A sixth-form student has fulfilled a promise made to her mother before she died, months into her A-level studies, by securing a place at Oxford.
Gabrielle Morgan, 18, said she “could practically hear (her mother) celebrating” with her when her offer came through to study modern languages at the University of Oxford.
Gabrielle, from Newcastle, secured her place after achieving straight A* grades in English literature, Spanish and chemistry, along with an A* in an extended project qualification (EPQ), and will go on to study Spanish and beginners’ Portuguese.
It comes a year after her sister Francesca achieved straight A* grades and secured a place at Cambridge to study natural sciences.
The sisters were both home-schooled by their mother, Faustina, before joining Dame Allan’s Schools.
Ms Morgan, who moved from Malaysia to the UK in her early 20s, died from lung cancer in April last year.
Gabrielle said: “My mum was incredible, strong, organised, inspiring and a person of great faith.
“She supported every interest we had, helped us through our GCSEs and pushed us to work hard.
“She made me promise to keep working hard on my Oxford application no matter what happened.
“I could practically hear her celebrating with me when the offer came through.
“I know just how proud of me she is and I know she helped a lot, even though she wasn’t here physically.”
Gabrielle’s promise to Ms Morgan carried her through an emotionally turbulent year – including a school trip to Valencia, during which she boarded a high-speed train to Madrid with director of sixth form Karen Fletcher to sit her Oxford admissions test.
Gabrielle, who is bilingual in English and Mandarin, said she has been passionate about languages and storytelling from a young age, and dreams of becoming an author.
“The literary world has always been central to my life,” she said.
“Tolkien is my favourite author – he studied and taught at Oxford and wrote the books that shaped my love of reading. That’s why I decided to apply there.”
Gabrielle said her standout moments at Dame Allan’s, an independent school in Fenham, Newcastle, include performing Visiting Hours and Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran at school concerts in memory of her mother.
“She loved hearing me sing, so it felt special to sing for her in front of others,” she said.
“Those songs encapsulate what grief feels like.”
