Your full name:
Sydney Smith
In which year group did you join King’s?
I joined King’s Ely Acremont in Nursery One – a very long time ago!
What A-Level subjects are you studying?
Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
What is your favourite subject and why?
Biology. I aspire to be a Doctor, so living things have always been fascinating to me. I also love the practical side of the experimentation involved.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at King’s?
I play a lot of Hockey at school and I love my role as goalkeeper with the 1st XI Team. I am also heavily involved in the Swimming Team, with this being probably my favourite sport. Alongside this, I am involved in Chapel Choir and I was lucky enough to be a part of the Sicily Tour, which was a wonderful experience.
Describe King’s in three words:
“Encouraging”, “Opportunity”, “Friendly”.
How do you feel to have been appointed Deputy Head of School?
I feel very privileged to have been appointed, especially considering the others in my year group, who I believe would also do a wonderful job.
What do you hope to achieve in your capacity as Deputy Head of School?
I hope to help give more students throughout King’s opportunities to build friendships across all year groups. I feel this is really important, as friends who I have made in older year groups, mainly through sports teams, have always given me the best advice and support regarding upcoming events in my school career. I am also really looking forward to working with the Prefect Team, as they are a wonderful group of people, and helping the Heads of School with anything they need.
What are your plans for after Sixth Form? Do you know what career you would like to pursue yet?
I would love to study Medicine at University, although I know that this will be very challenging! I have enjoyed studying related topics within my A-Levels, and cannot wait to hopefully further expand my knowledge.
Hobbies/interests outside of school:
I have been a competitive swimmer since I was 7, for City of Cambridge Swimming Club. This has taken up a lot of my spare time but there is nothing I love more than the tranquillity of diving into the pool. I also teach Swimming at a pool nearby and I find this extremely rewarding. Another passion of mine is Formula 1, which I spend most of my weekends watching.
Any pets?
I have a Siamese cat called Lando, with tonnes of personality!
What is your favourite meal/food at King’s?
The Cajun chicken pasta that they make at the Old Palace Refectory.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Probably invisibility, so that I could go anywhere in the world.
Who is your hero?
Susie Wolff. She is a racing driver, now working to promote sustainability and women within motorsport.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
When I qualified for a Regional Swimming Competition a few years ago – this took a lot of hard work and was an amazing experience. Apart from that, being appointed a Queen’s Scholar at the beginning of this year was amazing, and something I had hoped for since much earlier in my school days.
What was the last book you read?
Adrian Newey’s autobiography, ‘How to build a car’. This was a fascinating mixture of anecdotes from his life and technical explanations of his legendary car designs.
What song are you most likely to sing at a karaoke?
‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac.
What is your favourite film?
Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’.
Do you have any phobias or fears?
I am still afraid of being alone in the dark.
If you could share a meal with any four individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Sarah Sjöström, Rosa Parks, Sebastian Vettel, Alan Turing.
Name three things you would want with you if you were stranded on a desert island for a week:
Goggles, a Tennis ball, and my Spotify playlist.