Meet Emily (2022)
Emily is a member of Headington’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) contingent and takes part in everything from drama tech club to singing in Headingtones to Model United Nations. She is an aspiring engineer and astronaut. She joined Headington from an Oxford primary school in U3 and is taking GCSEs this year in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, English Literature and Language, German, French, 3D Design and History.
On balancing her many interests
It’s manic but fun! I’ll be in a drama tech club one minute and the next day I’ll be doing electronics club, or CCF! They’re complete opposites but you can do them all at Headington. It makes life at Headington really diverse and unique.
On her aspirations for the future
When I’m older, I want to be an astronaut and work for the European Space Agency. Headington does really good languages so by taking German and French, I’ll be able to communicate better in a European field. I wouldn’t have done two languages if my languages teacher had not inspired me and pushed me.
On how the facilities at Headington help her learn
The new Hive has really opened so many doors for so many students. We have so many awesome facilities here, you can do practically whatever you want to.
Why CCF?
I always saw the CCF cadets in their uniforms going around school and when I joined it really gave me a sense of pride to be part of an ultimate community and team that will go on exercises together and have so many life-changing experiences that you would not otherwise get. We went on an Easter Camp, spent a week on adventure training, gorge walking and exercise and it gave me so many more skills – it was truly epic.
What’s the best thing about Headington?
You come to Headington and think it’s going to be massive but there’s so many niche communities which are so welcoming. The friends, crew mates and general companions you will make at, for example rowing or CCF, will stay with you for the rest of your time at Headington if not the whole of your life. There’s just so many different routes you can go down and communities as part of that. It’s completely awe-inspiring and wonderful. When you get the opportunity to practise skills – like debating, for example – they will reflect on later life and how you communicate with other people and help develop leadership skills too.
