Our Alumni

I chose to study at the University of Glasgow as it’s the one that interested me most because of its dedication to research, especially in Biochemistry, which is what I want to study. But the truth is that deciding on a university is very complicated and getting good advice is so important. For me, my tutors and teachers at King’s helped me a lot.

It’s really important to revise well for exams; the British exams aim to test a different range of learning skills to those from the Spanish system. King’s follows the British curriculum, so we finish Sixth Form well prepared for our exams and then we can attend any university in the world. I also think that the British education system has helped me to be able to hold my own at university as it has helped me to be more independent with my studies – which is a key skill at university level.”

Elisa was part of many extracurricular activities, which she realises also helped her get into such a top university.

Elisa Martin (King’s College, Murcia, 2016)

I’ve been in King’s College since I can remember and I needed and wanted a change from everything that I have ever known. Hence I decided to go to the UK to continue my studies. The reason why I chose the University of Kent is because I felt attracted to it since we had our very first university speech back in year 10/11. Despite the doubt of whether or not I’d enjoy my time abroad, I was decided to take a step further and stick to my decision.

My parents and Mr Edgley (Mathematics teacher), are the most influential people in my life, they know me best and what is best for me. My parents, at first they did not agreed on me studying abroad, but then, they understood how important it was for me to learn and develop as a person by studying abroad. Whereas for Mr Edgley, he was an exemplary teacher, I can’t thank him enough for the long hours he spent with me trying to make me understand the impossible, and for the hope he had on me; he is the only teacher who actually stood up to me and command me to stop complaining, to start learning because I can do it and I am capable of doing whatever I propose myself to.

Helena Montoro Perez (King’s College, Madrid, 2014)

All of my childhood memories are linked to King’s. I’ve had the great pleasure of being part of the King’s family since the age of 2 all the way to the age of 18. I have this school to thank for the amazing opportunities I have been granted with ever since I left Soto de Viñuelas.

Thanks to the amazing support of my teachers I was able to attend UCL, in London. Four years later I have now graduated with a MEng in Electronic & Electrical Engineering. I have always been passionate about the physics and technology in the world and I have now managed to acquire the knowledge, skills and expertise in a wide range of electronic applications, from the present day iPhone to our orbiting GPS satellites, to start my professional life. Studying at King’s offered me the chance to start exploring the interesting world of physics and electronics and led me to where I am today.

I am now moving on to pursue a Systems Engineer position at Cisco Systems after I interned with them last summer, which they granted to me after being impressed with the quality of my academic background.

Elena Berki (King’s College, Madrid. 2012 )

When thinking of those who influenced me most during my time at King’s, many names come to mind, Raquel Oliveros (great teacher, passionate for History), Antonio Ortega (brilliant scientific mind), Fernando Lage (devoted to teaching and students till the very end), Sara Fernández (I shamelessly confess to having adopted some of her teaching mannerisms), and many more. But above all one name: Gerardo “Gerry” Sanz, who taught us valuable lessons on how to be self-dependant adults and learn how to think by ourselves. A truly inspirational figure from whom today, many years later, I find myself still learning from.

I am currently an assistant professor and researcher on Biomedical Engineering at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. I cannot say that this was my dream career all along. I simply did not know it until I began teaching!

Ignacio Oropesa (King’s College, Soto de Viñuelas , 2001)

Laura says that she never thought leaving Kings behind would be so hard for her. She graduated from King’s College Soto de Viñuelas in 2015 and she is currently studying Economics at the University of Bath.

“Kings shaped me. Kings taught me. Kings made me who I am today. I have been part of the big family for all my life and I feel like I still am. Having the choice to study abroad is a fantastic opportunity that I had no doubt I wanted to take. I reckon that there is no ideal situation; you obviously miss your parents, your friends, your old life and getting everything done for you, and yes, it is scary, but at the same time, it is wonderful.”

Laura Closas (King’s College, Madrid. 2015)

Ernesto started at King’s aged five and graduated at age 18 upon completion of his A Levels in the summer of 2014. It was always his dream to follow in the family footsteps and continue his studies in the UK, and this dream came true when he was accepted to study Physics at University College London, ranked No. 22 of the Top 200 universities in the world, according to the 2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

“I have always been really interested in the most basic questions that encompass our daily lives, Physics enables me to understand (almost) everything, from why an aeroplane can fly, to why our universe exists in the first place. Studying at King’s offered me engaging classes which challenged me and really opened up my mind to a lot of things. Studying at UCL is a dream, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my teachers at King’s College, who always valued our opinions and ideas in class, and make us felt like we mattered.”

