Name
Audrey Marti
Time at GESS
August 2011 – July 2015
Year of Graduation
2015
What has your learning journey after GESS been like?
After GESS I pursued my passion for history at the University of Warwick, where I studied History and Politics. There I was the Publicity Officer and Vice President for the Warwick Belly Dance Society. Finishing and obtaining a distinction for my dissertation on the rise of populist radical right-wing parties in Europe, which looked specifically at the role political disenfranchisement and Euroscepticism play was a very proud moment for me.
Once I finished at Warwick I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, I knew I wanted to make a positive difference (inspired by my Grade 10 trip to India, and Grade 11 trips to Bintan and Bali). So I took a gap year, and to learn to make a positive difference in the private sector and the public sector. My first traineeship was with the German flavouring and fragrance company Symrise in their Flavor Sustainability Department. So I moved to a tiny town in Niedersachsen called Holzminden. Quite the change from Singapore and Tokyo (where I was born and raised before moving to Singapore). The German I learnt at GESS was definitely useful. Overall this work experience was great and the amazing people I worked with gave me a lot of independence and my own project.
After Holzminden, I successfully applied to be a trainee at the European Parliament, as a part of the Schuman traineeship scheme. So, in March 2019 I moved to Brussels. I was in the Policy Department B for Structural and Cohesion Policies for the Internal Policies of the Union for the Committee on Culture and Education — essentially a research division.
Though this experience was great, I was still passionate about sustainability! Following recommendations from my colleagues at Symrise, I applied to study Environmental Sustainability at Edinburgh — I have zero regrets. The course has been amazing. Inspired by my time at Symrise, I am now writing my dissertation about cross-sector partnerships in agri-food chains. Alongside my studies, I also helped organise the Clean Energy Access Socials (student-organised sustainability conferences & events), and am a Social Media Representative for the School of Geosciences at the University. In the second semester I also did a consultancy project for the Scottish parliament with a group of 30 people on fast fashion and issued recommendations to the Scottish parliament on how you can curb the fast fashion consumption of young people in Edinburgh and encourage them to go more towards second-hand shopping or towards vintage clothing or recycling their clothes an exchanging clothes with friends instead of buying new clothes.
What is your favourite memory of your time at GESS?
That’s a hard one, there are so many! I think the India trip in Grade 10 was one – it made me reflect on our privilege, and also made me bond with my classmates in a new way. We didn’t have our computers or cellphones, we instead had to play cards and really get to know one another. The scenery on the road trips in India were also great. I also enjoyed our trips to Bali and Bintan! In school, I really enjoyed the history classes with Mr.Watson, and art class with Mr.Landseer. We always had a lot of fun in our French class with Madame Lacoste. Mr Walton, our Careers Adviser, helped me a lot with my personal statement to Warwick. I sent him probably around eleven drafts and he reviewed it every time with more comments. He was also a great support in our English classes. I enjoyed volunteering at the Gift of Love Home, a retirement home run by nuns, with Jovana and Sophie, which we did for CAS in Grades 11 and 12.
But what I really liked was sitting on the steps in the forum of the old campus at Bukit Tinggi during breaks or during lunch, because everyone came together there, the different grades and I have so many memories of me and my friends just laughing on those brick-red steps.
What do you miss most about your time at GESS?
I think what I miss most about GESS is being part of a small class and year group, knowing everyone and feeling comfortable to just sit in the forum at lunch knowing that if your core group of friends was not there you could just sit with anyone and go talk to them. I miss the people, the closeness that you felt, because our class was so small, we were all automatically sort of friends with everyone.
What you take for granted a lot as a student is how dedicated the teachers are in schools, because often at university and especially in undergraduate courses, you don’t get nearly as much contact with the teachers as you do at school, sometimes they don’t know you at all. At school you have the privilege to receive a lot of feedback and that is something I missed when I was working as well. I am someone who values feedback, both positive and negative, and sometimes when you’re an adult, you don’t get that feedback.
What do you miss about Singapore and your life here?
Eating lunch in Lau Pa Sat — that’s something I really miss, the food and the ambience of the hawker centres! I loved how loud, but casual and fun it could be and my favourite Hawker centre was Lau Pa Sat, it’s beautiful. Whenever I do go back to Singapore I always go there and get some Chendol and some Bibimbap. Interestingly, my favourite food places in Europe very much resemble the vibe or the feeling of a Hawker Centre. My favourite place to go in Edinburgh is Soi 38 which is a Thai restaurant and it’s like being in a hawker centre, it’s the same feeling. I miss how easy it was to meet friends and plan things, because Singapore is so small. I miss how good the public transport is, that’s something you take for granted, because in Europe public transport is not up to scratch compared to Singapore.
Do you think your time at GESS and in Singapore has impacted your (future) life?
I think so, definitely. The international upbringing keeps you open-minded. A lot of my teachers like Mr Walton, Mr Watson, Madame Lacoste, Mrs Walton encouraged me to do better and I greatly appreciate that. I was a good student, but in the IB I really pushed myself and I think that was because of the teachers. They told us what the expectations were and that enforces strong work ethics and learning methods like memorising things, writing cue cards, doing extra readings if you didn’t understand something. These methods are still useful for me now studying for my master’s.
What did you learn during your time at GESS that you could not appreciate yet during your time there, but that you consider a valuable lesson now?
We were really encouraged to think critically at GESS. Especially in the IB with Theory of Knowledge where you learn to think critically about what was said on the news or the position of the authors on the news or in articles. This still sticks with me today and was re-enforced by my university studies. Especially when it comes to the news I always take a step back and try to analyse a situation first. I think that’s a very valuable lesson that I do not take for granted.
Is there any piece of advice or any experience you would like to share with current GESS students?
I would say really appreciate the international environment you’re in and appreciate living with your parents, because although they might annoy you right now, you will miss it when you leave for university and you will miss how easy it was and that feeling of home and that feeling of belonging that you always have when you are with your family. Really cherish that. Cherish the fact that teachers are there mainly to educate you and to support you, because that’s also something that you will not get later when you are working. You are only accountable to yourself as a student, so make the most of that. Try and use this time to further your ambition and your achievements. Also appreciate your international upbringing and the cultural awareness that that brings but also the feeling at GESS of being part of a small community.
You are a GESS Alumni and would like to share your memories of GESS with us? Please email us at alumni@gess.sg. We will love to get to know you!
