Mimi O’Neill

I’ve been a part of the Brandeston and Framlingham community for almost nine years. I feel I’ve grown up here and become who I am because of the people and the opportunities I’ve been given. While I am excited about the future, I’m sad to be leaving Framingham, it fills almost every memory I have and they are almost exclusively good. I’m desperate not to lose touch with the people in my year and the years below, but most importantly the school, which has been so much more than just a school. This year particularly has been a great one for me, I love the relationship I have with the younger years and with the staff and I don’t want to lose that. I’m looking forward to organising reunions and gatherings as throughout my school career I have enjoyed organising groups of people, such as teams, prefects or groups of musicians. At the start of year 9, and again before year 12, I arranged a picnic at my home and invited all of the girls in my year in Moreau, so those who knew each other from Brandeston or year 11 were able to meet and welcome those coming in from other schools. I believe this made their first day easier as they found some familiar faces.

I have, unfortunately, been unsuccessful in my application for university thus far, so I’ll be spending a year at Riddlesworth Hall as a Gap Student, just one short hour away from Framlingham: the perfect location to arrange reunions. This coming year will give me a chance to really consider my academic aspirations and what I want from my future. Thanks to the foundations Fram has helped me to lay my options range from English and Drama to Biology and Medicine with Teaching, Music and many others all on my list for further exploration.

I’ve loved the range of opportunities that Framlingham offered me, and would always encourage people to take as many as possible. I was a Corporal in the CCF’s RAF section where I flew a Grob Tutor plane, and led groups of up to forty cadets. I loved team sports and captained both junior and senior school teams in netball, hockey and rounders. I also completed my Gold DofE, one of the hardest things I have ever done, but some of my best friends and memories were made on those camp sites. It showed me how far I can push myself, but also where my boundaries are. Last year I spoke at the Geneva model UN, representing Brunei Darussalam. I stayed with a Swiss family and met students from all over Europe. It was the most inspirational and terrifying experience and I will remember it forever.

Music was a big part of my life at Fram, and one of my last projects was producing and selling a music CD, which took up a huge amount of time and energy. It was an expression of my love of music and involvement in the school’s music department. Every lunch break, and often after school too, I would be involved in a music activity from orchestra to choir to brass band. I was a music scholar and achieved Grade 8 on the French Horn, my first instrument, and grade 5 in singing during my last year at Fram. Drama, both performing and appreciation, was also a big part of my life at Fram. This summer I’ll be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a cross-dressing version of The Importance of Being Earnest and a dream world Romeo and Juliet.

Organisational skills have been vital because my life is busy and I love it to be so. I’m not afraid of hard work and welcome the role the Moreau Scholarship offers. While the financial support and mentor will both be very helpful to me during my university career, it’s the continued connection with the school which I find most attractive about the scheme and it was this that really motivated me to apply.