Former pupils of Round Square Schools share their experiences and reflect on how these continue to influence their lives and choices since leaving school. Click the summaries below to read more and if you are a former pupil of a Round Square School, or know someone who is and has a story we should share, please put us in touch with them or click the link to tell us about your experiences.
Neysa Sanghavi graduated from Singapore International School (SIS) in Mumbai in 2018. While at school she took advantage of the many opportunities to identify her passion and she found mentors who inspired her to action. Her story to date is characterised by a deep commitment to those who lack rights and resources, in particular refugees, and a determination to make a difference in the long term. After SIS, Neysa attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where she studied pharmacology and drug development as well as human biology and entrepreneurship. She is currently studying medicine, and she is taking a slightly unorthodox approach.
Edward McGarva-Brown graduated from the Inter-Community School, Zurich in 2022; he is now studying Business and Management at Leeds Beckett University in the UK. Edward was an active and engaged member of the student body who was not only involved in Round Square initiatives, but also a committed mentor to the younger students. He remembers that his involvement in Round Square Action Groups began when he arrived at ICS in Grade 4 and lasted throughout his schooling until he graduated from the IB Programme in Grade 12.
Mark Simonds is a 2008 graduate of Rothesay Netherwood School in New Brunswick, Canada, who developed a strong spirit of environmentalism during his time at school. Mark credits his Round Square and wider RNS experiences with giving him the tools to adapt and prosper on his life and work journey which now sees him living in the UK, with a Romanian Canadian partner, and working on environmental projects. “I’ve always had this philosophy that ultimately, we humans must have a symbiotic relationship with nature. Because of consumption and the way we use resources, this relationship is getting out of balance.”
Wyatt Danowski is a graduate of St John’s Ravenscourt School (SJR) in Winnipeg. He graduated as a “lifer” in 2008 having attended from to Kindergarten through Grade 12. Upon graduation, Wyatt decided that he needed to seek new adventures. “I left the school and I felt that I’d been there virtually my whole life. I’d done with the place.” The irony is that Wyatt returned as a teacher in 2018. What brought him to that decision over the intervening ten years is a story of exploration and adventure.
Living and attending schools in countries that are not her own. Poppy has lived in Thailand, El Salvador, Jordan, and Mozambique and is now in her final year of a Sports Science Degree at Exeter University in the UK. It was during her time in Thailand, where she was attending Regents International School Pattaya, that she was awarded the Kurt Hahn Award for service to others at the young age of 12. Her actions were also recognised by her school, and she was awarded the Brittany Tang Bursary for Outstanding Global Citizenship.
Ribhav Mittal graduated from KC Public School in Jammu in 2019. He won the King Constantine Medal in his graduating year for his leadership in promoting RS at the school. Ribhav is now in his final year at UCLA and will shortly graduate with a degree in Financial Actuarial Mathematics and Accounting. Ribhav believes that his exposure to the Round Square IDEALS has helped shape his outlook.
Vittoria Frua De Angeli is a Kurt Hahn Award Winner (1992) and an Aiglon alumna (1994). The Kurt Hahn Award is presented annually in recognition of an outstanding act of service to others. Vittoria was awarded the prize for her exceptional bravery and leadership in a challenging situation. For Vittoria, putting her own life in danger and saving the kayaker was a natural thing to do.
Laura is an alumna of two Round Square Schools. In Switzerland, she attended ICS Zurich and in Singapore, she graduated from UWCSEA Dover Campus in 2019. Laura is studying Modern Languages (German and Spanish) and Cultures at Durham University in the UK. Laura believes that her education at Round Square international schools provided her with opportunities and a perspective on life that she does not think she would have gained anywhere else. “We were surrounded by this mindset of how we could make the world a better place. What could we do to make someone else’s world a better place? It made us think about our actions and how our actions have consequences.”
Sharia Bahar is a Chittagong Grammar School (CGS) alumna (2014) and a Law School Graduate who thrives on innovation and diversity of thought. Sharia experienced an education that went beyond the textbook. “We were taught that we were able to offer something, be part of a group or a community. You don’t realise what you are learning when you are part of such an international environment – you’re subconsciously learning, but you really are learning a lot.” Sharia continues to seek connections, develop ideas and find ways to innovate.
