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Graduate voices throughout 2019

IB alumni from around the world share their stories throughout the year as part of our graduate voices series. They give advice to current students, reflect on their DP experience and share their accomplishments & adventures since graduation. They follow in the footsteps of our 2016, 2017 and 2018 contributors. This story will grow as the year continues, check back for more!

Expanding education

Stories and advice from IB alumni that focus on higher education: attending university, post-university studies and other educational paths.

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“Education can broaden a student’s horizons; it need not make them blurry.”

Nick is now studying at the Australian National University. Nick has a particular interest in politics and is currently working at the Australian Senate in Canberra.

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“I realized that my cultural identity is the multiplicity of various cultural elements I have been exposed to.”

Kymberley is double majoring in Cognitive Science and International Relations at UC Davis. She is also a graduate of the Universal American School in Dubai’s IB program in 2017.

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“Even after the DP was done and dusted for me, I was still chasing that passion that I had discovered through CAS.”

Ernest graduated from IGB International School in Malaysia and is currently on a gap year before he continues his studies at Dalhousie University in Canada where he’ll be studying neuroscience.

Eman

“Even one individual act of kindness can make ripples against the hard current of adversity.”

Eman is a graduate of St. Christopher’s School in Bahrain. She is currently an undergraduate at the University of Bahrain, majoring in the English Language and Literature and minoring in French.

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“The PhD track allows you to go into a lot of detail in a topic you (hopefully!) love.”

Viola studied English linguistics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Nottingham in the UK. Viola works as a research fellow at the University of Birmingham and is finishing her PhD thesis.

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“What we dream and what we want can become reality if we approach what we do with perseverance, care and love.”

Eduardo is a graduate of Colegio San Agustín, Lima, Peru. He continued his studies on Journalism at the Universidad de Lima in Peru and Universidad CEU San Pablo in Spain.

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“I knew that I was not venturing into the unventured”

Vitan is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. When not discussing politics, dogs or sunsets, he likes to involve himself in a range of different sports, be it Cricket, Basketball or Ultimate Frisbee.

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“Your degree doesn’t necessarily dictate which field you work in”

Yuan is currently pursuing her degree in science, specifically a major in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, at the University of Hong Kong. She likes to experiment with new things and loves dancing and cooking.

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“We communicate to build community and understanding.”

Johan studied Management at Warwick University, UK and studies Mathematics at Linköping University, Sweden. Outside of class he rides horses and works to make an autonomous car not crash into a fence near you.

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“Reach out to those nearest to you and you might find some success”

Ayesha is a student at the University of Toronto in Toronto, ON Canada. She wishes to pursue grad school to study—well she hasn’t figured that out yet but is open to suggestions.

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“If we all made one change then the environment would probably breathe a sigh of relief.”

Michaela is in her second year of studying English Literature at Lancaster University. She is activity seeking a sustainable lifestyle, and spends her free time going on hikes.

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“Medicine is both a science and an art—the science is in the details; the art is in the delivery”

Aaron graduated from the IBDP at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Singapore, in 2015. He currently reads Medicine at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore.

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“I can think of nothing more empowering for a mind than to learn outside of a tunnel.”

Elise finished the IB diploma in Vancouver, Canada, in 2016. She now studies Sustainable Business at SFU and intends to study law after finishing her first degree.

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“To obtain a life skill requires reflection, resilience and a willingness to grow.”

Vienna currently studies medicine at the University of Adelaide. Outside of her studies, she enjoys long-distance running, advocating for climate change action, and watching 2001: A Space Odyssey

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“We all need clarification or a different perspective from time to time.”

Vidish is currently studying economics, with a minor in French, at Wilfrid Laurier University. Reading is one of his favourite things to do, and George Orwell’s 1984 is, by far, his favourite book.

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“You serve as a teacher for your readers and have the opportunity to become an expert.”

Rya continued her studies at McMaster University after the IB at St. Francis Xavier Secondary School in Canada. She is a Biology and Psychology major with a love of reading and writing.
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“Your life-changing transition will hit you when you go to or reflect on the place you came from.”

