What was AAS like back when you were a student here?

I joined the school back in 2005 when I was 5 years old for grade 1-2. AAS was very different from what we see now, or even what it was like when I left in 2009. This was before the current campus had finished construction, and we were still in the rented buildings in ‘Mladost’; a lot less modern or purpose-built, but always filled with laughter and a strong sense of community. Parents and teachers were always hard at work together to create the next event, field trip, experience, or show for the kids to engage with, and that the school truly felt like a home away from home.

What is your favorite memory from your time at AAS?

The book fairs! I remember sunlight streaming through the main entrance windows as we (a herd of rumbunctious 8-year-olds) pored excitedly over the few book stands; Enthralled by the mystery of the fresh pages, nervous some other kid would have grabbed a book we had our eye on, and hopeful our parents wouldn’t notice an extra copy in the “to buy” pile.

How well did  AAS prepare you for your university studies and life after graduation?

 Even at such a young age, AAS provided me with tools I need to this day. The international-mindedness, understanding, and non-discrimination which was so innate to the school helped me form a worldview wherein every group and individual is appraised solely by the quality of their actions and intentions - and not by preconceived bias or outward appearance. It is only once I left AAS that I saw that this was not how everyone treated each other. This outlook has allowed me to flourish in international communities, universities, and at my current workplace.

As well, being neurodivergent meant that I had (and always will) have difficulties with linear information, particularly in a written or mathematical context. In my final year at AAS, I was offered special needs classes and an adapted curriculum wherein I was taught how to play to my strengths - visualizing linear mathematics into geometry I could mentally manipulate, or picturing a movie scene in action when reading a book. After some rocky, consequent years in Swiss public schools,  I tapped back into this skillset from AAS, and was able to transform my weakest classes into my strongest; physics, English literature, chemistry - ultimately finishing IB DP with these as my higher-level subjects. I now have an honors MSc in Biotechnology and Business Management.

What's one skill or piece of knowledge you gained at AAS that you've used recently in your adult life?

Definitely the skill of taking initiative in a social context, and to be able to engage in constructive debate! At AAS, we were encouraged to talk with our teachers, ask questions, explore our ideas, and engage in class-wide debate. For a child to be taught at such a young age that their voice matters, that they can question what they are taught, and that they can express their curiosity and ideas not through argument but through constructive discussion, is a monumental thing. Today, this skillset allows me to challenge business as usual practices in companies and as such improve their operation through my consulting. It allows me to speak at conferences with confidence, and to engage and negotiate with stakeholders.

Could you describe your field of work? Was this a direction you ever thought you'd take back when you were a student?

I am a business developer for biotechnology, sustainability, and innovation-based startups. In essence, I work with companies which can make a positive impact to the world by identifying their goals, charting the strategy required to get to them, and helping to execute it.
Was this a direction I thought I’d take back when I was a student? No and yes.

No - I don’t think this title would be the direction 6-year-old me would have picked for her current career: She wanted to be Steve Irwin and an Astronaut.

Yes - because I am a certified scientist. I have done work with animals and in the wild. And I do get to work on exciting, innovative, and impactful ideas. As for the astronaut thing; there is still time.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Listen. Be curious and deeply listen.

Considering how much time has passed, what did you think was the most surprising when you visited the campus?

Just how much and how little it has changed. It has expanded and grown, improved and reorganized itself immensely - and yet it felt exactly the same as I left it. Oftentimes, nostalgia places rose-tinted glasses over your eyes, warping memories into idyllic scenes of warmth and joy. Coming back to the school was a surreal experience… nostalgia had not exaggerated it one bit. It was like stepping through time.

Where do you hope to be (geographically or professionally) in the next 5 to 10 years?

Where? The World. Professionally? Creating and realizing work with impact which I am proud of. The ambiguity of these answers is quite on purpose.