily Wilson talk about her translation of the Odyssey. This lecture and Emily Wilson heavily influenced my application – I was inspired by, after all her years of study and research, how she could read and interpret iconic texts such as the Odyssey by herself.

I also discussed how my current study of German would aid me for my study of ancient Greek as they have similar grammatical structures. Overall, when writing the application, I aimed to be as honest as I could and write from the heart. This ultimately paid off!