Gabriella

Previous Senior School (after Gateway School): Aylesbury High School

What have you done since leaving school and what achievements are you most proud of?

I attended Aylesbury High School for seven years before moving on to do a physics degree. During secondary school I took on many responsibilities, mainly becoming a House Music Captain, Physics Ambassador, and acted in a production of Macbeth. After this I moved to Loughborough University to study Physics. I am proud of my charity work whilst at university (I have raised £24k in the past four years) and of my other leadership roles within the students' union. At this moment in time I am head of all student department committees and liaise with both the university and union to provide a range of activities and opportunities for students throughout their courses. I am also Chair of the Governance and Procedures sub-committee in which I am undertaking the five-year review of the union constitution. I have also been Raids Officer for LSRag, I ran bucket collections for students across the country, Physics Department Chair, and worked as a cookery leader.

What are you doing now?

I am in my final year of an undergraduate Physics Masters Degree at Loughborough University and have just been offered a job working with the Civil Service Fast Stream in the Government Operational Research Service. My masters project is in adiabatic quantum computing and researching the evolution of the system and how that affects the probability of successfully reaching the ground state.

I really enjoy being part of student government. I deal with constitutional issues, representing students' views, meet with various influencers across the university, and am constantly challenging myself. I am extremely excited to leave university in the summer and start work.

In what ways did Gateway prepare you for life?

Gateway gave me an early interest in mathematics and science which has stuck with me. Through extra-curricular activities, like verse speaking, I learned public speaking and other communication skills.

What is your fondest memory of your time at Gateway?

Sugar sandwiches on the top court for the Queen's Jubilee.