“It was great to see the return of Camp Week, which even for our exam students who remain in school, offers a very different experience to the normal school week. With the theme of ‘The Past, Present and Future’, we were treated to a keynote presentation each morning. Amazing talks were delivered by some incredible alumni on resilience, falling forward, gratitude and the ABCs of Attitude, Behaviour and Communication skills to be ready for the future! There was a wide range of workshops from sound baths, tai-chi and self-defence, to understanding our identity, finding our why and critical thinking. Students were able to choose a path that suited them as their journey of self-awareness continued through the week.
The programme was carefully designed to target critical elements of student life in a bespoke manner depending on the year group. As our year 11s engaged in A Level tasters, our year 12s began curating their online profile and the year 13s worked on their public speaking skills, CVs and engaged in university preparation and transitions. It was an exciting week that had something for everyone; with a balance of wellbeing activities, sports and future focused careers preparation, none of it would have been possible without our incredible teachers and alums providing opportunities few students anywhere else in the world could wish to be exposed to.”
Mark Solomons
Assistant Headteacher (KS4) / Economics Teacher
“The students had an open mind when listening to the stories and the experiences that I was sharing with them. This definitely shows the good work the teachers and the school has done to maintain a high level of quality of education at the school. They were also eager to participate in the activities and games that I had prepared. I am confident that these future leaders of the world will turn out to be wonderful members of society. I was glad to be given the opportunity to share my life lessons with them. I hope this will help them to progress even better than they already are.”
Chia Jee Chew (JC), Class of ‘99
Engineering (University of Melbourne) • Certified NLP Practitioner (Nick Le Force) • HRDC
Certified Trainer (PSMB) • Certified Motivation Factor Practitioner (Denmark) • FLMI (LOMA) •
BAMC Certified Trainer (MII) • RFP Certified Trainer (MFPC) • MFA (LIMRA)
“After 20 years of graduating from GIS, I never thought I would be back here, but on the other side of the classroom giving back to the current secondary students of GIS. Not only was it nostalgic to walk the familiar halls of school and see some of my teachers during my time again, but it was an honour to be invited back to pay it forward to the students.”
Malisse Tan, Class of ‘05
Founder & CEO – BOBBLE
Conscious Entrepreneur | Empowering Women & Youth | Social Impact | Corporate Innovation
BA, Double Major: International Business & E-Business – Auckland University of Technology
“I had the amazing honour to deliver an inspirational talk about living in the present moment and the beauty of practising daily gratification as part of GIS camp week 2022. This was a new topic to me, given that in research and education, we often focus on long- term goals, but it was incredibly valuable. My experience inadvertently provided a sense of self gratification, as I was able to share my story and wisdom with the next generation. Moreover, all the teachers were so welcoming even during the brainstorming sessions pre-event and it was also a nice surprise to see my Maths teacher Mrs Lim from the 90s! Evidently, the group of students were a blessing to nurture as they were all engaging and such a jolly group of young adults to be with. I had so much fun and it was an exciting day for me, as highlighted by my friend later that day: “You sound extra happy today Gowri; makes me happy too”. So, the chain reaction of passing forward happy times continues…”
Dr Retnagowri Rajandram, Class of ‘99
Associate Professor with Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Malaya (UM)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – The University of Queensland
“Coming back to GIS as an alumni speaker is truly a bittersweet and nostalgic experience. Having the opportunity to stand in the teacher’s position and speak with GIS students who are sitting on the seats I once sat over a decade ago, goes to show the incredible legacy our institution stands for. Striving for the best in one’s ambition, and never forgetting one’s roots and the importance of empowering the next generation. The opportunity for me to share about my journey into big tech and promoting the importance of diversity and inclusion to my GIS juniors is something I will continue to do, as this whole experience taught me how important it is to reflect on the blessings we have as GIS students, but more importantly, to reflect on the contributions we can give in order to sustain this incredible educational ecosystem.”
Chen Jun Luo (CJ), Class of ‘06
Partner Protection Specialist at Meta | Ex-Amazonian
MBA, Economy and Society of Contemporary China – The University of Nottingham Ningbo China
A huge ‘Thank You’ to these inspiring Alumni who met, mentored and coached our students during the Camp Week event in GIS, despite their busy daily schedules. If you are interested in sharing your journey post GIS, and offering pearls of wisdom to our current students at future Careers events, then please get in touch with us at alumni@gardenschool.edu.my.
We are always updating our page with news from the Alumni community across the continents, and would love to hear from you and share your stories. Please get in touch via Facebook, LinkedIn or simply send an email to alumni@gardenschool.edu.my. We can’t wait to hear from you!