Ernesto Zoffmann Rodriguez (King’s College, Alicante. 2014)

Verena graduated from King’s College, Alicante in the Summer of 2013. Her time at the school saw her undertake many curricular and extra-curricular activities, one of which was her responsibility as Head Girl in her final year.

“I am currently in my second year at the University of Warwick studying Electrical Engineering, as well as being secretary of the executive committee of the Warwick Engineering Society and on the organising team for the Warwick Energy Conference and the Warwick Technology Conference.

Being head girl at KCA made me want to have a position of responsibility at the university and contribute to changing something for the benefit of my peers. Thanks to the teachers at King’s I pushed myself to the limits and I continue to do so.

Mr Wicks, former Director of Studies, current Head of Secondary and KCA, always took his time to help me and encouraged me to push myself and aim for the best, despite his own very busy agenda. Mrs Fisher, former Careers Advisor, helped me find out what I actually wanted to do and advised me on the application process – thanks to her I was able to secure a place at the university of my choosing.

Mr Pemberton, my former Maths teacher and my tutor in year 12, made me question things around me and encouraged me to be more curious. He also inspired me to be interested in things outside my subject that I would usually not have considered.

It’s thanks to the dedication of my teachers that I was able to – and continue to – recognise the importance of working hard to get where you want to be.”

Verena Oetzmann (King’s College, Alicante. 2013)

At King’s College we strive to support all our pupils achieve their dreams, no matter what that might be or where it might lead them. This was something that encouraged and drove Nicky to achieve his and today he is one of London’s finest Golf PRO’s.

“When I left King’s College I took a gap year. I did this because my passion is Golf and I felt that I needed to dedicate a year to see if my progress was good enough to fulfil my dream of turning pro. After a year, I was on the boundary of being at the level I needed to be at in order to achieve my dream, and my parents allowed me to take another gap year to see what I could make of myself.

It turned out to be rewarding. In March 2014 I was offered a job in London at a golf course called Langley Park, but before I could start I had to pass “playing exams” and also coaching exams to be able to be offered a full time contract, which was due to start in October 2014.

With more hard work I managed to pass all the exams and I am pleased to report that I have now turned PRO and am member of the PGA (Professional Golfers Association). I have also started doing a university course about Professional Golf Studies which involves, marketing, business management, sports science and bio mechanics.

This was and will always be my dream job, but I knew in order to achieve it, that I was going to have to work hard and motivate myself to become the professional that I am now. My parents, teachers and coaches all contributed to this attitude and ensured that I always kept focused and gave it my all.

My teachers at King’s College were a particular and constant source of support and encouragement, special mention must go to Mr Simon Wicks and Danny Esteban, who always wanted to know about my progress and the tournaments that were happening. Knowing that I had their support meant a lot to me and really spurred me on. For me though, the person that stood out the most was the headteacher Mr Derek Laidlaw, who not only motivated me, but he kept me focused and thinking positively, even through the hardest of times. Even when I might not have believed in myself, my teachers at King’s College always believed in me and for that I can’t thank them enough.”

Nicky Stewart (King’s College, Alicante. 2011)

Krisha graduated from King’s College Alicante in 2010, when her gap year in China provided her with a love of travel, culture and language, and lead her to undertake her university degree in Chinese and History at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Her teachers embedded her with a love of learning, even for the subjects she was less confident about. Now, with her graduation on the horizon, her future looks set to hold many exciting things and countries!

“After King’s I went on to spend a year working at the British School of Beijing – where one of our Alicante school’s previous head teachers had also begun working. I was so grateful for this opportunity as it completely changed my future plans for studying, and generally my outlook on life.

I had always been interested in taking a gap year, but until I saw the advert for the job in Beijing, the right thing had never really come along. I had signed up to attend a university in the UK , but when I was presented with the idea of going away for a year, to a new country, experiencing a new culture, learning a new language, and of course earning some money … I jumped at the chance!

