Helena's Story

BISS Puxi reached out to some of our class of 2022 network around the world and asked 3 questions about their future and their time at BISS Puxi. Helena will study advertising at Boston University in the USA and shared some of her experiences.

What subject did you choose and why?

For university I decided to major in Advertising and minor in Cinema and Media Studies. Throughout the last two years of doing IB, I realized I had a passion towards more writing-intensive and creative subjects and thought that Advertising and Cinema Studies would be a good mix of both. Film also remained one of my favorite subjects throughout the years, and I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge of film/cinema history throughout university with help from my minor.

What is your fondest memory of BISS Puxi?

I think I speak for most people when I say that sporting matches and tournaments were always full of spirit and sportsmanship, with the wide range of sports that BISS holds making them hugely enjoyable and appealing to everyone. While waking up at 6am on a Saturday morning doesn’t sound the most alluring, playing matches with my friends and team undoubtedly promoted this sense of community and belonging. On a smaller scale, another fond memory of mine was rainforest day in Year 2, a day where I was allowed to bring a giant stuffed monkey to school. I don’t remember much from that day, but I felt really cool.

How did BISS Puxi help you create your future?

Learning and developing my academic career at BISS really helped foster my desire to continue improving my writing and creative skills. I think the freedom students have to choose from a variety of subjects and therefore how they want to proceed with their learning was one of the first opportunities I was given towards creating my future. The decision I made to focus and strengthen my abilities in analytical subjects like English and Film is what brings me to where I am today.

I’d like to also express my gratitude to my former English teacher Mr Thompson, as well as Film teacher Mr Ekkel, who never stopped giving me their full support guiding me through my IGCSE’s and IB diploma, and took care in making sure their students were always putting out their best work. School sport was also a big part of my life, more specifically netball and basketball. I even found myself making friends through these sporting teams and further building that communal environment found at BISS, as well as advancing my leadership and communication skills.