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Date:
27 Sept 2025
Support for university students
Make your choice, don't give up, and go after your dream: The Stories of Jakub and Nina
We are delighted when we can be part of fulfilling great dreams. Read the stories of two exceptional young people – Jakub, who moved from Ostrava to the prestigious Trinity College in Cambridge, and Nina, whose journey took her from the Ore Mountains to the musical stages of New York.
From Ostrava to Cambridge: A dream of physics is becoming a reality
It all began in the spring of 2025 when the director of the Ostrava gymnasium reached out to Martin Dryk. She was concerned about the fate of her very talented student Jakub. He had achieved something extraordinary the previous December – he successfully passed the demanding entrance exams for Trinity College in Cambridge and was accepted into the undergraduate programme in Natural Sciences with a focus on physics. For context: Trinity College is the most prestigious of all the colleges and is renowned particularly for its teaching of mathematics and the natural sciences.
Jakub has talent, a desire for knowledge, and diligence, all the prerequisites for the success of a future scientist. Even during his high school years, he collected awards in international physics olympiads, worked part-time as a theoretical physicist at the Czech Technical University (ČVUT), and as a researcher at VŠB - TUO.
At the time the school contacted us, Jakub was preparing for his A-levels and awaiting the results of selection processes for scholarships from large foundations. Our agreement with Martina was instant. We wanted him to have peace to prepare for his A-levels (which, as we anticipated, he managed excellently) and to know that he could count on our financial support. As a result, Jakub received a full study scholarship from the Kellner Family Foundation, and the NFMD provided funding to cover living expenses in England. From his emails, we know that he is doing very well in his studies and is excited about every new task and discovery. We are grateful that he provides us with a glimpse into his world of science.
From Blatná in the Krušné Mountains to New York
The second story takes us into the artistic world. Nina is a native of the Ústí region, specifically from Blatná in the Ore Mountains. We learned about her extraordinary talent thanks to our coordinator from Ústí.
Nina is a multitalented individual. She graduated from the Prague Conservatory in the fields of singing, composition, and piano. As early as 2012, she became the world champion in Disco dance. However, her ambitions reached further. Since 2022, she has been studying in New York at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and in 2025, she continued her bachelor’s studies at The New School.
Thanks to our scholarship support, she can now complete the last three semesters at this prestigious school, which opens doors directly to Broadway. And Nina is doing great – her father recently proudly forwarded us a letter from the dean congratulating her on achieving a full score in all subjects.
During our trip to Blatná, we visited her parents. It was an emotional meeting full of pride, as we connected with Nina at least from a distance. We are honoured to be part of her journey towards the spotlight.