I just wanted to drop you a note to give some feedback about the impact that the Charles de Gaulle Bursary had upon our daughter Vicki.

Writing the project proposal was all her own work, and as a seventeen year old, to have the experience of putting a proposal together for the first time was great.  It helped her to think through what she wanted to achieve, what you as the “funders” would want and also of what could be marketable to raise some PR.

She was concerned about the panel interview in the big city of London.  Having written her own proposal (rather than have Mum and Dad do it) she was much more aware of it and found it easier to “pitch”.  

The intensity of the panel interview was hard work, especially with some of it conducted in French.  

Vicki however was convinced that merely applying, being short-listed and doing the panel interview had all been incredibly worthwhile.  She began to realise that there was nothing that she couldn’t tackle.

She was incredibly proud when she discovered that she had been accepted for the project.  It was only a few days later that she realised that she would be going to France, on her own, straight after her A levels.

When Vicki returned home, she was different,  she had spent the whole month in French.  She only spoke French, she thought in French and towards the end she said she started to dream in French. English was becoming her second language!

We noticed that she would interact with shop assistants, occasionally joking in French.  She seemed to have quite a high level of self confidence and was definitely a changed person.

Upon her return to the UK she tackled things with an element of gusto and drive and after her results went off to Reading University to do double honours in International Business Management with French.  It is here that the bursary has had its most noticeable impact.

Vicki has said that if 18 months ago I would have told her that she would be at University and in the first term have taken the lead in the first Management assignment and the first cross-faculty assignment she would not have believed me.

Although the Bursary was focused on the development of the language, and Vicki has continued with one of her Honours being in French, it is so much more than that.  Vicki has developed life skills and much more importantly has a belief in herself and her abilities.   The British Council, and all those involved in the bursary programme, deserve all the credit for giving a young person the opportunity to become the best that they can be.

I hope that you feel proud about how much of a difference you really make.