Emma Taylor, 17, will attend Cambridge University, the same prestigious learning institution where some of the world’s biggest names were educated, after scoring in the top 0.3 percentile globally in the 2019 International Baccalaureate Diploma exam.
The former St Margaret’s College student will start at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom in September, where she will read economics at Corpus Christi College.
Last week Emma accepted a Top Scholar Award a ceremony at Parliament, after scoring the highest mark in the country, the maximum score possible - 45 out of 45.
The IB Diploma is a globally recognised qualification that follows a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds.
The programme provides a qualification for entry into higher education and is recognised by many universities worldwide.
Said Emma: "I chose IB because I wanted to study a broad range of subjects and I also wanted an international career in the future.
"The chance to study economics, particularly developmental economics, is quite unique for a high school curriculum.
"IB taught me a lot about time management and taught me how to retain knowledge and use it in different contexts.
"It taught me to question things, particularly knowledge – you don’t necessarily take things at face value,” Emma said.
She hopes to find a career working for organisations such as the IMF or the World Bank, leveraging human rights issues in developing countries and working with loans and projects that would be able to develop their economy so they can get out of the poverty trap.
“I’ve had my heart set on this since seeing a story on the news when I was in year 9 and IB was the right pathway to achieve that,” she said.