I studied hard and did really well in my A Levels, mainly thanks to my outstanding teachers, without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today. I actually performed better than expected and was able to re-apply to my dream university and this is really because of the hard work my English teacher Sophie Welsh and my History teacher, Graham Birrell, who both dedicated so much of their time to making sure we knew how to pass our exams and do so with confidence. Sophie completely revolutionised the subject of English for me, I had been really dejected about the subject but she made me see the life in each play script we read, despite our classes dreadful acting abilities, and we began acting out our plays, so that we ourselves could feel the emotions of the literature we were working with . With Sophie’s help I ended up writing coursework that I became really passionate about and that new found interest in the subject was a massive element to mine and our whole class’s success.

I am currently living in London and studying Chinese (Mandarin Modern, Classical and Cantonese) with History at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. In the past four years, I have spent two here in the English capital and two in the Chinese capital Beijing. Both cities now feel like home to me and once graduated I hope to find away where I can visit both on an annual basis!

I have excitingly signed up to a graduate programme with the charity TeachFirst who’s mission it is to fight educational inequality. I don’t know what my long-term plans are after that, but I am definitely excited about what the future holds…”

Krisha Ghandi (King’s College, Alicante. 2010)

Max graduated from King’s College Alicante in 2008 after leading the school as their very first Head Boy. In September 2008, he gained a place at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

“Initially I enrolled at the university to study Digital Media and Computing, making these life-changing choices though is not easy and after about 18 months in I realised that my passion lie in Law, so I was fortunate enough to be able to change courses and went on to study Law, eventually graduating in 2013. It was a steep learning curve for me and one which demanded a lot of time and effort on my part.

At university I took full advantage of the extra-curricular offerings and joined a number of different societies and teams, notably the UWE Bullets American Football team that won the Division title in my first year. This passion was sparked in me during my time at King’s where I often got involved in sports and activities outside of the standard classes.

During my time at the school I think the most influential person for me was Simon Wicks (now Head of Secondary at the school) He went above and beyond what any other teacher would do to make sure we were able to effectively complete the tasks at hand.

Since graduating from university, I now work in international business development for Capita in the UK as well as continuing with my sporting passions by teaching kickboxing at the weekends, the youngest member of my class being just four years old.”

Max Glover (King’s College, Alicante. 2008)

Mariana thanks her teachers during her time at King’s who instilled in her the core values which serve her so well today. She is passionate about her studies and her career, and since leaving school has made sure she gives something back to the country she calls “home”.

“After completing my studies at King’s College I took a gap year, as I wanted to travel the world. My initial plan was to work 6 months and travel 6 months, but I ended up working the full 12 months. After my gap year, I moved back to my home country: Mexico, to study Economics as a major in Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

I felt like I had to give something back to Mexico, where opportunities are not the same for everyone, and I wanted to work to make it a better country.

The values instilled in me during my time at King’s played a crucial role in my thinking today. My teachers, such as Ms Baines, taught me the importance of economics, she showed what a powerful tool it was and she is the reason I studied the subject at university.

All of our teachers at school, pushed our limits, Mr. Grey, pushed me particularly to think harder, to keep a broad perspective and that there is no right or wrong in politics; the truth is generally more than meets the eye.

After completing my degree in Economics, I worked for 3 years at the Central Bank of Mexico and I am now studying an MBA at The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. I have only recently started my MBA and plan to graduate in June 2016, until then I plan to continue to do the things I love and love what I do, this was the passion that I learned from Ms. Coppola. Thanks to all my teachers for making my time at King’s so enthusing.”

Mariana Castillo Lopez (King’s College Madrid. 2006)

Gloria studied at King’s College Soto de Viñuelas and graduated in 2003. Her time at King’s made her into a well-rounded individual, passionate for helping others. After graduating from university in the UK, she was able to realise her dream and now works for an International NGO offering support and assistance for the promotion of children’s rights in over 50 countries.

“I am very passionate about justice, equality and respect for human rights, particularly combining this justice for people from other cultures and backgrounds. I feel very frustrated by inequality and lack of respect of international law, either human rights or humanitarian law. I try to transform this negative energy into positive action and working along others to promote change in people’s lives.

