Sam graduated from the IB Diploma Programme at Dover Court last year, she is now studying at Edinburgh University.
Welcome back to Dover Court Sam! What have you been up to since we last saw you?
Thanks! It is lovely to come back. Since I graduated last year, I have started my degree at Edinburgh University, this year I have been studying remotely due to the current situation but for my second year I will be in Scotland. As well as studying I have also been working as an intern at a Marketing & Consulting firm. I have really enjoyed this work and it has influenced my career plans.
How do you think that the IB prepared you for your University course?
The IB Diploma Programme helped me in two fundamental ways. Firstly, it has really helped me to write academically, for example, I already knew how to reference and how to critically analyse text and data before I started my course. Secondly, and this is more philosophical, I already knew how to approach questions from different perspectives and take a multi-dimensional view.
Have you stayed in touch with your friends from DCIS?
The Cohort was very close, we really supported each other and felt as though “we were all in it together”. I am still good friends with many of them, even though we are now studying in different countries across the world! As well as students who moved through from Year 11 we had new students joining the school into Year 12 which was also great, it broadened my spectrum of friendships and brought fresh perspectives and opinions to our classes and discussions.
What did you love most about being a student at DCIS?
I loved how seriously I was taken, I really felt that I had a valid opinion and that my thoughts and ideas were not dismissed. We were not treated like children, we were given responsibility, a sense of importance and we had to live up to that. We were trusted, respected and valued.
What personal achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the Social Enterprise I am co-founder of called The Period Society, which is “a youth founded initiative which strives to promote menstrual equity “ (see https://www.theperiodsociety.org/), while I was at Dover Court we won the Harvard MUN Act2Impact Award as well as a grant from the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Institute.
Thank you for coming to see us Sam, stay in touch and Good Luck with your move to Edinburgh!
