Sutton Trust US Programme Participants admitted to US universities in 2018-19 Tito Adesanya - Columbia University London (St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School) Tito is a Londoner and is passionate about improving the lives of others through STEM. Along with initiating a globally-operating start-up that teaches women and minorities to code, he started a club which aims to help disadvantaged youngsters build drones and rockets. He’s a maker, a passion which has won him awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles for a wind turbine he built. Tito captains athletics, plays in the first rugby and basketball teams and spends his free time doing parkour. He filled up his summer with internships and research placements at Airbus and Cambridge, and robotics courses at universities like UPenn. Tito was first drawn to US institutions because of their greater focus on the person behind the grades, but was then captivated by the opportunity to be immersed in the culture and take minors in areas like Operations Research, alongside Mechanical Engineering. Nikolas Aguilar – Princeton University London (King's College London Mathematics School) Born and raised in London by a Catalan mother, Nikolas has an international outlook. Being the Founder of ‘Culture Club’ at his specialist-mathematics sixth form, he opened doors for conversations about the backgrounds and cultures students come from. A keen economist and mathematician, Nik has taken part in summer schools at J.P. Morgan and LSE whilst getting work experience in the finance at Sky HQ. His passion and success in track and field has continued into his passion for beach volleyball by playing competitively across London. Aware of the lack of support his mother had when she came to the UK, he provides help through language and social activities within the Latin American community. Nikolas will be volunteering abroad in Nepal in the summer. As the first generation in his family to attend university, he is attracted to studying in the States as he feels unable to commit to one discipline whilst there is still so much to explore; the US system will allow him to do just that. Ali Ahmed - Claremont McKenna College Manchester, North West England (Parrs Wood High School) A second-generation immigrant, Ali will be the first in his family to attend university. Living in his hometown of Manchester, Ali had a key part in the One Love Manchester concert, even performing on the stage himself. As the youngest of four siblings, Ali has always had to fight to have his voice heard—this shows through his loud, outspoken personality and his role as Head Boy of his high school. Ali also dedicates much of his time to his passion for music and singing, which he hopes to continue while at university. He attends two choirs and writes and produces his own music. Ali has dreamt of attending university in the United States since he was 14, and now he is getting to do so while soaking up the California sun. Aquib Akhtar - Connecticut College Stockport, North West England (Loreto College) Aquib Akhtar comes from a large family of eight sisters and one brother and is the first in his family to apply to university. Most of his time is dedicated to tutoring GCSE students and leading STEM classes at his old high school. He enjoys taking part in Model United Nations and has previously represented Latvia (in the middle of a fake Russian invasion). During the school breaks, Aquib engages in work experience and has worked for the NHS and CDL. He is currently hoping to study a mixture of computer science and politics, two very different subjects. The opportunity to continue studying both disciplines is what first attracted him to the US. He is excited to be a part of a liberal arts system which will allow him to study a diverse range of subjects, instead of specialising so early on. Stuart Aldred - University of Rochester Cowdenbeath, Scotland (Beath High School) Stuart has always had a passion for mathematics, receiving the Gold, Best in Year and Best in School awards for the UK maths challenge. Since then, his interests have widened to physics, chemistry and biology. He hopes to study in the field of STEM, potentially biomedical or chemical engineering. Outside of school, Stuart is involved in sport, particularly running and badminton, as well as music, where he has learned to play the guitar and teaches younger students to play. Since he began high school, Stuart has been fascinated by the idea of studying in the US, as he can continue to challenge himself with academic and non-academic interests, have the opportunity to do internships, and to experience a brand new lifestyle and culture. Stuart is extremely excited and eager to begin his university life this fall. Rachael Arkell - Grinnell College Alton, South England (Alton College) Rachael describes herself as a word nerd. She is passionate about foreign languages, literature and linguistics, and was active in these areas in her college prior to her gap year. As well as working as a French tutor, she researched for and represented an app to educate tourists about Jane Austen and edited her college's student-run magazine. She has spent her gap year working in France and learning te Reo (Māori) in New Zealand. She is attracted to the US education system because of the academic freedom it provides; she will be able to further explore subjects she had to leave behind at GCSE and subjects she has never had the chance to study before. She hopes to major in a foreign language and linguistics and looks forward to getting involved in Grinnell’s thriving literary scene. Harriet Bailes – Georgetown University Middlewich, North West England (St Nicholas Catholic High School) Harriet is a driven and determined young woman with high future. At the age of 11 she became a blackbelt in Karate and went on to represent England in the European Championships. An advocate for equal opportunities, Harriet loves to encourage students in her school and community; immersing herself in mentoring schemes, establishing clubs and volunteering at a local primary school. As a first-generation student, Harriet is unbelievably excited about the liberal arts curriculum the US has to offer and can’t wait to experience a new culture. Whether it be learning a foreign language or taking classes in Government, she simply can’t wait to explore new subject areas alongside learning more about the world (and herself) by joining as many clubs as she possibly can. Valentine Bailey-Beckett - Pomona College Bodmin, South West England (Bodmin College) Valentine Bailey-Beckett is a creative and well rounded student, currently studying physics, chemistry, English literature and textiles. Her extra- curriculars are largely concerned with English and textiles, as she spends a large amount of her spare time reading, writing and sewing, including making costumes for school productions and clothes for herself. Her literary accomplishments to date include two poems published in national collections and an article in Young Scientists Journal. Valentine's interest in US undergraduate study began a year ago when a teacher recommended US study to her. The main reason she is interested in the US is the more diverse nature of the curriculum, meaning she would not have to drop any interests upon reaching higher education, and could even continue to broaden them. Rebecca Banks – Princeton University Tavistock, South West England (Tavistock College) Rebecca is an ambitious young woman from the western edge of Dartmoor in Devon. She is the first person in her school’s history to apply to an American university. Rebecca is Deputy Head Girl at her school and she has been the Team Leader for the Engineering Team who were awarded the Innovation Award at the National Engineering Education Scheme finals and have an international patent on their design. She has been on two international netball tours and is going to Swaziland to help teach local children about HIV through netball and rugby. Though Rebecca is a natural and capable mathematician, her true passion lies in computer science, notably in cyber security. Local schools are using her password strength checker programme. She plans to major in computer science but is looking forward to trying other subjects such as psychology and astrophysics and exploring the many different clubs and sports available to her. Joshua Bissett - Franklin & Marshall College Grangemouth, Scotland (Grangemouth High School) Josh lives in a small, quiet town called Grangemouth. Josh is the first member of his family to go to university. The US study experience really appealed to him because he thinks the challenge of moving across an ocean to go to university will give him the opportunity to grow. Some of Josh's more notable extracurricular activities are founding and leading a free community youth club for children between the ages of 7-12 and starting a homeless food project that takes food that would have otherwise been thrown out and instead is used to feed the hungry in his local community. Samuel Blackman - Harvard College Kettering, Midlands (Kettering Science Academy) Sam comes from Kettering in Northamptonshire. He's the first in his family to go to university and has a massive interest in writing; it's a dream of his to be a successful author. Additionally, he loves teaching, and has tutored students in maths and chemistry. Another challenge he's undertaking alongside A-levels and is learning to figure skate, because he's enjoyed watching it since he was little. Given his diverse interests, Sam looks forward to the liberal arts curriculum allowing him to keep a foot in both worlds, while also being able to live, study and travel in another country.