#WeThePupils | Meet Braden, #NFTScholar
“The Wellington marketing team told us we could do something digitally and on social as part of our marketing CCA. So… We decided to take over.
This is... #WeThePupils. Content by the pupils. For the pupils. And about the pupils.
Meet Braden – One of our Wellington #NFTScholars
Enjoy our questions…”
My transition to Wellington was fairly smooth. Though I encountered many issues in understanding many lessons taught in English (since English is my second language), teachers still gave me sufficient support and were patient to explain to me knowledge or concepts that I found hard to understand completely.
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Academically, Wellington has a professional University Guidance Team. I often seek advice from them about future careers and IGCSE choices. Teachers are also always available when I need help. They are always willing to support you and encourage you to proceed in fields that you are interested in. On the social development side, the school has wellbeing sessions with its pupils and a counselling centre that is designed to support individuals when they feel anxious or overwhelmed.
I think my strengths are social interactions, leadership and collaboration. The school has several leadership roles for its pupils, intended to build the school community. For example, last year when I was still in Upper Prep, I was elected as Head Boy, which then provided me with various opportunities to show my leadership and collaborative skills.
One of my interests is volleyball. I started playing volleyball around 6 years ago and am still involved in related events. The school has given me excellent opportunities like a school volleyball team that attends leagues in Shanghai, playing competitively with other international schools. I have been able to play for both the U18 and the U14 Varsity team, which I am really proud of.
The University Guidance Team has provided me with useful guidance so far in year 9. One of the most relevant is my IGCSE choices. I explained to them that I want to study medicine at university in the UK, and they have suggested that I take all three sciences, including physics for my IGCSEs. This would have not occurred to me as being relevant at this stage. I would have just chosen biology or chemistry.
Being a Wellington Scholar means that I get the chance to explore my areas of interest beyond my regular academic learning. I enjoy psychology, studying society and helping others, so as a Wellington Scholar, I had the chance to conduct an investigation on this topic with some help from my teachers. This is a big advantage for me because I can develop my research skills, which will certainly be vital in the future. At the same time, I get to learn more about something that truly interests me.
I create a to-do list every day, organising the tasks that I need to complete into notes, so I do not get off track when I am distracted by others. This increases my efficiency significantly and gives me more time to relax. This leisure time helps me to recharge and recover from the academic pressure. I set some time aside to do this every day. Without this balance, I would succumb to the pressure too easily. Moreover, when I feel like the pressure is becoming increasingly unmanageable, I often actively seek out help and have a calming chat with my friends or parents.
Wellington frequently has sessions and modules related to the construction and exploration of identity. It encourages us to probe deeper into the concept of the individual and what it means ultimately to just be yourself. It makes everyone contemplate questions like “What matters the most to me?”, “what do I enjoy?', and 'What is my personality?'. These conversations are open and liberal, so no one feels inhibited about truly expressing themselves.
What makes Wellington so unique is its perfect balance between personal wellbeing and academics. Many schools — including my previous school — are either more academics-oriented or too lenient. Wellington gives you just the right amount of pressure and competition to encourage self-directed learning, whilst also considering our wellbeing. This then creates a healthy and loving environment to learn or work in.
We have academic events like the Festival of Education and Science Week as well as Athletics Day and our Swimming Gala. This strikes a balance between traditional academics and health and fitness. Everyone is encouraged to develop in all different fields of study here at Wellington, and not just in one particular area. Moreover, Wellington also has UN Day and the International Food Festival, in which we develop a wider global perspective and learn all about different cultures.
I have hinted at this already previously. I am interested in psychology and medicine and hope to study one or both at university. The scholarship requires us to set specific goals and research questions in these areas so we can gain a deeper understanding of them. During the research process, we are provided with tutors who give us professional support and feedback to help us attain our goals as we lay the foundations for our future studies.
“Although I am 100% Spanish, I was born in China and have lived in Shanghai my whole life. In total, my family has five members. I first fell in love with crypto when I stumbled across a video explaining what an NFT was. Instantly, my interests took over and I created my brand, sexy sharks, which are 2222 digital sharks swimming on the blockchain. You can find my work at ‘thesexysharknft’. When you claim a sexy shark as your own, you get exclusive access to a world where sharks dominate.”
Interview by Diana, Kitty, Nicole
Artwork by Alejandro
Marketing Channels by Adele
Campaign by all
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Here, pupils take the lead.
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