US Scholarships for BMS Students 17 March 2020

Year 13 students Jess Read, Brennan Connelly and Kai Squires have all been offered prestigious sports scholarships to study in the USA. They start their four-year courses this summer.

Jess has been offered a full rowing scholarship to study at UCLA in Los Angeles. This comes after a very successful year of international competition having been selected to represent Great Britain at the Munich Junior Regatta and at the Junior World Championships in Tokyo.

Jess started her rowing at BMS as a complete beginner in Year 9. Despite having to deal with injuries, and managing a busy academic schedule, she has flourished in all local, regional and national events. She is still eligible for selection for the Junior Great Britain Rowing Team, and is looking for a second year of selection for the top international crews this summer.

Head of Rowing, Mark Bavington, commented: “Jess is an inspiration to everyone at BMS Boat Club showing what can be achieved through hard work and determination. We will all be desperately sad to see her leave, but extremely excited to watch her next steps at UCLA.”

Jess added: “I am so excited and feel really lucky to have been given this opportunity to study at such an incredible university. I’m not sure what I will major in, which is one of the reasons I wanted to study in the States, but I am interested in Biology and considering becoming a paramedic. However, at the moment I am just focussing on my rowing and keeping my options open.”

Meanwhile, Brennan Connelly will be taking up a tennis scholarship at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He is hoping to major in Industrial Design, while playing tennis for the Jefferson Rams.

Brennan said: “I am really excited about this opportunity. I currently train at Riverside Tennis Club and in Letchworth for around 14 hours per week, including competitions and strength and conditioning work. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received from BMS and I am really looking forward to seeing what the future will bring.”

Finally, Kai Squires will be attending Ohio Dominican University on a golf scholarship. He has been busy maintaining consistent scoring in all his competitions, with a current handicap of four, whilst still managing his busy academic schedule.

Kai explained: “It has been my dream to study in the USA for the past three years. I’ve been working with a company called Pro Dream USA who have helped me with everything from my GCSE and SAT exams to ensuring my golf standard is improving.

“Although I don’t have to choose a major at this point, I am interested in Finance and considering a minor in Spanish. I am looking forward to seeing where golf takes me and hope to end up working in the industry in some capacity.”