Chengelo Student ‘Travels To Learn’ at Oxford Royale Academy
During the first 2 weeks of August two of our students, Caleb Sakala and Johanna Bangala, attended the award-winning summer programme at the Oxford Royale Academy in Oxford, England.
The Oxford Royale summer programme for International students delivers a vast array of academic subjects and incorporates exciting cultural and recreational activities. We as a school are extremely grateful to the Academy for providing this incredible opportunity for our students to aspire to.
Johanna was the sole recipient of this award for The Democratic Republic of Congo and here, in her own words, is her experience of the trip:
My trip to Oxford was an unforgettable experience that not only enriched my understanding, but more importantly, broadened my perspectives. My time in England can be metaphorically likened to a combination of a telescope that enabled me to view more of the world, and secondly a bioscope that gave me the opportunity to look within and learn more about myself.
I embarked on the Introduction to Medicine course where we studied several key organ systems in great depth, and discussed the diseases that can affect them. Another of my topics was an informative introduction to Oncology; the study of cancer. This was very interesting as it is a major problem in the 21st century and I had very little understanding about cancer before this.
The learning experience was incredible; often quite similar to university lectures. Firstly, being taught by a medical student (which I one day hope to become), was in itself inspiring. The first-hand advice and tertiary-learning experiences my teacher shared with my class helped reinforce my goal of studying medicine in the near future. This, combined with the practical exposure which included dissecting a lamb’s heart with actual surgical tools, deepened my future desire to become a cardiologist someday. I was also taken back in time in the history of medicine, when we visited St Mary’s hospital in London, where Sir Alexander Fleming first discovered Penicillin. We also visited the very first operating theatre in the world.
Apart from the academic experience, I also got the opportunity to meet people from all corners of the world. At St. Hugh’s College (where I was staying) there were people from Lebanon, China, the United States of America, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, France and Austria to mention a few. I also had the opportunity to share my own experiences with my new friends while we interacted playing sports, attending parties, taking trips to zoos, museums and our favourite: ‘Free time in Oxford City Centre’!
Despite only being there for a short period of time I’ve learned lessons and made memories that will last a life-time and I owe it all to God for bringing me to Chengelo School.
Here, I was not only blessed with such a wonderful opportunity, but I was also equipped to make the most of it both in character, skills and above all my spiritual life. God blessed my journey and enabled me to honour Him by attaining the highest scores in my class for both our assessments. All the glory belongs to Him.
And now I can say, I’ve learned to travel; I’ve travelled to learn!
Finally, I want to thank The Oxford Royale Academy for their incredibly generous scholarship that allowed me to be a part of this life changing experience. Thank you!
Photo credit: Oxford Royale Academy
