The end of the academic year brings us news that fills the entire educational community with pride. Nine students in their final year of Bachillerato have achieved top honours this year, thus bringing to a close a particularly demanding period characterised by hard work, perseverance and daily commitment.
But beyond the excellent grades, there is something that stands out in particular when looking at the academic future of this group of students: practically all of them have decided to pursue university degrees in science and technology, fields that are fundamental to the development of our society.
The students recognised this academic year are:
- Nerea Ben (Somorrostro) – Medicine
- Naroa Díaz (San Felix) – Medicine
- Maitane Abajo (San Felix) – Medicine
- Izarbe González (Menéndez Pelayo) – Biotechnology
- Nahia Sancho (Menéndez Pelayo) – Biochemistry
- Alain Allende (San Felix) – Medicine
- Lucía Fernández (IES Ataulfo Argenta) – Double degree in Computer Engineering and Mathematical Engineering
- Erika Lago (IES Dolores Ibarruri BHI) – Computer Engineering
- Sandra Suero (San Felix) – Biomedical Engineering
Medicine, engineering, computer science, biochemistry, biotechnology and biomedical engineering are just some of the fields they will begin studying next academic year, reflecting this generation’s keen interest and potential in fields linked to innovation, research and scientific progress.
Among them, Nerea Ben stands out in particular: a student from our own secondary school who achieved the highest academic record this year and who plans to begin her medical studies next year. In the interview we conducted with her, Nerea speaks with great candour about the rigours of the current bachillerato curriculum, particularly for those who need to achieve very high marks to gain entry to such demanding University degrees.
“The syllabus isn’t difficult; it’s just a huge amount of material to cover in a very short time,” she explains, acknowledging that one of the biggest challenges over the past few years has been maintaining a steady pace of study and staying organised.
Indeed, one of the most interesting insights Nerea offers relates to the importance of finding a balance during such an intense period. For her, success doesn’t depend solely on putting in long hours of study.
“There’s no point in trying hard if you are not organised,” she says, also highlighting the importance of switching off mentally in order to keep performing at your best. “Getting out and about and getting some fresh air is important too,” she adds, talking about how she learnt to cope with academic pressure.
Nerea admits that there were some particularly tough times, especially in subjects that didn’t quite match her personal interests, such as History or Philosophy, but she emphasises that the support of those around her, the positive classroom atmosphere and better time management were key to getting through those overwhelming moments.
Beyond their grades, this group of students perfectly embodies values such as perseverance, responsibility and the ability to overcome challenges. And they also send out a message of hope: the future of science, technology and healthcare is also being built in our classrooms.
We at Somorrostro would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to the nine students who achieved top honours this academic year and wish them the very best of luck as they embark on this new chapter in their lives.
We are confident that the best is yet to come 💙
