Two 17-year-old students from Wilson’s School in Sutton have secured Army Scholarships after developing their confidence and leadership skills through the school’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
Kaneesh Dharmeswaran and Iniyan Ragupathi are both Company Sergeant Majors in Wilson’s School CCF, having spent much of their childhoods living in different countries before settling in the UK.
Both credit their experiences in CCF with helping them develop skills that have shaped their ambitions for the future.
For Kaneesh, joining the cadets has brought a significant change in confidence. Born in India, he lived in Belgium and Germany before moving to the UK. Having struggled with shyness and making friends when he was younger, he credits CCF with helping him become more confident.
He now leads and teaches groups of up to 90 cadets, having developed his public speaking and leadership skills through his involvement.
“It has definitely helped me become a lot more confident. I am much better at public speaking and putting myself out there,” Kaneesh explained.
Iniyan also spent much of his childhood moving between countries before eventually settling in South London. He credits CCF with developing his teamwork, problem-solving and leadership skills, as well as providing a strong sense of community.
“CCF creates friendships in a way that school alone often doesn’t,” he said.
Both students have now secured Army Scholarships, which provide financial support through sixth form and university. They hope to study engineering before pursuing careers as Army officers.
Wilson’s School cadets supporting Remembrance commemorations across London
The students’ achievements come alongside Wilson’s School CCF’s involvement in plans for Remembrance commemorations across London.
Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the school’s CCF outlined plans to provide ten cadets for street-lining and marshalling duties at the Mayor of London’s Service of Remembrance at London City Hall.
A large contingent of Wilson’s cadets was also scheduled to participate in Croydon’s Civic Act of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday, parading alongside the Army Reserve, police and other uniformed youth organisations.
At Wilson’s School, plans for Remembrance assemblies included cadets parading the school’s CCF banner and escorting the School Captain as he lays a wreath at the school’s War Memorial.
For Kaneesh and Iniyan, remembrance also holds personal significance, shaped by their experiences in CCF and opportunities to learn from people who have served.
Iniyan believes that remembrance is not only about honouring the stories of those who served, but also understanding what they were fighting for and the lessons that can be learned from conflict.
“We need to remember the stories for their sake, but also remember what they were fighting for so that as a community we learn the lessons that the conflict meant to teach us as well,” he explained.
For both students, their involvement in CCF has helped them develop confidence and leadership skills, while their Army Scholarships will provide financial support as they work towards their ambitions of studying engineering and pursuing careers as Army officers.
Their experiences also highlight the role of Wilson’s School CCF in developing young people’s skills while involving cadets in Remembrance traditions across London.
