Every year, The School of St Jude opens its gates to over 7,000 students in Arusha, Manyara and Kilimanjaro to try out for a Standard 1, Form 1 or Form 5 scholarship. The school welcomes academically gifted, economically disadvantaged students from government schools, and getting a scholarship means receiving a free, high-quality education and a chance to break the cycle of poverty through education. These days, we call it the Scholarship Application Day.
Our next Form 1 Scholarship Application Day for the St Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School will add an extra 60 students to its annual intake.
Currently, each Form has four classes. From 2027, Form 1 will increase to six classes. These additional classes will progress through the school each year, so that by 2028, Form 2 will have six classes, and by 2029, Form 3 will also have six classes. This growth will continue as the additional classes progress through the school until they reach Form 4
By 2030, our girls’ school will have grown by approximately 250 students, giving many more academically gifted young women the chance to reach their full potential.
The timing is no coincidence. In January next year, St Jude’s celebrates its 25th anniversary. Growing the girls’ school by 250 students marks this milestone by creating opportunities for more girls to access a St Jude’s education, while building on the school’s 25-year history.
Finding these students begins with distributing thousands of letters and lots of legwork, and alumni are a big part of it. On Scholarship Application Day, alumni volunteers help with supervising students, data entry and shuttling students around campus while working alongside staff to keep the day running smoothly from start to finish.
For many alumni, stepping back onto the grounds that changed their own lives is an emotional experience. Watching a new group of students walk through the same gates and sit in the same classrooms brings back memories of applying for a scholarship and the moment their future changed direction
"I remember exactly how I felt sitting in that hall, waiting to hear my name. Coming back as a volunteer, I get to sit on the other side of that moment and help give someone else the same chance I was given. It's one of the most rewarding things I've done since I graduated."
Lengashe class of 2018 said.
Alumni are warmly invited to be part of this next chapter. If you would like to volunteer during an upcoming Scholarship Application Day, please get in touch with the Alumni Office. Your presence means more than you can imagine. Seeing you stand in the halls that shaped your future reminds our newest students of what is possible for them too, and shows how the impact of a St Jude’s education continues from one generation to the next.
