Growing up internationally following her mother’s career with the World Bank, Catalina gained from the rich experiences of living overseas from a young age. After seven years in the Philippines and Indonesia, Barcelona-born Catalina returned to Spain with her family and joined the ASB community in Grade 8.

“I always felt quite isolated from my extended family while I was in Asia. It was wonderful to finally attend a school where I could greet my family in the corridors.”

This year Catalina is pursuing a Physics degree from The University of Chicago. “My father also graduated from this university, and he always talked about his experience there. It was that personal connection that drew me to the university, also knowing their values, their structure - just not the Chicago weather!”

In addition to having a great role model, both Catalina’s parents encouraged her and her brother, Matteo, currently in Grade 10, to learn Mandarin from a young age, something she is grateful for today. “I believe that being fluent in three world languages is going to be advantageous in the future.”

When asked about university life during Covid times, Catalina shared that she has been attending virtual classes in the Paris-based campus for the University of Chicago. With stricter Covid measures in Paris, she has now returned to Barcelona for the Winter break. She plans to continue with virtual learning, like many of her European peers, for the next quarter, heading to Chicago in the Spring. “I have my support network here, which is so valuable during times like these.”

At ASB, Catalina participated in the Model United Nations program and helped teach and support younger students in the program. “What I miss the most, though, is my Physics class with Mr. Bartlett. I was fascinated with that class, and to this day, I still think about it. It was the greatest factor that made me want to study physics at university. Mr. Bartlett was always willing to go the extra mile to help us. And all the students were so hardworking. We were like a small community of like-minded people. It was really meaningful for me.”

One word to describe ASB?

“Haven.”

Once a Lynx, Always a Lynx
#Lynx4Life #ASBtogether

Contributed: December 2020