The most meaningful internship experiences do more than introduce students to a profession—they become part of a student's journey.

Since the launch of St. Catherine's Career Exploration Programme in 2024, Pieris Architects has become a valued partner, opening its doors yearly to our students and helping them discover what a career in architecture and design is truly like. This year's Year 12 Internship Programme once again demonstrated the impact of that collaboration, giving students an inspiring week of creativity, mentorship and professional learning.

Over the course of the week, our students immersed themselves in the architectural design process, exploring how ideas evolve from initial concepts into professional presentations. As part of their experience, they were challenged to design a Rainforest Museum, developing original concepts through sketches that were later transformed into digital architectural designs by the Pieris Architects team—bringing their ideas vividly to life.

The programme concluded with a memorable final day that perfectly reflected the collaborative spirit of the practice. Students, architects, university students and alumni came together to exchange ideas, ask questions and share experiences in an atmosphere of curiosity and encouragement.

"Becoming a great professional is a lifelong journey that starts at school and continues through university and beyond."
Pieros Pieris, Pieris Architects

Reflecting that philosophy, students had the opportunity to meet Konstantina and Myrto, fourth-year architecture students from the National Technical University of Athens and the University of Patras, who helped coordinate this years' experience. They were joined by our Year 13 student Georgie, alongside St. Catherine's alumni Dioni and Pavlina, both of whom have just completed their first year at UCL and Oxford Brookes University respectively. By sharing their portfolios, first-year projects and honest reflections, they offered invaluable insight into studying architecture at different institutions and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

These conversations demonstrated the true strength of the Career Exploration Programme: Creating meaningful connections between students, undergraduates, alumni and industry professionals, allowing young people to learn from those who have walked the same path.

For Mr Pieris and his team, supporting the programme has always been about giving back to the community. As he explains,

"Our motto has always been that if you decide to be involved in something, you should do it wholeheartedly and to the best of your ability."

He credits the dedication of the Futures team and school staff as a key source of inspiration, adding that:

"Our real motivation comes from seeing all the hard work that Futures and the entire staff put into supporting the students. At St. Catherine's, we simply see ourselves as part of the community and are happy to contribute in any way we can."

We extend our sincere thanks to Pieris Architects for their continued commitment to our students. Their generosity, mentorship and true belief in the importance of nurturing future talent continues to make a lasting difference to every student who walks through their doors.