Attending Hills from 2011 to 2012, Malaysian Celeste Lo discovered that the support and warmth she received were next to none. “My first week at Hills was amazing,” she says. “Everyone was extremely welcoming, and the community was so diverse that I honestly felt very accepted and immediately fit in. The main challenge was starting to focus on academics … But in the first week at Hills, I felt the teachers understood me, and they taught me a new way of learning that worked for me.”

Lo notes that her time at this school helped mature her values and develop her independence and relationships. With the guidance of the College counsellor, she ended up at Sam Houston State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies as an NCAA Div1 student-athlete. “For the corporate world, one of the biggest things is having the skill of being in a diverse community and understanding cross-cultural communication and relationships,” she explains. “I work in an international company, and the awareness of cultural nuances is a very valuable asset that I have. As an entrepreneur, learning the importance of study and research was something I learned and being an entrepreneur now, it is very relevant and significant.”

When asked what advice she would give future and current students, she emphasises that you would be in a safe space to learn and make mistakes, adding that building strong relationships and a solid network is crucial. “Don’t take for granted where you are now,” she says. “The things you are doing and learning, whether it’s the different subjects or leadership roles, whether you like them or not, immerse yourself in them.”