We were delighted to welcome back one of our alumni, Giulio, during his recent visit to Léman. Giulio, who attended Léman from 2015 to 2020, has been on an impressive academic and professional journey since his graduation, and his return to our campus was a heartwarming moment for all of us. During his visit, we had the opportunity to celebrate his achievements, reminisce about his time at Léman, and present him with his long-awaited graduation ceremony experience.
After graduating from Léman in 2020 with an outstanding IBDP score of 40, Giulio went on to study General Engineering at King’s College London. His academic prowess shone brightly as he not only graduated with first-class honors but also received the prestigious Jelf Medal, the college's highest accolade. The Jelf Medal recognizes students not only for their academic excellence but also for their outstanding contribution to the social and athletic life of the college. Giulio’s well-rounded achievements during his undergraduate years made him a standout student.
Giulio’s academic journey is far from over. This October, he will begin a Master’s degree at Imperial College London, furthering his studies in engineering. What makes Giulio’s story even more inspiring is his professional success. He completed a highly sought-after internship at Mercedes AMG and has already secured a job offer with the prestigious company once he completes his studies.
During his visit to LIS, Giulio shared his university and internship experiences with our Year 11-13 students. His insights into university life, choosing a major, and the transition from school to university were invaluable for our students, many of whom are beginning to make decisions about their future academic paths. Giulio’s journey gave them a real-life perspective on how to navigate these choices and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Reflecting on his time at Léman, Giulio spoke fondly of the friendships he built with peers and teachers. He also reminisced about the excitement of competing in CISA and ACAMIS tournaments, memories that remain vivid to this day. His mother, Lucia, added, “Giulio received a really good background from Léman,” highlighting the strong foundation our school provided for his success.
One of the most touching moments of Giulio’s visit was when he received a copy of his high school diploma from the Head of Secondary, Mr. Highdale. Due to the pandemic, Giulio had been unable to attend the graduation ceremony in 2020, but during this visit, he proudly donned his graduation gown and cap, complete with the 2020 tassel. Walking around the campus, Giulio was amazed by the many changes that have taken place since his time here and was deeply moved by the warmth of the Léman community.
We are incredibly proud of Giulio’s achievements and the bright future ahead of him. His journey serves as an inspiration to our current students, showing them that hard work, determination, and the strong foundation provided at Léman can lead to extraordinary success.
We look forward to welcoming Giulio back again in the future, and we extend an open invitation to all of our alumni to visit us whenever they can. At Léman, we are a community that stays connected, and as always, WELOVELEMAN!
Here are some of the students' reflections on Giulio's sharing.
Olivia W., Year 12
Giulio's talk during his visit was very eye-opening to me. Given that he was here at Leman Léman for 5 years, and that he came back after completing his bachelor's at KCL, it was nice to have a more mature, experienced voice to give us advice. I learned that it's good to have a general interest and passion in the field you want to get into, but university still gives you grace when it comes to figuring out exactly what it is you want to pursue. It was kind of comforting to know that.
James S., Year 12
From Giulio's presentation, I learnt many new things about university life and what universities expect from our work, passion and attitude towards the subject we wish to study, really learning that universities put emphasis on hard work, dedication and passion. Seeing an older, more mature fellow student really inspired me and other classmates of mine as seeing him as a role model to look up to with his hard working ethic, stoicism and life lessons. I greatly appreciate the time and effort he put into meeting and guiding younger students like us, just so that we can be more prepared to brace the hardships of life.
Simon J., Year 13
I got inspired by Giulio saying don't forget why you are doing this (the IB). I got so much impressed by that saying, and I am going to remind myself everyday to not forget what I'm doing this for.
First year design project presentation. One of the guests was Sir John Major, which used to be UK's prime minister. Giulio had the pleasure of describing to him their 'rover'.
The Assistant Principal handing over the letter containing the Siemens Prize at the end of his Bachelor’s degree.
Graduation ceremony at KCL
Giulio at the Alpine Formula One team headquarters in Enstone, Oxfordshire. He had the opportunity to go there with his KURF supervisor to discuss some of the research they had been doing.
