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Exam success as ‘wonderful young women’ break the mould at St Margaret’s School for Girls

A pair of budding computer scientists hoping to disrupt a male-run industry are among today's celebrating St Margaret's pupils.

Celebrating St Margaret's School for Girls pupils (from left) Angelica Kumari, Celine Muir, Erin Strathie, and Joy Olanrewaju. Image: St Margaret's School for Girls
Celebrating St Margaret's School for Girls pupils (from left) Angelica Kumari, Celine Muir, Erin Strathie, and Joy Olanrewaju. Image: St Margaret's School for Girls

Two budding computer scientists hoping to break the mould are among pupils celebrating their exam results at St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen.

Students and teachers from Scotland’s oldest all girls’ school have spent the day celebrating another year of achievement following the publication of impressive SQA exam results.

Pupils in IV Senior have achieved a 98% pass rate (A-C) at National 5, with 94% at A or B.

The school attained a 97% pass rate (A-C) at Higher for S5 pupils, with 84% at A or B.

Results at Advanced Higher saw a pass rate of 93% (A-C grade), with 78% of at A or B.

‘Girl geek’ setting her sights high after St Margaret’s

Among those celebrating today is Celine Muir, who achieved five As at Higher.

Celine is a self-confessed ‘girl-geek’ and hopes to pursue a career in computer science in the future.

She plans to study across the pond in the USA, and although her academic achievements are crucial to those plans, she spoke highly of her school experiences beyond the classroom.

“At St Margaret’s I’ve been encouraged and supported to try everything, and I’ve embraced every opportunity wholeheartedly.

St Margaret's head teacher Anna Tomlinson
St Margaret’s head teacher Anna Tomlinson praised students’ ‘perseverance and resilience’ as the school celebrated a fantastic set of exam results. Image: St Margaret’s School for Girl’s

“Whether running a Model United Nations Conference, competing in national tech competitions, taking on various positions of responsibility or mentoring younger pupils to develop their love of STEM, my teachers’ belief in me has given me the courage to find my own pathway and be my own person.

“One of the things I love most about my school is that, at St Margaret’s it’s cool to be clever.”

‘The world of IT needs more female representation’

Fellow computer scientist, Joy Olanrewaju, is celebrating getting an A at Advanced Higher as she prepares to pursue computing science at university.

“Advanced Highers are a huge step up academically and have really taught me how to develop strategies to study courses at this level efficiently and effectively,” said Joy. “It’s really good preparation for university.

“Learning in an all-girl environment, free from gender stereotypes, has allowed me to pursue a career that is male-dominated.

“I’m so grateful for the support from my teachers who went over and above to offer help and encouragement, providing me with opportunities to experience STEM in and out of the classroom and ensuring that I was able to engage with highly successful female role-models in science and technology.

Joy Olanrewaju
Joy Olanrewaju wants to break new ground in a male-dominated industry. Image: St Margaret’s School for Girls

“The world of IT needs more female representation to provide a balanced view of female gender and technology sector issues and I am ready to take on that challenge.

“In years to come, I hope to be able to inspire future generations of St Margaret’s girls to join in on my quest.”

Perseverance, resilience, and challenges overcome

St Margaret’s head teacher Anna Tomlinson underlined the importance of celebrating those who have demonstrated “perseverance and resilience”, and excelled in the face of challenges and adversity.

“These results are a testament to the remarkable dedication of our students, staff and the entire school community,” said Ms Tomlinson.

“It’s a day to celebrate everyone’s success and acknowledge challenges overcome, with the girls’ results setting their course for a bright future.

“Many of our learners have demonstrated perseverance and resilience when faced with obstacles and setbacks, which makes us even more proud of their success.

“In particular, we wish our Sixth Year leavers every success and happiness for the future.

“These wonderful young women, who have given so much to our school community, will be taking up places on courses at prestigious universities to study subjects as varied as computing science, medicine, history, English, law, Spanish, pharmacy and economics, to name but a few.”

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