Meet Olympe Bourgeois, Class of 2022 IB Diploma Graduate

Meet Olympe Bourgeois, Class of 2022 IB Diploma Graduate Olympe joined the BIS Abu Dhabi family in Year 9 and after 5 fabulous years, she has graduated and heads off to The London School of Economics (LSE) to study Management. Olympe leaves BIS Abu Dhabi proudly with a score of 41 points in the IB Diploma Programme, placing her in the top 10% of IB Diploma candidates worldwide. Olympe joined the BIS Abu Dhabi family in Year 9 and after 5 fabulous years, she has graduated and heads off to The London School of Economics (LSE) to study Management. Olympe leaves BIS Abu Dhabi proudly with a score of 41 points in the IB Diploma Programme, placing her in the top 10% of IB Diploma candidates worldwide.

When asked how she felt when she received the results, Olympe said: “Getting the results felt like a relief, especially because this overall score and my individual Higher-Level results meant that I met the conditions of my offer to study at LSE. It was stressful at first as I knew my grades would define a big part of my future, but I am glad they ended up reflecting how hard I had worked throughout the last two years.” 

A requirement of the IB Diploma Programme is to complete an Extended Essay. This is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper. Olympe scored full marks for her essay titled, ‘To what extent is Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification through cultural tourism an efficient policy in reducing Oil dependency from 2016 to 2021?’ Olympe commented: “I demonstrated that economic diversification is fully justified and already giving strong results. However, Tourism is not a sector that can counterweight economic cycles and Total Factor Production productivity is still lagging.” 

How did the IB Diploma Programme help Olympe get into one of the top universities in the UK? “Studying the IB Diploma has helped me develop strong research, communication and essay writing skills that were helpful in completing everything I needed to attain my place at university.” Said Olympe. 

Why LSE? “It is a top international school in the social sciences (ranked 3rd in the world). I am convinced that the education I will receive there will enable me to become an effective manager and enter a competitive Master's programme once I have completed my Bachelor’s. The university is renowned for its students receiving many internships throughout their studies as LSE students are highly sought after by companies.” Said Olympe. 

During her time at BIS Abu Dhabi Olympe made a significant impact. She was part of the school Debate team, and she created ’The Economics Talks’ conferences where she invited speakers to share how they apply their economic knowledge in the real world. She also started a Ramadan pack initiative for the school auxiliary staff through a fundraiser which involved the whole school that has now become an annual event.  

When asked to share a fond memory from her time at BIS Abu Dhabi, Olympe said: “A fond memory of my time at BIS Abu Dhabi would be the Tanzania trip I went on in Year 10. I had the opportunity to help build houses and solar powered systems for the local families. It was an unforgettable experience.” 

Olympe is particularly interested in joining either the finance or hospitality sector after her time at LSE. One thing is for sure, Olympe will make an impact wherever she ends up. Congratulations, Olympe!