“I would definitely recommend Sekolah Ciputra to other people; great education curriculum being incorporated into learnings, also a great community.”
GIANNI BRIGITTA LAURENT
GRADUATED: 2020
1. After graduating from Sekolah Ciputra, where do you study? What is your major?
Emerson College, Boston, USA majoring in Creative Writing.
2. Can you please share your experience applying to university?
As someone who wants to work in the film industry as a career path, I applied to many film schools throughout the United States. I focused on institutions that provide excellent film or writing related majors; that would help me network with and learn from people who have first-hand experiences working in the industry. I remember that my application process was quite complicated, as I needed to provide not only school transcripts, but also personal essays, letters of recommendations from school representatives, and a creative portfolio. It was a challenge, but one that is surely memorable.
3. What is your current activity? Please share an overview
I’m still pursuing my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and currently I’m starting my collaboration with Tymmy from Grade 11 for Sekolah Ciputra’s upcoming school production.
4. What was the biggest challenge of moving to a new country? How do you overcome it?
Moving all the way across the globe is actually way harder than it looks. There’re concerns such as culture shock, adapting to a new environment, et cetera. But the ones that are often being overlooked are things like financial management, lifestyle differences, and even language barriers. Socializing is one of the most important aspects of studying abroad, and being an international student greatly affects our ways of socializing. We need to constantly speak in a language that is not our mother tongue, we need to consider how to break down our spending in a currency that is not our own, and we need to keep in mind that not everyone grew up in the same culture as we do and hence will have different preferences in how to spend time hanging out with each other. However, I think these concerns will get more and more manageable as time passes. I think the more we adapt to our new environment, the more we get to expand our worldview, which will eventually grow on us naturally.
5. What do you enjoy most about your new environment?
How challenging it is, in a good way. Being there definitely means being outside of my comfort zone, as I am living far away from my friends and family who I’ve spent more than half of my life with. But this really pushed me to maximize my ability in living independently, being responsible for myself, and managing my life in my own way. In a span of a couple years, I feel like I’ve learned a lot more about what life is really like.
6. In what way did Sekolah Ciputra contribute to who you are right now?
I have been in Sekolah Ciputra for 5 years, from Grade 8 up until I graduated in 2020. I can say this is where I spent my most important school years, where I made the most remarkable memories. During my time at Sekolah Ciputra, I have been receiving so much support from my teachers, principals, and of course my friends and classmates. This school has been one of my biggest support systems that helped me believe in myself and to take the steps I need to be closer to my dream. I can say that one of the reasons I’m still pursuing my dream is because I know that my school always supports me, no matter how far or how long ago since I’ve graduated.
7. What was the best thing about Sekolah Ciputra? Tell us something memorable from your time at Sekolah Ciputra.
The best thing about Sekolah Ciputra is the sense of belonging I get whenever I come to visit, meet up with teachers and friends, or even simply when I’m keeping myself updated with what’s currently happening in the school. My favorite memories are how much we all used to struggle with finishing our diploma, all the hard times we shared together, but at the same time, how much we supported each other. I feel happy to be a part of such a meaningful and important community that I know I will stay in touch with forever.
8. What advice would you give to a graduating student?
Take advantage of the great community and resources that we have! Being in the final year of high school is a big challenge itself, but everything will be much more manageable if you have a great support system. We have a lot of staff and faculty members of Sekolah Ciputra who are knowledgeable and are happy to help you out anytime – if you reach out to them, you will get to learn directly from people who can help mentor you to improve!
9. Would you recommend Sekolah Ciputra to others? If yes, what would you say about it?
I would definitely recommend Sekolah Ciputra to other people. I think not only that we do have a great education curriculum being incorporated into our learnings, but also like mentioned before, we have a great community. Being surrounded by people who will celebrate your milestones with you is a great thing to have as you continue working towards your goal.
10. Anything else you would like to share?
August 2nd, 2023, I got the opportunity to visit our school, Sekolah Ciputra, once again. I was invited to attend some Grade 12 English Language Literature classes as a guest alumni speaker. I get to share a little bit about my personal experiences studying abroad, completing the IBDP in high school, and also talk about my major in Creative Writing. It’s an amazing, nostalgic feeling being back at Sekolah Ciputra, meeting up with the teachers I learned from, seeing my old classrooms, and overall watching our school’s continuous development into being a better learning environment for the students.
