Rather Use Than Fame: What the walls of William Ellis taught me

By Breno Simonetti Borges
William Ellis and LaSWAP pupil, 2016 to 2023.

Being a William Ellis student has genuinely shaped the person I am today. You arrive in your fresh uniform, surrounded by towering red brick buildings, settling into a school steeped in history. At the centre of it all is the phrase above your head and on your chest: “Rather use than fame.”

At first, it feels distant. After all, who doesn’t want to be famous?

In the early years, especially on the top playground between intense football matches, life was simple. We’d talk about the usual teenage things, mostly nonsense, but every so often, we’d drift into deeper conversations about what those words actually meant. Even then, the idea was there, stitched into the fabric of our blazers, waiting to be understood.

By Year 9, I started forming my own interpretation. At the time, I thought I was on track to become a football star, scoring goals left, right and centre. At the same time, I was struggling academically and becoming increasingly disengaged in the classroom. I avoided feedback, didn’t ask for help, and leaned into what made me feel “cool” or recognised. Looking back, I was chasing visibility, not value. Over time, that mindset became limiting. I developed a pessimistic view of myself in education and began to define my worth through external validation rather than personal growth.

Then came COVID, and with it, a change of environment. I spent time in Brazil with family, attending school there and stepping away from everything familiar. What I initially saw as an escape became something else entirely. I realised I wasn’t moving forward but rather drifting instead. That period made me want to return to William Ellis, but with a completely different perspective.

Back at WES, the core values displayed in every classroom: resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness, responsibility, and respect, began to take on real meaning. These words became more than clues that I used to search around the classroom to help me with tests; they became principles I actively tried to live by.

I started to rebuild myself around them. I became more responsible, dedicating time each day to studying, often staying in the library until the evening. I became more reflective, using past mistakes to guide better decisions. I learned to be resourceful, seeking support from City Year assistants, mentors, and teachers. I showed more respect to those around me, and in doing so, built stronger relationships. Through all of this, I developed resilience, an understanding that progress only comes through consistency, effort, setbacks and reflection. Gradually, my focus shifted. I no longer wanted to simply be seen as successful; I wanted to be useful. A few words, repeated every day, helped turn a boy into a young man.

I continue to draw on these values when facing challenges today. After WES, I built on these foundations at LASWAP, which led me to the University of Sussex to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. In a new environment, I once again had to apply those same principles and adapt them to a different context.

I carried forward the idea of “rather use than fame” by launching my podcast, YUNG WRLD POLITICS, aimed at tackling democratic disengagement among 18 to 25-year-olds. Alongside this, I joined My Life My Say, a non-partisan organisation focused on increasing youth participation in democracy. Through their selective Squad Leader programme, I developed my leadership and engagement skills, and I now serve as a Squad Ambassador, having also been elected class president by my cohort.

At each stage, these core WES values have remained constant. They continue to guide my decisions, shape my approach to leadership, and challenge me to grow. I am now continuing this journey through the Aspen Institute UK Rising Leaders Fellowship, where I look forward to deepening my understanding of leadership, values, and collaboration in an increasingly complex world.

My advice to current pupils is simple: look up and look around you. The values at William Ellis are not just there for decoration; they are there to guide you. Take them seriously early on. Ask for help, even when your ego tells you not to. Sometimes, the answers you’re looking for aren’t in a book; they’re on the wall next to your desk.

Our Rather Use Than Fame Club helps bring the school motto to life in our mission. It brings together individual supporters to help us develop and fund initiatives designed to help pupils achieve academic success, and develop their sense of themselves as individuals who can lead change in the world. We would love for you to consider joining the club, a donation of as little as £10 per month goes a long way in helping build this collective impact.