Wonderful to connect with Michelle Brenner from the Class of 2020, who is currently in her first year of medicine at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). Michelle attended ASB for ten years, together with her brothers, Rony '11 and Eithan '13. Her family has witnessed quite some history in ASB's halls, with fellow cousins, Noa, Gal, Maaian, and Jonathan Zelman, also having graduated from the school. "We have definitely seen the school change tremendously," she shared. Let's hear more from Michelle as she reflects on last year and life since ASB.

How prepared were you after completing the IBDP for life at university?

“I think the IBDP prepared me to work independently and persevere as an expert in each of my subjects. The lab work and data analysis that I worked on in science and as part of my Internal Assessments have proved so useful today. Also, the constant workload in the IB prepared me to keep up with my studies at university. The rigorous curriculum at ASB definitely gave me an advantage when starting university, especially transitioning to a new life in a new city and adapting to all my classes in Spanish.”

What experiences from ASB influenced your life/choices today?

"There are countless teachers that influenced me over the years. The first one I should probably mention is Ms.Tanya. She was my first teacher at ASB and made my transition into learning in English very smooth. I remember her very fondly and hold a lot of appreciation for her. In my more recent years at ASB, Ms.Carter, although no longer teaching at ASB, heavily influenced my choices. My class was the first to carry out the "Sustainable Development Goals" project, and I decided to focus on SDG 3, "Good Health and Wellbeing." This project and Ms.Carter's help and teaching made me realize my passion for medicine. In the IB, all my teachers influenced me in one way or another, but I want to highlight Ms. Monds, Mr. Whitehair, and Ms. Magda. These three teachers cared for me deeply during the IB and were by my side, helping me every step of the way. I'm beyond grateful for their teaching and their dedication to their students, and for never letting me give up on my dreams."

How has the Covid pandemic affected your current studies? Reflecting on the last school year, what were some of the challenges you faced?

"Last year, my biggest challenge was the university application process. Amid the Covid pandemic, I found out I had been accepted into two medical schools in different locations, while at the same time considering where in Spain I wanted to apply (the public university process is handled later around June). It was hard to figure out what the best fit for me was while I was stressing about the IB results, which I had no control over. I received a lot of support from my guidance counselors at school, Ms. Huner and Ms. Magda, and my friends and family. After a lot of self-reflection and an emotional journey with the IB grades and increased entrance grades for UAM, I met the requirements to enter my dream university and now couldn't be happier!"

What are your favorite memories from ASB?

"There are so many! If I had to mention a few, probably our 12th grade Halloween performance, MUN trips such as going to New York or Beijing, or being part of BCNMUN throughout highschool, the volleyball trips and practices. Also, sprinting through campus to get a food truck cookie between classes or in breaks, the endless laughs at lunch sitting with my friends all together, and even just everyday classes - there's not one dull day at ASB. I'll always remember our graduation fondly. Reuniting with my whole class and celebrating our graduation was amazing and unexpected, and something I think our whole class was very thankful for."

What are you thinking to do upon graduation?

"Well, I still have another five and a half years before graduation, so I'm not too worried about it yet, but I'll probably study for the MIR exam to be able to become a specialist in medicine, but no idea what area of medicine I'm interested the most in yet, I have a long way to go!"

If you could describe ASB in one word, what would it be?

"Community."

Thank you so much for taking the time to reconnect with us, Michelle! We wish you all the very best for your future endeavors.

Once a Lynx, Always a Lynx!
#ASBtogether #Lynx4Life

Contributed: November 2020