Sasha wins Oxbridge summer school scholarship
Year 12 pupil, Sasha Rozanov, is one of a handful of winners of a scholarship to study at Cambridge this summer. She entered the Immerse Education Essay Competition, submitting a 500-word essay in the economics category.
The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject.
Essay questions are pre-defined according to the age group and preferred subject, and competitors are encouraged to tailor their essay response. A full list of this year’s questions can be found here.
Sasha answered the economics question ‘Examine the impact of Adam Smith on society’ after discovering the ‘father of economics’ during one of the many cognitive activities she takes part in at the College:
I’ve been especially keen on politics, philosophy and economics ever since the summer, leading me to get involved with various activities on my return to school. I write for the politics section in the school magazine, am on the debating team, and founded a Year 12 politics society at the College.
Though she thoroughly enjoys her A-level programme, which also includes Academic Extension, English Literature, Extended Project Qualification, General Studies, Instrumental Music, Mathematics, Music, Physics, and Service at School (working in the community), she felt that entering this competition would allow her to explore, in depth, a specific realm of economics.
Sasha discovered the essay competition two weeks prior to the deadline for submission, so she was under pressure to deliver from the get go.
When I saw that the economics section had an essay question relating to Adam Smith, I felt somewhat determined to write a sufficient response in the two weeks I had. The word limit made the task at hand especially tricky as the topic is wholly contentious and widely studied. I spent pretty much every day of the Christmas holidays sat on my bedroom floor, surrounded by various books and academic papers on the subject. Little did I know the magnitude of research that there was to consider.
A true Eastbournian, Sasha pursued excellence and worked hard to ready her essay with one day to spare before the deadline. She used that day to run it all past the headmaster Mr Lawson:
My argument rested on Smith’s lasting impact on trade, social order and market economies while bearing in mind the common misinterpretations of his key works. Luckily, upon my return to school (however short lived it was with the government announcing another lockdown within 24 hours), Mr Lawson kindly agreed to look over my essay and advised me on some finishing touches. I managed to hand it in about 2 hours before the deadline with zero expectations of a scholarship! I’m currently deciding which summer course to take (philosophy, law or economics) and look forward to engaging with such a great learning opportunity. Aristotle famously wrote “The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know”. I think I’m in the process of realising how much I don’t know and, thus, I feel an ever-increasing desire to learn more. Regarding future aspirations, it’s a little while away, but I hope to apply to Cambridge University to read HSPS (human, social and political sciences).
