Meet Bart Van Geet, Class of 2022 IB Diploma Graduate

Meet Bart Van Geet, Class of 2022 IB Diploma Graduate Bart joined the BIS Abu Dhabi family in Year 12 and even though he only started learning English when he joined BIS Abu Dhabi in August 2020, during the pandemic and online learning, he now proudly leaves the school with a Bilingual Diploma in English and Dutch, a truly outstanding achievement. Bart joined the BIS Abu Dhabi family in Year 12 and even though he only started learning English when he joined BIS Abu Dhabi in August 2020, during the pandemic and online learning, he now proudly leaves the school with a Bilingual Diploma in English and Dutch, a truly outstanding achievement.

Bart commented: “When I received my results, I was a bit stressed because I had the feeling that I was not going to pass, but once I saw my results, I was incredibly relieved and very happy. I basically started learning English at the age of 16 when I moved to the UAE and joined BIS Abu Dhabi. Sure, I could order a drink or introduce myself in English, but not much more than that. So, when the first few weeks at BIS Abu Dhabi started, I had a lot of trouble following the lessons, not only because they were online, but also because my English was not sufficient, and I was scared that I would not be able to complete the IB Diploma Programme. My teachers were amazing, I got a lot of support from them, and they were always willing to go through my work to help me. Another thing that was really helpful, was simply talking in English to my fellow classmates, I quickly picked up the language which was incredibly helpful!" 

When asked why he made the decision to complete a Bilingual Diploma, Bart said: “The reason I took a Bilingual Diploma, is because I had to learn English to pass, but I also really wanted to learn the language as I wanted to take a course in English at university. I also wanted to keep on track with my home language Dutch, as my mother tongue is important to me too.“ 

Now that his studies at BIS Abu Dhabi are complete, Bart is heading back to his home country and to The University of Amsterdam to study Economics and Business Economics. Bart commented “Amsterdam is an amazing place to live, and The University of Amsterdam is ranked among the world’s best universities. Moving to Amsterdam by myself seems like a dream come true to me.“ 

How did the IB Diploma Programme support Bart in getting a place at his university of choice? Bart replied: “The IB Diploma was extremely helpful for me to attain my place at The University of Amsterdam, especially because I got a Bilingual Diploma, which demonstrates that I am now fluent in two languages. I also took Business and Management as a subject during the IB Diploma Programme, which gave me an extra advantage of the knowledge of the course that I will be taking.”  

When ask what his fondest memory of BIS Abu Dhabi would be, Bart replied: “I think that my fondest memory and something that I will miss a lot, is that I got to know so many people from all over the world. BIS Abu Dhabi is truly an international school with students from more than 90 countries and because of my experience at the school, I have decided after attaining my Bachelor’s degree, I plan to go overseas again and explore the world a bit more! I really did love my two years at BIS Abu Dhabi, it is a great school and I have met so many amazing people there.“ 

Bart is planning to take a Masters in either Finance or Business Economics after completing his Bachelor’s degree. He is a determined, outstanding young man who showed everyone that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. Congratulations, Bart.