Estonian Girl Begins Studies at International School in Wales
02.09.2009
Upon the start of the academic year, Tartu student Eeva Metssalu will begin her studies at the international Atlantic College in St. Donats, Wales. The scholarship that is making these studies possible was given to Estonia as a gift during President Toomas Hendrik Ilves’s visit to Wales last year.
During a meeting at the Estonian Embassy in London on Tuesday 1 September, Ambassador Margus Laidre expressed his appreciation for this opportunity being given to Eeva, who earlier attended Hugo Treffner High School. “This is a wonderful opportunity to broaden one’s horizons and knowledge,” said Laidre. “Especially taking into account the global curriculum and international background of the Atlantic College, where young people gather to study from every corner of the world,” he added.
Eeva’s scholarship covers tuition and living costs for two academic years (2009-2011), with a total value of 45 000 GBP. Atlantic College belongs to the United World College (UWC) international schools programme. Estonia’s UWC National Committee chose Eeva from 114 candidates. “Eeva was chosen for Atlantic College through an intense two-round process, in which she was able to demonstrate clearly her suitability for this scholarship,” said head of Estonia’s UWC National Committee Taavi Raidma. “She especially made an impression on the selection committee during her interview in the final round, when she showed her broad outlook and good analytical skills,” he added.
United World Colleges is a group of 12 international schools all over the world that are closely connected by a common programme. The goal of the schools is to promote international understanding through education. Students aged 16-19 come together from the far corners of the world to study and live together. In UWC schools a student can create his or her own programme of study. To earn a diploma, a student must study six academic subjects and participate in extracurricular community and social projects. Upon graduation, students receive an internationally recognised secondary education diploma. The president of the UWC movement is Her Majesty the Queen Noor of Jordan, and the president of the international board is Nelson Mandela.
