During my last five years at ABIS, I have had many memorable moments, between Cabarets, Musicals and friendly competitions, between Oman Week trips, ASAs and International Evenings. However, my top three most memorable moments would be:

3) Grade 7 Camel Trek: I loved this trip because not only was I able to socialize more with my classmates but by riding with the Beduins, I felt like I could appreciate more the Omani culture. Furthermore, the goat we ate at the end of the trip was one of the most delicious dishes I’ve tasted to date.

2) Hanging out with my girls on the terrace: Although it might not appear to be an exciting moment, many memories were shared upon the terrace (a luxury, only us IB students are granted). We shared our food and did happy food dances, we organized events as community council or laughed about our lives. It’s simple memories; however, some of the most unforgettable.

1) Last but not least, Maher Trip: The first days of being in Pune were tough for me; I’d call my mum every day complaining about the injustices I’d learnt about that day. But as the trip progressed, I learnt that in moments like these, it is essential to put one’s negative feelings aside and appreciate the happiness Maher offered: whether that be in the form of travelling and discovering a new country, or playing with the children, or helping others.

The people who have inspired me most at ABIS have been my teachers. They continuously show passion in what they do and set examples to us on how to improve ourselves. Two primary examples could be Ms Camp and Mr Davis: Ms Camp founded the Musical with Ms Brewer, writing our first performances and organizing many musical events also out of school. She was a force to be reckoned with and left us on a journey to help others. Mr Davis, on the other hand, was extremely passionate about assisting the environment and recycling. At times we’d joke with him about him being “overly passionate” at times. However, in reality, to me, he was always a bit of inspiration and was available to have a chat, giving his honest opinion. This said, there are tons of other inspiring teachers in the ABIS community and since we are fortunate enough to live in an environment where talking to teachers is easy I had the pleasure of learning more about them as individuals and their stories.

The close bond students can form with teachers in ABIS is one I have never seen elsewhere, and not being able to walk up to some of my favourite teachers and say “good morning” will be a memory. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SCHOOL! Yes, it’s a small community, and that can be annoying at times because everyone knows everyone. But at the same time, asking help to our teachers is simple. We can walk up and kindly ask them to help. Plus, we are taught from a younger age how to write formal emails, etc., which will help you so much next year when you are applying to universities. Make use of the ASAs; even if you mess up a performance or suck at a particular sport,  it doesn’t matter. The chance you’ll ever see the people you “embarrassed” yourself in front later in life is slim, so don’t allow fear to block your opportunities. AIM BIG FOR CAS PROJECTS, WORK TOGETHER, CREATE MEANINGFUL BONDS!

Finishing my bachelors and masters, finding a job and getting myself an apartment where I can pursue my hobbies. Buy a motorbike and finally go on a long ride, enjoying the views.

I wish ABIS never stopped being an international community. One of the best things about ABIS is how it allows foreigners and Omanis to mix together, and learn about their respective cultures and communities. It’s something beautiful, and during my year in Italy, I truly missed the variety of students and personalities that ABIS offered. Furthermore, having teachers who genuinely enjoy teaching and are capable of forming meaningful bonds with their students.

I guess this is the part where everyone thanks their friends and family for helping them along the way. I want to thank my parents for allowing me to live in a mixed community, and for taking my phone away when I got…let’s say too teenager-y. I want to thank my amazing girls who made me smile every day in school: they allowed me to be the loud baby which I am and who accepted me no matter how annoying I got. Greta, I should also thank you because to make one’s IB journey successful they mustn’t stop at school, and you always knew when it was the moment to keep me company when studying or leaving the post-it-note “Call in progress. KEEP QUIET!” on my door. Thank you to all my teachers who have taught me along the way and have pushed me to become a better student and individual. From past teachers like Mr Thompson who believed in me during my year in Italy, to Mr Goodwin and Mr Mwita who are always able to make us students feel comfortable, to every other teacher, present and past. I’d like to especially thank Mr Adams who has taught me from my very first day at ABIS. Although you weren’t one of the main teachers in my IB journey since I took Math HL, you have helped me in ways you can’t even imagine. You’ve seen my progress as a student who used to get so frustrated at math problems she would be on the edge of tears, to one who can (somewhat) manage her time well and progress in her study. Your support along the years has helped me so much, and I will always be grateful to you. Thank you, my dear classmates, for dealing with me throughout these five years. Last but not least, thank you and farewell ABIS for this life journey.