Going Beyond SCHOLARSHIPS AT AIGLON
A transformational impact
Education is the most precious gift a young person can receive, one that develops them into the best possible version of themselves.
An Aiglon education is defined by our guiding principles, the balanced development of mind, body and spirit. For almost 75 years, our holistic education has provided an opportunity to challenge and shape the values and outlook that young people carry with them for their entire lives. It nurtures respectful global citizens with a deep sense of responsibility and a desire to make change.
With your help, we will expand the diversity of young people in our community by continuing to grow the number of Aiglonian’s benefitting from life-changing scholarships. We wish to identify students holding the potential to change the world for the better. They embody qualities, such as character, confidence, knowledge and kindness, that align with the values at the very heart of an Aiglon education.
Providing access to students from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds brings not only a lasting impact on an individual child and their family. They nurture in all our students, the values of kindness and respect regardless of origin, background and beliefs.
A history of changing lives
Aiglon has welcomed 116 scholars since 1991 from countries including Kenya, Bhutan and Somaliland, with every one continuing to higher education.
While the school has historically funded scholarships, we are proud and grateful that half of our current recipients are funded through the generosity of parents and alumni. Through your continued generosity, we aim to increase the number of scholarships at Aiglon by 2028, enabling 20 scholars at any one time to broaden their horizons at the school.
As current student Rachel points out, scholars enrich the experience of all:
At Aiglon, diversity is one of our key pathways to the balanced development of the mind, body and spirit. Our scholarship programme allows for this to be taken further than just nationality, ethnicity, religion and culture, as it creates a student body with a variety of different socioeconomic backgrounds as well. This is why the programme is so important to our community. It shows how our different pathways are all connected, diversity is important to establish values such as respect and responsibility.
Koome Gikunda
joined Aiglon in 1998 and graduated as School Guardian. Koome went on to secure further scholarships to graduate from Stanford University and then gain an MBA from the University of Oxford. Today, he lives in Nairobi as a director at private equity fund Actis. He is helping to shape the future for the next generation of scholars by serving on Aiglon’s governing board.
Jan Hammer
Aiglon's third scholar, Jan, joined Aiglon in 1993 from the Czech Republic. He went on to graduate from Oxford University and INSEAD . He is now a venture capitalist and has generously donated to the school’s scholarship fund over the years.
SCHOLARSHIPS AT AIGLON
Graduating from Aiglon was a big deal for me, and my parents, because it was such an unlikely outcome given where we had come from. If anyone goes back far enough in their history, they’ll find a story of luck and someone who believed enough to give a helping hand to another. Aiglon did this for me and I am eternally grateful. Aiglon changed my life. Now, I have a responsibility and an obligation to improve the lives of others.
I am immensely thankful for the scholarship programme that allowed me to attend Aiglon. The whole Aiglon experience has been transformational for me, and I am forever grateful for all the opportunities it opened up. I am delighted to be able to give back, enabling new students to gain access to Aiglon in the years to come.
Koome Gikunda (Delaware, 1999)
Jan Hammer (Alpina, 1995)
We are grateful that thanks to the synergies between our Scholarship Committee and valued partners, we have been able to welcome the most promising scholars at Aiglon. We continually strive to expand access to our holistic educational provision with the goal to maximise diversity at Aiglon, so that initially the whole school community benefits from the reciprocal interactions, and later the wider world, as our scholars thrive and go out to instigate postitive change.
Nicola Sparrow School Director
Scholarship selection process
The Scholarship Committee, led by the School Director and senior colleagues, ensures an open, transparent, strategic and rigorous programme.
We work with longstanding, trusted institutions around the world which nominate potential candidates for the selection process, ensuring the aspirations of the student and an Aiglon education are a match. Our partners include:
1. Starehe Boys Centre and School, Kenya
2. Starehe Girls Centre and School, Kenya
3. Jay Pritzker Academy, Cambodia
4. Abaarso School, Somaliland
5. The Royal Academy, Bhutan
6. Horizons Academy, Israel
7. HMC, Eastern Europe
In addition, we receive numerous spontanious applications via email every month. These candidates are encouraged to apply online and are considered alongside those from our partner schools. The selection process involves three stages: an initial 1:1 interview, standardised testing, and a final interview with the full committee.
Naomi Lane JPA’s Academic DeanWorking with Aiglon has always been a transparent and holistic process based on the shared goal of finding the best fit for our most promising students. Recipients of Aiglon scholarships, sons and daughters of economically disadvantaged Cambodians, embark on educational and personal journeys outside of anything they could have imagined. Through Aiglon's program, scholarship recipients become articulate, capable, and confident global citizens able to secure scholarships to top tertiary institutions. They leave Aiglon with the tools and perspectives to lead in their chosen fields and to meaningfully contribute to Cambodia's development.
Year after year, our scholars are highlighted in their respective university magazines for the impact they have on academic or social communities. They go forward with great purpose and wish to give to others thanks to the generosity of those who gave to make their dreams a reality.
I can say with confidence that donations toward Aiglon's scholarship programme are directly linked to life changing experiences.
Patience Fanella-Koch Director of University Advising
