William James and Esmae Utatao have returned from their two weeks studying in Oxford as part of Oxford Royale’s July summer school programme. Esmae studied engineering: civil, mechanical and electrical, while William studied business, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Both students achieved highly in their selected subject areas, receiving exceptional A+ results overall. This outstanding outcome highlights their incredible performance against international peers, as well as their deep dedication and commitment to their chosen fields. This transformative experience provided them with 40 hours of rigorous lessons in career-focused subjects, combining expert-led seminars, practical workshops, and collaborative group projects that challenged them to reach their full potential.
The historic city of Oxford allowed the students to explore deeply meaningful areas, learning about the rich academic traditions and centuries-old environments that define the residential colleges where they stayed and studied. For two weeks, the students fully experienced undergraduate life in Oxford while staying in historical residential colleges - Esmae resided at Balliol and William at Keble. Living in centuries-old quadrangles and relaxing in glorious college gardens, they attended lectures in inspiring academic environments where Nobel prize winners once began their journeys. Throughout the programme, they completed intensive individual and group assignments and took part in vibrant social activities in common rooms alongside international peers. They were taught by leading professionals in their respective fields and received excellent support in both lectures and tutorials, enabling them to build global networks and gain deep insight into their chosen future pathways.
For Esmae, one of the highlights was the opportunity to explore the breadth of possibilities within engineering.
“Oxford Royale was an incredible experience that I was lucky enough to be a part of. I was able to immerse myself in a new learning space filled with countless numbers of diverse people. This experience opened my eyes to education all over the world and how it differs from St. Peter’s. One of the biggest highlights I will take away from Oxford Royale was my morning lectures, where guest speakers introduced us to different pathways within engineering. These included robotics, software engineering, AI, quantum computing, emerging technologies and chemical engineering, helping me understand the wide range of opportunities available within engineering and what I may want to pursue in the future.”
For William, the programme helped him gain greater clarity about his interests and future direction, while discovering a particular passion for marketing.
“At Oxford Royale, I took the Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship course. This course helped me to achieve a much deeper understanding of myself and where my interests lie in the business world. It was through this course that I discovered my passion for the marketing sector, as I loved the creativity of it. Outside of class, the social programme was just as memorable, ranging from fun sport afternoons to evening conversations around a table, learning different cultures and formalities. The highlight of Oxford Royale for me was roughly a week in, when I realised I had made lots of friends and still had lots of time to spend with them.
“So, would I recommend Oxford Royale? Yes. In two weeks I made lifetime friends, and at the young age of sixteen I became pretty sure of what I want to do in life. In summary, Oxford Royale is incredibly worth it and I would be right back in a heartbeat.”
Their experience in Oxford was much more than an academic opportunity. It provided both students with the chance to step beyond the familiar, test themselves in an international learning environment and gain greater clarity about their future aspirations. Their exceptional academic results, new global connections and insights into potential career pathways are a wonderful reflection of the value of embracing opportunities that challenge and inspire.