SMC Sixth Form Alumni

Following her course of studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form, Chiara Modestini completed four years of studies and obtained a BSc (Hons) Podiatry at the University of Malta having come first among the students in her course. Chiara received a Grade A – 90 in her dissertation entitled: “A Comparison of Athletes’ General Endurance when wearing Minimalist versus Structured Footwear” which ranked second best in the history of the course. The study revealed that when long distance athletes wore minimalist footwear, they had a higher general endurance, so her hypothesis was accepted and proven. Chiara is working to have her study published in the ‘British Journal of Sports Medicine’.
A world of opportunities – St Martin’s College Sixth Form
Chiara also forms part of the Association of Podiatrists Malta (APM) and has attended various Pod-Podiums since joining the course. ‘I feel that as a health professional it is vital to constantly keep updated,’ she explained.

Her main interest is in the line of sports and would like to pursue this at Masters level. She is currently focusing on gaining work experience prior to furthering her studies. Chiara would like to make a significant contribution whilst continuing professional development within the podiatry profession.

Congratulations Chiara!

Stan Deborggraeve attended St Martin’s College Sixth Form between 2009 and 2011. During this time he studied IT and Marketing at Advanced level and English, French and Environmental Science at Intermediate level. Following his sixth form years, Stan moved on to further his studies at the University of Lincoln, England, where he completed a Bachelor of Honours degree in International Business Management.

Stan explained that throughout his degree, he found the coursework very interesting. “In the first year I was exposed to business modules such as Economics, Strategic Management, Financial Management for Business, Business Law and several others too. The degree took four years to complete and incorporated three years of study and a one-year placement in the industry. My interest in investment banking led me to spend the year in Malta where I worked for Mediterranean Bank Plc. In my final year, I presented a dissertation entitled Has regulation changed the use of derivatives since the 2008 financial crisis”

After his graduation, Stan moved to London. “I have always wanted to work in London for a few years in order to gain experience and exposure in the financial and investment banking industry. I currently work for JDX Consulting, providing consultancy for tier 1 investment banks and other financial services companies.”

Congratulations Stan!

Immediately after leaving St Martin’s College Sixth Form and completing his A Levels, Justin started working for the family’s real estate agency and property auction house, which he co-manages. He is currently heavily involved in the company’s new first Boutique hotel in Sliema which will be opening very soon.

Justin particularly enjoys travelling and has made an effort to travel to as many different places as possible. He is now looking forward to his next visit overseas to Thailand. His long-term dream is to open a company which would offer marketing services to other companies.

Helena Grech attended St Martin’s College Sixth Form between 2009 and 2011 and studied English and Economics at Advanced level. She went on to study Communications and European Studies at the University of Malta and completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in European Studies.

As part fulfilment of her course, Helena presented a dissertation entitled ‘Addressing an ageing population in Malta – the role of migration’. This research dealt with migration as a tool that could be used to replenish an ever decreasing work force, primarily due to a lower birth rate and a higher life expectancy. She was awarded a work placement at Ernst and Young in her second year at university.

Helena is currently working as a full-time journalist at The Malta Independent.

Benji Arrigo was a student at St Martin’s College Sixth Form between 2007 and 2009. He studied Accounting and Marketing at A level. After completing his sixth form studies, Benji moved to the UK to read for a BA Hons degree in Business Management and Finance.

As soon as he graduated, Benji ventured to Asia for one month, where he spent time in China and Singapore. “I was so impressed with what I saw, that I wanted to gain a better understanding of the business culture in such important emerging consumer markets,” said Benji.

He moved to Hong Kong and is currently experiencing a rotational placement with a multinational company, Li & Fung, which specialise in global supply chain management. Benji is part of the operations team within the sourcing division. This department works with customers in the fast-moving consumer goods industry in the European and US markets.

After finishing her studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form, Sarah Caruana-Dingli, attended MCAST and obtained a Higher National Diploma in Art and Design. This is where she discovered a love for fashion and textiles.

Sarah continued her studies at the Manchester Metropolitan University where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion design. As part of her course, she took part in several fashion shows across the UK. One of these included a fashion show for Toni & Guy who commissioned Sarah to produce a dress which was put on show in Manchester and London.

After completing her studies at University, Sarah carried out an internship with Julien Macdonald’s fashion house in London. During this internship, she was part of the team who worked on his collection for London Fashion Week 2014.

Sarah returned to Malta and presented her collection during Malta Fashion Week 2015. She has also launched her own online shop which showcases her designs. Sarah’s collection can be viewed on her website – www.sarahcaruanadingli.com

Jingyi Liu, a native of China, completed her studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form in June 2014. She is now a freshman at Gettysburg College, USA, a high-ranking college of the liberal arts in the United States.

Since Gettysburg College is a liberal arts college, it provides an overview of the natural sciences, humanity subjects, the social sciences, the arts, quantitative reasoning and second languages. Besides the subjects students choose to major in, they also need to study subjects from across the curriculum. This encourages students to be open-minded and also let them connect knowledge from different fields.

