I had initially hoped that ‘The Flying Shack’ was named ironically. To my dismay, ‘shack’ was a more than apt description of the small, lazily painted hut through which I was to begin flying lessons. As it happened, not only the construction of the shack seemed to be outdated. Upon being greeted by my instructor, I was called ‘adorable’, stared at, and asked whether I was at his ‘robust establishment’ that day as a one-off birthday present. In fact, he...

When I first took on my direction of ‘Hamlet’, I quickly found that reinterpreting one of Shakespeare’s longest and most influential plays was no easy task. Despite the challenges presented to me, within six intensive months I successfully staged an incredibly exciting, inventive production. In the retelling of such powerful literature, I set the play in 1980s Texas as a power struggle between two oil companies, highlighting links between one of the most turbulent dramas ever written and one...

I have been invigorated by the process of finding universal threads, both within Classics, and through the interdisciplinary approach I have employed through engaging with a comprehensive curriculum. The study of Classics cultivates a spirit of pattern seeking and problem solving through both linguistic and literary study. Whether it is pointing out the similarities between Achilles in ‘The Iliad’ and Shakespeare’s Othello, or exploring conflict between divine and man-made law in ‘Antigone’ and modern debate, being able to draw...

I experienced a distinct moment of clarity on my campus tour of Brown somewhere between learning about the open curriculum, the Disney theme tune a cappella group, and the biting ‘Brown Noser’, when I was totally sold. Brown’s open curriculum directly appeals to my interdisciplinary approach to learning. My own High School had to adapt its curriculum to accommodate my unique interests, creating a Higher Level Classical Greek class for me alone. Persuading my traditional English boarding school of...

In my closet sit two, hefty, startlingly pink buckets- filled to the brim with dolls. My father designs toys, and was always keen to slip me the odd unsold item- a dress, a shoe, a friend. All my life I have lived among toys, among creativity, spilling out of my closet, encircling me in worlds of endless plot and possibility. Sitting for hours on my bedroom floor, I would craft feuds, friendships, fables- engaging every ounce of inspiration and imagination...

Walking through my house you would instantly recognise that we are a family of pilots. Its corridors are littered with everything from flying frescoes to statues caught soaring. You would also recognise that these pilots are exclusively male. Becoming the first female pilot in my family, a sense of community was crucial to my finding a sense of belonging and security within aviation. My ambassadorship of the inspiring iWOAW (Institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide) and the camaraderie developed there...