WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

What’s your name?
Tosari Udayana

How many years did you attend ISHR?
15 years (Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 12)

What year did you graduate?
2019

What are you up to now?

I am currently in my 5th semester studying Medicine in Ulm. I started studying in Poland and am now lucky to have switched to Germany and finish my studies here. Although it takes ages before I can start working as a doctor, I’m sure it’ll be worth it once I’m done.

What was your favorite subject at ISHR?

I’m not sure because it changed quite a bit depending on the teachers, topics and obviously my age too.

PE and music were always fun no matter what grade I was in, but later I also really enjoyed Physics.

In what ways do you feel ISHR prepared you for what came next?

Well, the obvious one is that getting used to interacting with a ton of different groups of people from different cultures is a huge advantage in any future career, but especially ones like Medicine. Additionally, the way that ISHR’s curriculum, especially the MYP, forces students to take a variety of artistic and scientific subjects just gives many of them the ability to try out things they would’ve otherwise never thought of enjoying and has made me find quite a few interests and talents that I still enjoy today. I’m the first to admit, that I was quite reluctant to try new things and add even two minutes of unnecessary work to my time at ISHR. But in the end, it’s hard not to recognize the benefit.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in adapting to life after ISHR?

Although I feel super lucky to have a friend group from ISHR that I have mostly known for close to two decades, it’s probably the reason I’ve never found it easy to connect to new people. I always find myself comparing everyone to my ISHR friends and feeling as though they’re the only ones I really want to spend time with. Getting used to having such close and old friends is just not great for feeling comfortable with newer acquaintances. However, I know the feeling isn’t unique to me and it’ll get better with time.

What advice would you give to current students or your former self?

I would just tell the younger Tosi to stay a little more focused, even if there’s no end goal in sight yet. I remember not knowing what I wanted to do or study after graduating, which is why I was struggling to motivate myself to take studying for my ISHR courses seriously. There’s probably quite a few students who can identify with the feeling, so I hope it’s a little motivator to know that it’s normal.

What’s your favorite memory from your time at ISHR?

I have absolutely no idea how to answer this because of how long I was at ISHR. But there’s one thing that comes to mind… I remember the feeling of being greeted by Mr. Pearson when walking through the ISHR gate in the morning. As a young boy, I always had a football at my feet, just waiting for lunch break to play with my friends. A few years later I was a lot less motivated and much more tired every morning, but I never took Mr. Pearson’s presence for granted, and I know my parents and friends didn’t either. That was super special, and I’m sure I’m not the only one missing it.