Rucha is a recent IB graduate from Indus International School, Pune (2018). She is now pursuing biomedical engineering at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

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“There’s never any harm in taking advantage of the IB’s options to explore the arts”

Vincent attended his local community colleges and then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles where he earned his B.A. in Film and Television in 2018. Though employed at NBCUniversal, he hopes to someday become an IB Film instructor.

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“These four years can be a blur, but hopefully you come out with defining memories.”

Seerat is a first-year at the University of California Los Angeles. Between classes, you can find her working in a research lab, debating or exploring LA. She is looking forward to sharing her experiences as a recent graduate with fellow IB students.

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“We can and should start seeking to collaborate with people who are unlike us … we might be surprised by the results”

Leilani is a graduate of Wellesley College, with a B.A. degree in Economics and Political Science. She currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal as a Fulbright Scholar conducting research on women-owned businesses and female entrepreneurship in the country.

Building careers

Stories and advice from IB alumni who are pursuing their careers in many fields and have different levels of experience.

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“Diversity is not just women empowerment—it is people empowerment.”

Ritva studied at Victoria University of Wellington. She is passionate about helping communities thrive. She is the local Queensland Chapter Vice President of the non-profit organisation, Engineers Without Borders Australia.

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“The experience also caused us all to become more involved in different forms of activism on a local level.”

Xavier continued his studies with a double degree at the University of Barcelona and a master’s at Pompeu Fabra University. Currently, he is at the National Cancer Institute, understanding the role of miRNAs on gene regulation.

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“We have a vital, important role to fill in the global conversation.”

Tara is a lawyer, curriculum strategist and trainer working in the public accounting industry, and in her spare time enjoys cross-stitching, writing and relaxing on the Alabama Gulf Coast.

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Build yourself a bridge to get to where you want to be, starting with where you are.”

Sally completed a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a M.S. in technical writing at Colorado State University. She now works as a technical writer for an industrial power supply company and moonlights as a poet.

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“From internship to paid full-time, I found the amount of responsibility and tasks grew while the instruction manual shrank.”

Andrea is a graduate of Coral Gables Senior High School and Florida International University. She is an analyst for a local commercial bank with hopes to work in financial regulation and the advancement of investor protection.

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“Skills relating to the online world are becoming more important to learn”

Harriet Boston studied her International Business Bachelor’s degree in Utrecht, The Netherlands, studied abroad in South Korea and now lives in Canada working as a Digital Marketer specialising in working for start-ups.

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“Rejection triggers a new plan and it’s these new paths that fill life with possibility, spontaneity and unexpected wonders.”

Berit is a former student of Steyning Grammar School in West Sussex, England. She is currently an undergraduate studying Hispanic Studies and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

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Alyssa Fernandez

What it means to be educated

“My status and value as a student weren’t based on state test scores nor about my basic proficiency in math and reading, yet that is the reality my students face.”

Alyssa is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and is currently a second-year Corps Member at Teach For America. 

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“If a supervisor asks me if I want advice, the answer is I definitely want it. Always.”

Anna studies History, Politics and Economics with a focus on Economics and Finance at University College London in the Class of 2020. She graduated from Anatolia College IB. She is passionate about finance, travelling, foreign languages and extreme sports,

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“The reward is promised, but the necessary condition is that we start first.”

Klaus Tan is a graduate of the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) institution in Singapore. In addition to academics Klaus has a passion for photography and holds a billion views on the photographs he takes. Passionate about leadership, he’ll choose to interact with people of all backgrounds anytime.

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“Leaving a comfort zone of stability was not easy, but necessary for my growth.”

Maharani globe-trotted to Japan’s Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (undergraduate) and then to UK’s Lancaster University (postgraduate) for her studies and looking to start her own business in the UK.

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“There are actually a lot of options to pursue and no one scheme fits all”

Duru completed her IB Diploma at TED Ankara College Private High School in Ankara, Turkey (2014). She continued her studies with a degree of BSc in Industrial Engineering at Bilkent University, Ankara (2018).

To hear more from Diploma Programme (DP) graduates check out these IB programme stories. If you are an IB grad and want to share your story, write to us at alumni.relations@ibo.org. We appreciate your support in sharing IB stories and invite you to connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and now Instagram!

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