Nos anciens témoignent

What I liked was the "family" aspect of the "inter" community. Everyone knew each other and we had each other's backs. What I benefitted most from was the help in applying for universities from the SIS advising team. My participation in the SIS Harvard Model Congress delegation was great to have on my CV, which opened many doors for me and it also taught me many skills in diplomacy, cooperation, leadership and public speaking.

I came to the SIS in Première and Terminale, two years which I really enjoyed! I most benefitted from being encouraged to engage with materials more critically and to study a range of modern texts in English Literature. I then moved on to study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Oxford, and am now studying for a PhD in Immunology at University College London (UCL). Even as a STEM student, writing is a surprisingly crucial skill, as your main output is often papers, reviews or written reports. Having learnt how to structure an essay and to justify arguments turned out to be very helpful well beyond SIS classes… Like many, I will probably most remember the extracurriculars offered by the SIS, of which the trip to Hyderabad, India was clearly the highlight!

A bilingual education has proven to be tremendously valuable professionally and also deeply impactful on a personal level. What I am perhaps most grateful for is the SIS's commitment in offering a stellar education within a public school environment. This brought us in contact with students from all walks of life and taught us what it means to be mindful, respectful and inclusive of social diversity. Much of who I am, and what I stand for, stems from this incredible lifelong experience.

The international section was an key eye-opening experience for me and triggered a deep desire to learn, become aware and stay curious.

 

The literature I studied during my time at the SIS has nurtured my imagination and artistic research to this day. I still remember The Waste Land by TS Eliot, Middlesex by J. Eugenides and Virginia Woolf’s stream of consciousness, which were all mind-blowing discoveries.

Isabella Hin is a visual artist, specialised in photography, video-making and installations. Her work explores the elusive and enigmatic qualities of water, especially dark water and how they link to the complexities of the unconscious.