During my time at King’s College, I always felt supported and empowered by most of my teachers to do whatever I wanted and to fight for what I believed in. Particularly though, I would have to point out three, which had the most influence on me. Those were my History and English teachers (Mr. Anderson, Mr Grey and Mr McNally). Classes with them were not about memorising or completing assignments, it was about analysing concepts, arguments, statements, debating theories and having an opinion of my own. Those three stand out of the crowd because they would question you, they would push you to your limits but at the same time, they were always there for you after hours, to talk not only about school, but home and the future. Having teachers that make you think, question the traditional thinking and bring to the classroom current affairs topics, was inspirational.

After I left Kings, I went to study my BA in International History and International Politics at Keele University (UK) and straight after, my MA in Human Rights from UCL (UK). I discovered during my uni years my passion for development and humanitarian assistance, always through a human rights approach, so I decided to leave the UK to work in Jordan and Palestine, and then I went on to the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, etc.) to practice as an aid worker and I have also worked for international NGOs (Progressio, ACTED and now Plan) and for governmental institutions ( European Union) in Latin America and the Middle East.

After four and a half years working in the Caribbean for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the European Union, I decided to move back to London to be closer to the family and friends. I am now working for Plan, an international NGO that works for the respect and promotion of children rights in over 50 countries around the world. I am the manager for our humanitarian projects in Asia and East Africa, which is a 15 million USD portfolio. I am fortunate enough that while being based in London, I still get to travel to these countries, which has always been a part of my job which I love!”

Gloria Donate Ribagorda (King’s College Madrid. 2003)

From entrepreneur to politician, Lucas finished his studies at King’s College in Madrid to go on to take a plethora of higher education courses and has since gone on to enter the world of politics and is even a well-versed Spanish entrepreneur.

“After I left King’s College I studied a BBA in Business Administration with a year in industry at the University of Kent. After this I came back to Spain and was awarded the ICEX scholarship, which allowed me to study an MBA in International Commerce. A couple of years later I studied another Master’s Degree, this time in Marketing. In January 2011 I read my PhD in Historical and Legal Sciences at the University Rey Juan Carlos.

My biggest inspiration actually came in one of the worst days I remember at school. That day, I was told “the biggest regret you will always have, is not having tried and not giving your best every single time” ever since then I’ve tried again and again. I’m not always successful, but the fear of failing doesn’t stop me from working hard to achieve my goals. If you fail, you can always try again; but if you never try, you’ll always regret it. That was the lesson I learned that day and I will never forget it.

I had a lot of influential people during my time at King’s College: Mr. McNally, Mr. Howard, Mr Gray, Mr. Elliot, Mr McLaughlan, Sara, Ángeles. I’m pretty sure I’m leaving out a few names here! They all taught me the one thing that has made me who I am right now: the importance of hard work, sacrifice and overcoming difficulties to achieve your goals.

After having done my placement year at the European Parliament, I came back to Spain and worked for five years as an economic and parliamentary advisor in the Spanish parliament. A couple of months ago I started working at Kreab Gavin Anderson, a Swedish Public Affairs and Communication agency. I currently give advice to banks and financial corporations on how to improve their relations with the government and other public and political bodies as well as analysing how the different laws that are under debate affect their business. I also give external economic advice to a political party, for which I was also candidate in the last European elections. In 2011, I founded Matute 11, a small business in Madrid which exploits tourist apartments in the city centre. I am also helping with the start-up osoigo.com and currently working in a few other entrepreneurial projects.”

Lucas Calvo Pérez (King’s College Madrid. 2001)

Sydney graduated from King’s College Soto de Viñuelas in 1985 and was accepted to the Conservatories of Utrecht and Amsterdam where he studied piano as a major and graduated in 1997.

“I was awarded with the ‘Kunstanjer’ prize for music. I gave concerts in the Netherlands, Indonesia and Poland amongst others. I also became an autodidactic painter and artist. I taught music at a high school in the Hague for some years and continued to explore the field of electronic music as well.

Being in the arts seemed natural to me, I then thought, and still do now, that it is one of the best ways I could somehow express my fascination for many things and perhaps even inspire others too. I am fascinated by science, mathematics and philosophy and how certain minds are capable of understanding the sheer impossible. My time at King’s College enhanced this and inspired my love of learning through the creative arts.”

Sydney Sitters (King’s College Madrid. 1985)