When asked about the top skills he developed at SCIS, Namkung lists independence, seeking support, and building friendships regardless of background. “Universities offer minimal guidelines, necessitating independent learning, yet seeking help when needed is equally crucial, emphasising the importance of building relationships with others,” he says. “These skills will benefit me not only in college but also in life and I'm grateful to SCIS for imparting them.”

While Namkung has been accepted to the National University of Singapore, Asia’s #1 university, he still has many options open to him. “I'm still exploring various fields like cyber security, artificial intelligence, robotics, and nanotechnology,” he says.

Jaeha Namkung went from being a non-native English speaker to a top performer at SCIS, earning himself a near-perfect score (44/45) in the IB DP. “I came to SCIS from South Korea with limited English skills, and their supportive ESL programme was instrumental in helping me improve my English, for which I am grateful,” he says.

His success hinged on his teachers helping him create a positive mindset around studying. By linking studying to his hobbies like writing poems and lyrics in English, he improved his English language skills. This, in turn, made learning new concepts faster and more enjoyable.

Mr. Staples played a key role in this transformation. He provided one-on-one support, resources for reading and writing practice, and assistance with the Extended Essay. “In a school as diverse as SCIS, I use a large variety of ways to motivate students, but one theme is getting students to understand that I care about them as individuals, and another is encouraging students to trust themselves to tell me what help they need from me,” says Staples, who is an EAL and English B Teacher. “With a highly motivated student like Jaeha, we spent lots of time getting him to analyse his strengths and weaknesses, so we knew what to work on.”