Becas Europa

LAURA CASTILLO  FINALIST OF BECAS EUROPA

Laura Castillo, 2007-2008 School Dux, was one of 50 final students chosen in a three-phase competition from an original 2000 nation wide!  She spent 20 days travelling in Europe accompanied by university teachers, visiting major universities, attending conferences, participating in debates and meeting people from public life. She also followed a cultural programme involving a mixture of theatre and opera, gastronomic workshops and guided visits by prestigious architects! Laura said of her trip:

 “Back in December, before my tutor came to me with the application letter, I had never heard anything about these becas. I had to do an interview and fill out the strangest questionnaire with questions like: What would you present as a souvenir to someone who came to visit Spain? It really needed some thinking. Still, I enjoyed every part of the selection process and feel I have learned in every step of it. Last month I spent a weekend in Madrid with another 200 candidates. We participated in all sorts of activities and met Emilio Botín, from Banco de Santander. I had such a wonderful time that even only that weekend made everything worthwhile. I have to say I was pretty pessimistic about the results. When I found out I had been selected for the trip, I could barely believe how lucky I was. This summer, I visited the most important European Universities and met notable public figures from each country, and I spent it travelling with all the new friends I made back in Madrid!".