Meet the Class of 2022: Christiana T

Pursuing a career in sustainable business

Pursuing passions and achieving great heights has been a theme in the life of Class of 2022 graduate Christiana T.

The multi-talented student demonstrated leadership in a variety of settings at Dulwich Pudong from being Head Prefect for House to choreographing spectacular dance numbers for the Senior School production of The Wizard of Oz.

Having been born in Nigeria and raised in Qatar and China (first Suzhou where she attended Dulwich College Suzhou before moving to Dulwich College Shanghai), Christiana has a worldview which highlights what it means to Live Worldwise.

“Our community at Dulwich is so international and diverse; everyone comes to the school with their own unique story and backgrounds. It would be a waste to not make the effort into learning these stories from people who come from all over the world,” she shares.

She explains that embracing diversity and making an effort to broadening one’s intercultural understanding “enables us to further grasp onto the concept of intercultural understanding and expands our knowledge of the world we live in.”

Extra-curricular Excellence

Hobbies and activities have played an “extremely big role” in Christiana’s life. She started dancing at the age of 5 and later added figure skating. Balancing commitments is something she had to learn from a young age.

She shares: “Pre-lockdown I would either be at an ice rink figure skating, or at a dance studio dancing. Throughout Year 12, I was training 6-7 times a week, and sometimes twice a day on the weekends. At times it was stressful, but Dulwich was beyond supportive, and I was able to keep up with my school work outside the classroom.”

She applied her talents as a first-time choreographer for 2021 Senior School production of The Wizard of Oz. The experience helped her develop communication and collaboration skills as she researched and created the different dances along with classmate Elena L.

“The Wizard of Oz choreography gave me insight to how hobbies can be transferred into a practical and real-life opportunity,” she shares.

But it was her time as Head Prefect for House that had the biggest impact on her.

“I was so fortunate to have worked with such a dedicated and lovely team of House Prefects, and with Ms Hardy as our amazing staff mentor. As a team, we accomplished so many things, and brought the House spirit back up within Senior School.”

The impact on the College community was tremendous. “We held around 20 House events during our tenure, with some of the most memorable being SLAM, Dulwich Got Talent, and The Hunt. Being able to combine House with service for meaningful change was really impactful.”

The experience fostered Christiana’s leadership and public speaking skills. “The whole experience with being a Head Prefect has greatly fueled my confidence into being more ambitious in life and has fueled my passion to help others.”

Best Fit in Business Studies

Christiana’s HL courses in the rigorous IB diploma programme - Business, English, and Computer Science - paved the way for her extended essay (EE) on Business Management. She applied her interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and business ethics to researching Nike.

The EE process confirmed her interest in pursuing international management. In the fall, Christiana plans to attend Kings College London (KCL).

“I have always had a passion in business, especially creating businesses where I could use the money to donate to a charity or towards a meaningful cause. The course I have chosen allows me to branch out and study different fields of business, international markets, corporate social responsibility and even politics. In addition, I am going to continue studying Mandarin.”

With KCL in the centre of London, this third culture kid is looking forward to another dynamic urban setting. “London is extremely international and diverse, which gives me the opportunity to continue to learn and make friends from all over the world. I will be able to continue with my hobbies like dancing and figure skating there as well. All of these reasons are why I believe KCL and London are such a good fit for me.”

Support and Inspiration

Many DCSPD teachers provided support to Christiana since she began studies there in 2016. “Ms. Mathews was my form tutor in Y8, and I remember her always being so encouraging and kind towards my passions for figure skating and dance. She was also my PE GCSE teacher and gave me the opportunity to lead dance classes in PE.”

Mr. Whitaker, Director of EdTech as well as Computer Science teacher, made an impact, not only from his Friday cookies but as “one of the most compassionate and empathetic teachers” Christiana ever had. “He was an incredible teacher and always believed in me, which motivated me to work hard throughout the whole course.”

Christiana praises strong female role models she encountered at Dulwich, including Ms Taylor (Head of College) and Ms Derbyshire (Head of Senior School), who inspired and motivated her during her time here.

She also credits her supportive parents for their guidance, “I look up to my parents with so much respect and I genuinely do not think I would have done as well as I did without their continuous encouragement and belief in me.”
 

Facing the Future

Christiana’s time at DSCPD was filled with perseverance and dedication to excellence, building positive relationships with staff and students alike. As she prepares for the next steps, Christiana offers advice to younger students. 

“Although the whole university application process can seem stressful and daunting, all the time and effort spent into researching and finding your best fit is worth it. Always keep in contact with your university counselor as they will give you the utmost support and guidance.”

We wish this compassionate alumna all the best as she builds bridges interculturally while using business for positive social impact in her next endeavors at Kings College London.