Gettysburg College has a career development centre which provides students with countless internship opportunities. It organises some job immersion trips which give students an appreciation of their preferred industry. “I’m really looking forward to these internships,” said Jingyi.

Every student is encouraged to study abroad for at least one semester. This is especially because it is an integral part of the Gettysburg College academic experience, embodying the curriculum goals of engaged learning and global citizenship – “Make the world your classroom.”

Jingyi is also very proud of the College’s Experiential Education Programme. It provides students with innovative opportunities to experience diverse environments, to understand and respect those with different values than their own, and to grow as individuals. Jingyi joined an ice climbing trip during the winter break. “It was challenging, but so much fun! I never thought I could climb ice with only ice axe and crampons!”

After finishing her studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form, Frederica Agius attended the University of Malta and studied History of Art. She completed both a Bachelor, as well as a Masters degree, for which she researched Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar.

Frederica is now an MPhil candidate with the University of Malta and is planning on continuing her studies at Doctorate level. She is currently studying the frescos at the Grand Masters Palace in Valletta and the patronage of Grand Master Wignacourt. “I’ve moved from the turn of the twentieth century all the way back to the early 17th century,” commented Frederica.

Apart from her studies, Frederica is also Assistant Curator at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat. “As Assistant Curator, I treat the place as I would my own house and take great care of it. I also organise events and exhibitions there, whether they are art related or not! I organise lectures, talks and guided tours, as well as themed evenings. My favourite event was a guided tour in collaboration with the band Stalko where we took it in turns to explain the art and for them to play a set of songs. I also take care of the didactics in the museum, the booklet, and any published material.”

Frederica is a tutor at the University of Malta and coordinates the credit of Museum Placement at the Wignacourt Museum. She often gives lectures and talk, and her articles have featured in a number of newspapers and magazines. She has recently published a booklet on the Dragonara Palace in St Julians.

Michela Miceli-Demajo finished her studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form in 2011. Throughout her sixth form years, Michela expressed a particular interest in Accounts, which was one the subjects she studied at Advanced level.

“It was never my intention to follow a course at the University of Malta,” admitted Michela. Her main focus was to sit for ACCA exams. “However, I followed the advice I was given by teachers, friends and family not to miss out on the student life and the opportunities that studying at university brings about. Till this day I feel grateful for choosing that path as I have now finished my last University course and will be graduating BA (Hons) in Management. Throughout my years at university, I also sat for four ACCA exams and I am now looking forward to applying the skills and knowledge that I have learnt, in real practice. My journey does not stop here as I am now focusing on completing my ACCA qualification as well as working full time in the accounts department at the M. Demajo group.”

Emma Tranter completed her sixth form education at St Martin’s College Sixth Form in 2014. She then continued her studies at the University of Malta where she read a BSc (Hons) Business & Information Technology. Her interests in the field of IT led her to specialise in cyber security. Emma obtained an MSc from the University of Birmingham in 2018. Throughout her studies, Emma always had a deep interest in photography. Since being drawn to the lens, she indulged in music, dance, travel & day to day photography, which allowed her to nurture her versatility in composing the best shot. At 16, she held her own exhibition at St. James Cavalier in Valletta. This led her to become a standout photographer at Malta Music Week, being entrusted with the personal photography of international acts. This increased exposure helped Emma to secure work on an international platform and particularly, with world-famous female DJ duo, NERVO. Over the last two years, Emma has taken the role of tour manager and photographer, travelling to over 50 countries documenting the duo’s journey at exclusive parties, sell-out-shows and world-renowned festivals, including Sziget and Tomorrowland. Her work in the music industry has helped her to network further and collaborate with other world-famous music artists, such as Sigala. Emma managed all this while balancing her Masters, her social life and her three beloved cats who she dreads leaving behind every time she goes away. Since leaving her student life behind, Emma has continued to branch out and continues to work with Sigala and Nervo on a regular basis, as well as finding new and innovative ways in which to incorporate her knowledge and interest in Artificial Intelligence and Information Security. She has recently also joined the corporate world and continues to invest in a few exciting projects whilst looking forward to what 2019 has in store!

So many accomplishments! Congratulations, Emma!

Michela Miceli-Demajo finished her studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form in 2011. Throughout her sixth form years, Michela expressed a particular interest in Accounts, which was one the subjects she studied at Advanced level.

“It was never my intention to follow a course at the University of Malta,” admitted Michela. Her main focus was to sit for ACCA exams. “However, I followed the advice I was given by teachers, friends and family not to miss out on the student life and the opportunities that studying at university brings about. Till this day I feel grateful for choosing that path as I have now finished my last University course and will be graduating BA (Hons) in Management. Throughout my years at university, I also sat for four ACCA exams and I am now looking forward to applying the skills and knowledge that I have learnt, in real practice. My journey does not stop here as I am now focusing on completing my ACCA qualification as well as working full time in the accounts department at the M. Demajo group.”