Class of 2025: Biology and Beyond - Manoela's Next Chapter at Duke
After ten years at Dulwich Pudong, Manoela H is heading to Duke University with plans to study Biology alongside Public Policy or Economics. Driven by curiosity and compassion, Manoela reflects on the experiences, mentors and leadership opportunities that shaped her journey inside and beyond the classroom.
What do you intend to study and where, and why was this your choice?
I plan to major in Biology with a double major in Public Policy or Economics at Duke University. I first grew an interest in biology, most specifically biochemistry and molecular biology, as I found it fascinating how they reveal the ‘hidden’ complexities of the human body, down to the smallest reactions in cellular respiration that keep us alive. As biology is a rapidly growing field, the idea of constantly learning about new discoveries and engaging with latest technologies really motivates me to pursue a career in the field. I’m also interested in double majoring with Public Policy or Economics as I think these majors could open up even more career opportunities in the life sciences.
Primarily, Duke was my first choice due to its strong sense of community and school spirit. When forming my ‘Big List’, I had the opportunity to tour the Duke campus and speak to alumni. Through these opportunities, I discovered the collaborative spirit of Duke students, from an extremely supportive alumni network to Duke’s fierce basketball fans (Cameron Crazies). Duke also fits my academic aspirations, as their Biology major offers valuable resources such as various research opportunities in the North Carolina Research Triangle, fellowships and labs that are extremely accessible to undergraduates.
Are there any teachers that you'd like to single out for thanks, and if so why?
I’d like to thank Ms. Smith as my biology teacher for her immense support during all of IB Biology. From the moment we walk into Ms. Smith’s room, we are greeted with laughter and positivity - which really helped me get through tiring days in IB - not to mention her beautiful diagrams and mind maps on every single biology chapter in the syllabus. Ms. Smith was also an incredible mentor during my leadership of two CCAs, as she constantly provided me with guidance regarding the responsibilities of Half the Sky and tips on how to teach biology to students in Bio Lab. Upon her mentorship, I developed the confidence to take on leadership roles, and I will take these experiences in my future studies and career.
Additionally, I’d like to single out my chemistry teacher Mr. Man for his incredible support. Our chemistry class consisted of only seven students, which allowed him to cover all of the topics we are unsure about and answer any questions that pop up. Additionally, Mr. Man’s continuous words of encouragement really helped me keep going throughout my academic journey. When I was first presented with the challenge of HL Chemistry, Mr. Man reminded me to not give up and keep studying hard. This encouragement developed my confidence and deepened my interest in chemistry, for which I’m very grateful for!
Finally, I’d like to thank Mr. Ropars, Ms. Hart, Mr. Gilmour, Mr. Scott, Mr. Moore, Ms. Townend, Ms. Dorans, and Mr. Tope for their mentoring throughout IGCSE, IB and co-curricular activities.
What are you going to miss most about Dulwich Pudong?
Having studied at Dulwich Pudong for 10 years, I’ll really miss the community here. The small year group sizes in IB really made our year closer and allowed us to interact with our teachers more, which made my high school experience very positive.
What were some of your most memorable experiences during your time at Dulwich Pudong?
The first experience that comes to mind is organizing and carrying out the annual Dulwich Talks. As the incoming Dulwich Talks team this year, we wanted to transform the event and give students new experiences to be excited about, most notably with the new Simulation activity, where we allowed students to engage with an interactive play about a civilization moving to Mars. I’ll never forget how the event brought the entire team together, especially during stressful times on the day of event, and the extremely positive response that we received from taking the risk of reinventing an annual tradition.
Our vision is 'Live Worldwise'. What does this mean to you and why is it important to be a 'global citizen'?
To me, this vision translates into being open-minded and really making the most of being at Dulwich. With so many service CCAs and other opportunities to help the community around us, I found that it was easy to get involved with service and act as a global citizen.
How did being at Dulwich Pudong prepare you for applying to university?
I believe that the variety of experiences available at Dulwich helped me find my strengths and passions, which ultimately enhanced my application. Notably, leadership roles and entrepreneurial opportunities are extremely accessible to students at Dulwich, which allowed me to discover my passions for social justice through leading Half the Sky and creating a sustainable lip balm business with the rest of the AVE.301 team.
I also received a lot of support from my UCC counsellors Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Devlin and my English teacher Ms. Hart when drafting my Common App essay and supplementals. They gave me really personalised feedback on how I could let my personality shine through these essays, which I believe played a huge role in my application!
Where do you imagine yourself in 30 years and what do you think your future self might say to you now?
Career wise, I’m not too sure where’d I’d be in 30 years, and I hope to take advantage of all of the resources at Duke to figure that out! I think my future self would tell me to not worry too much about having everything meticulously planned out at just 18 and instead take all of the opportunities presented to me and keep exploring my interests.
