Future medical student wins the January Goodwall Student Month

You’re 17 years old and $1000 is being wired to your bank account, what would you do? Spend it on goodies or save it for college tuition? While many peers her age might lean towards more immediate forms of gratification, Charlotte Bailey, winner of the Goodwaller Student of the Month Scholarship for January 2016 is not your typical 17 year old. Charlotte is not even your typical 17 year old honour’s student. She’s really in a league of her own. Between interning at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London, debating at model NATO conferences, and interviewing diplomats in embassies, she still finds time to mentor students in French and Spanish, as well as organise book donations for children.

Charlotte recounts that Goodwall has had a tremendous impact on her life and she uses the mobile app “multiple times a day”. Apart from allowing her to showcase her impressive academic achievements and learn more about various universities’ teaching facilities, admission rates and societies, it is the exclusive opportunities that have really caught her eye. Two of particular interest have been the Yale Global Scholars Program and the Barcelona International Youth Science Challenge. In fact, Charlotte enjoys Goodwall so much that she serves as a community ambassador in her school, sharing with her classmates what Goodwall can bring to each of them. While it’s difficult to imagine now, Charlotte confesses that in the past she used to be quite shy and her role as an ambassador was one of the factors in helping her to overcome her fears in addition to becoming the National Public Speaking and Debating Champion of Wales. Goodwall has also helped Charlotte extend her social circle much beyond her immediate surroundings, using Goodwall’s international student network to make friends around the world, as well as exchange advice surrounding exam techniques and revision strategies.

When dreaming about her future, Charlotte takes inspiration from her own childhood experience. Having been born 2 months premature, it was the pediatricians and neonatal nurses whose knowledge and care ensured she went on to become a healthy new-born. Now she too wants to become a pediatrician. The path to becoming a doctor is not an easy one, but Charlotte has demonstrated herself to be up to the challenge. Charlotte aims at the highest level and her ideal university is reflective of her ambition: Harvard University. But there’s a more pressing challenge first, her A levels. Congratulations Charlotte and all the best!