Shetland School Student Heads For Yale And Harvard

In another example of the international perspective taken by Shetland schools and students, Anderson High School pupil Erraid Davies has been selected for a week-long summer school in the United States, through the Sutton Trust US Programme. One hundred and fifty students from state schools across the UK have been selected from around 1,000 applicants to the programme, which aims to encourage British students to consider studying at American universities.

Erraid is set to be based at Yale University and will participate in a university fair hosted at Harvard University. Students will spend a week living on campus at the end of July and will visit a number of other US universities in the area. Participants will also receive support from the US-UK Fulbright Commission over a number of months, including admission tests, college choices and help with applications.

In the next few months, Erraid hopes that this will provide her with a chance to explore new study opportunities in the US. Known for her successes in the swimming pool, notably in the 2015 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the sixteen year old AHS pupil is looking at study options in the US alongside other applications to UK universities later this year. Erraid has ambitions to study medicine and perhaps return to practice as a doctor in rural Scotland.

Joyce Davies, Erraid’s mother said: “This selection through the Sutton Trust US programme, which has meant an enormous amount of work for her on top of her exam commitments, is a fantastic opportunity for Erraid. We think Erraid is the first student in Shetland to achieve this and we’re really excited about the possibilities this might offer. Erraid couldn’t have done this without the assistance of pupil support staff at Anderson High School and we’re grateful to them for their help.”