Claire tai

Claire Tai may have been born in Hong Kong, but she basically grew up at SCIS (she started in Kindergarten!). While her first memories are understandably hazy, it’s not hard for her to summarise her overall experience in just one word: supportive.

“My teachers, classmates and other faculty members helped me by just being there,” she says. “Their recognition of my effort and continued encouragement toward new opportunities helped me develop a sense of self-assurance in my skills and potential.”

Tai is proud to have crafted her curriculum to match her interests. In grade 4, she discovered her passion for theatre by landing a primary role in “Weslandia.” While wearing many hats could be overwhelming at times, Tai learned early on that organising her schedule effectively is fundamental to success.

With a student planner and many post-its at her disposal, she continued exploring and tweaking her extracurriculars to find her best fit. In the process, she found many. Apart from theatre productions, she participates in the Global Issues Network (GIN) and Model United Nations (MUN). Through GIN, she was able to partake in workshops, rub shoulders with renowned guest speakers and even travel to Thailand to learn more about sustainable practices while exchanging cultural perspectives with locals.

By grade 9, Tai was co-captain of MUN, responsible for educating upperclassmen on diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. In grade 11, she became an Interact leader. “When I first joined, we raised money for Heart to Heart (H2H), a charity that sponsors heart surgery for children in need,” she says.

She hopes to continue sparking positive change to the best of her ability at King’s College London, where she will be heading next to pursue a BA in Politics.

"With the ongoing pandemic and recent changes in global leadership and governance, there is much in politics I wish to understand,” she says. "Growing up in an international community has made the idea of cultural borders foreign to me.”

Claire Tai may have been born in Hong Kong, but she basically grew up at SCIS (she’s been here since kindergarten!). While her first memories are understandably hazy, it’s not hard for her to summarise her overall experience in just one word: supportive.

“My teachers, classmates and other faculty members helped me by just being there,” she says. “Their recognition of my effort and continued encouragement toward new opportunities helped me develop a sense of self-assurance in my skills and potential.”

Tai is proud to have crafted her curriculum to match her interests. In grade 4, she discovered her passion for theatre by landing a primary role in “Weslandia.” While wearing many hats could be overwhelming at times, Tai learned early on that organising her schedule effectively is fundamental to success.

With a student planner and many post-its at her disposal, she continued exploring and tweaking her extracurriculars to find her best fit. In the process, she found many. Apart from theatre productions, she participates in the Global Issues Network (GIN) and Model United Nations (MUN). Through GIN, she was able to partake in workshops, rub shoulders with renowned guest speakers and even travel to Thailand to learn more about sustainable practices while exchanging cultural perspectives with locals.

By grade 9, Tai was co-captain of MUN, responsible for educating upperclassmen on diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. In grade 11, she became an Interact leader. “When I first joined, we raised money for Heart to Heart (H2H), a charity that sponsors heart surgery for children in need,” she says.

She hopes to continue sparking positive change to the best of her ability at King’s College London, where she will be heading next to pursue a BA in Politics.

"With the ongoing pandemic and recent changes in global leadership and governance, there is much in politics I wish to understand,” she says. "Growing up in an international community has made the idea of cultural borders foreign to me.”