Princeton and Cambridge are among the destinations for Robert Gordon’s College pupils after a record haul of qualifications.
S4, S5 and S6 pupils were welcomed back to school for a celebration breakfast as the glowing exam results filtered through.
The majority of S4 pupils sat eight National 5 exams with an A-C pass rate of 95.1%.
The average number of Highers achieved by S5 pupils was 4.84, with a 96% A-C pass rate.
And at S6, 153 pupils sat Advanced Highers, with a 91.4% A-C pass rate.
The class of 2023 will now move on to the next step on their journey, some further afield than others.
From Robert Gordon’s College and out into the world
Places have been secured for Robert Gordon’s College leavers to study – among other things – law, neuroscience and economics at Edinburgh, languages at Cambridge, meteorology in Oklahoma, and history with German at Princeton, New Jersey.
Jasmine Kieran-Ejimadu is looking forward to starting a degree in modern and medieval languages at the University of Cambridge. Her ultimate goal is one day to live abroad.
“I just love languages,” said Jasmine. “My favourite subject was Advanced Higher French, especially the speaking aspect, so this really motivated me to pursue languages at degree level.
“Originally, I was interested in going down the STEM route but then realized my passion is languages.
“The teachers were very supportive, guiding me along the way. I greatly attribute my success to how lovely they’ve all been to me.
“I’m not sure what career path I’ll take after university, but I do know I would love to live in another country for a while.”
New environments, new challenges
Meanwhile fellow S6 Olivier Parra has been awarded one of only 10 places to study meteorology and climate at the University of Reading, with a year based in Oklahoma.
Olivier is no stranger to living in new environments and is eager to get started next month.
“I’ve travelled throughout my childhood with my family living in Australia, Argentina, France and Scotland,” he said.
“Experiencing different cultures around the world has fuelled my interest in the weather and how it impacts many critical areas of life.”
Meteorology is one of the hardest courses in the country to get into, with places few and far between.
While admitting it is a ‘niche’ degree, Olivier feels it’s a growing field which will set him up nicely for the future.
“The scope of future opportunities is so varied. Whether it be sports and safety, marine and offshore, aviation, transportation of utilities, or agriculture.
“After university, I would like to pursue a career as an operational meteorologist. Perhaps in the United States, analyzing thunderstorms and extreme weather.”
‘This is their time to celebrate’
Clare Smith, head of Robert Gordon’s College senior school, said: “I would like to congratulate each and every one of our pupils on their achievements.
“Results day marks the culmination of the hard work and perseverance of everyone involved – pupils, parents and teachers.
“My thanks go to all for their commitment and drive. This is their time to celebrate.”
And head of school Robin Macpherson said it was a ‘great day’ for the school.
“The headline results are hugely impressive, but what I’m most struck by is that we have seen a record number of qualifications being taken by pupils at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.
“It’s not just that pupils are getting great results, but that they are getting more of them than ever before.”
Conversation