You may have spotted Alba Martinez in school during the past few weeks and wondered why she was here, so we decided to interview her to find out...
Where are you from and how did you end up at The Academy at Shotton Hall?
I am Spanish and come from Murcia in southern Spain. I was put in touch with Mr Kell while I was looking for an internship in England for three months as part of my degree. Mr Kell kindly offered me a place at your school.
How long will you spend at The Academy at Shotton Hall and what will you be doing?
I will be here for three months doing a traineeship and I will be helping Ian to manage the different Erasmus projects carried out by him.
How are things different here from back home?
Everything is different here compared to where I live. The first difference is the weather, there is a significant difference between the north of England and the south of Spain: it is much colder here and I am trying to get used to it. The schools work in diverse ways too, the times of the classes are different; when I was in high school we had six hours a day and we did not have lunch at school. Holiday times are different, too (for example, our summer holidays are from the end of June until the first week of September). The food is also different; I miss my Spanish jam!
What do you plan on doing after you finish here at The Academy at Shotton Hall?
I will go back to Spain to finish my degree. I will write my dissertation and then, after that, I will apply to do a masters degree next year.
Is there anything interesting about your culture that you think our students might be interested in?
I invite all the students to learn about Spain and visit all the amazing beaches it has. I also suggest tasting an authentic Spanish paella!
Thank you Alba, we hope you enjoy your time here...
The Academy at Shotton Hall is proud to be part of e-Twinning and Erasmus - partnerships between schools from different regions of Europe managed by the British Council, which aim to give young people opportunities to experience life in other countries either through real life visits or technological connections. Find out more here.