Megan Siddle is a St Stithian’s graduate (2017). She is now based in London and is completing her internship training (articles) in preparation for her Chartered Accounting board exams. The impact of her Round Square exchange to India was transformative experience for Megan. She believes that the richness that she took from the experience was because she stepped outside of her comfort zone and because she chose to see difference in cultures as a “growth opportunity”. Megan believes that this approach has remained with her and continues to have a positive impact on her work. "In my current job I am someone who embraces everything and that is something that is reflected in my performance reviews. I look at everything from a positive or learning perspective and find a way to grow from experience."
A former pupil of Windemere School, Elliot Berry is founder and director of Kenya-based charity, The Noah Initiative, which provides disadvantaged young boys in Kenya with positive mentors, and was inspired by his experiences on exchange at RS School, Tiger Kloof, in South Africa. “As a teenager, it’s a battle: between your heart, your head, your dreams, your fears,” he says. “Should you go with the easy life, which might be fun and financially rewarding, or should you pursue what you think is your life’s purpose? What you want and what you think you should do, do not always go together.”
Lesego Serolong Holzapfel is CEO and founder of Bokamoso Impact Investments, a social enterprise company that connects rural South Africa through agriculture and ethical food production. Lesego is also the co-founder of Raise the Children International, an organisation that connects vulnerable orphans from rural communities with education opportunities, mentors, and career opportunities. Lesego graduated from Tiger Kloof, a Round Square School located in the northwest Province of South Africa, in 2005.
Josceline Cluff is the Safeguarding Manager for Better Cotton, the world’s largest sustainability initiative for cotton. A former student of the Round Square school Cobham Hall in Kent, England, Josceline travelled to the Indian School Al Ghubra in Oman at the age of 16 on a RS student exchange, an experience that she says “had a massive impact on me in a multitude of different ways…
Ollie Thorn, Box Hill Alumni 2007, creates environments where diverse voices are encouraged, embraced, and valued. Through his personal experience of disability and in-depth knowledge of laws and regulations, Ollie works hard to reach out to individuals who have been historically excluded from the workplace. He is challenging traditional recruitment paradigms and using his position in a large influential recruitment company to bring about change in the way individuals are viewed in business. For Ollie, embracing challenge is second nature. He believes it is a mindset that was encouraged during his time at school and has continued throughout his life. Box Hill provided a framework that encouraged him to seek success in a variety of ways.
Stephanie Williams (née Caller) is a 2002 Box Hill alumna who thrives on adventure, opportunity, and creativity. Her love for competition and her drive for success have established her as an international wakeboarding champion and the successful company owner and director of White Triangle (a mountain-based, design agency located in the French Alps). Stephanie feels she owes her wanderlust and introduction to her lifelong friend Megan to Round Square, from when she took the opportunity to attend the Round Square International Conference hosted by St Philip’s College in Alice Springs. The theme of the conference was “Footprints in the Sand”. Stephanie still feels the impact of that conference and how fortunate she felt at the time about being able to connect with people from all over the world. “My takeaway was about how important community is and how important our international community is. I remember thinking how lucky we are to be involved with Round Square and to be in an international school.”
A former pupil of UWCSEA, and a graduate of Oxford University and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Sébastien Brack is a Senior Advisor to the Kofi Annan Foundation and the European Institute of Peace, as well as a contributing writer to the European Council on Foreign Relations. Working outside of his comfort zone is second nature to Sébastien. However, his resilience, courage and tenacity were tested time and time again during his time in the field. “I was shot at, kidnapped, caught malaria, and hauled over the coals by a government minister who wanted to expel me from his country.”
Jack Harrison, is an ICS alumnus, recent Oxford University History Graduate and now Learning and Evaluation Officer, The Henry Smith Charity. Jack believes that his experiences at school shaped his character and gave him an insight into how invigorating and challenging supporting a cause could be. He feels that many of his choices beyond school were strongly influenced by his experiential learning at ICS. "The work is one thing, but there is a whole world out there and if you do not look to it, you do not engage with it, then you won’t do the work very well because you are not appreciating the world in which it sits and… you won’t really be flourishing to the extent that you can."
Alexa Wilson is now a commercial film director and an Alumna of St Stithian's Girls College in South Africa and feels that her exchange experience at Lawrence School Sanawar in the Himalayas at 15 not only shaped her career choice but was she says, "one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”
Tara believes that her education at a Round Square school provided the foundation for her journey into advocacy and environmentalism; it is as she reflects on the impact of character education that she pulls the threads of understanding together.
When asked about attending Round Square conferences, Mary says “I think it was the first time that I was able to have meaningful discussions with other young people about environmental issues. It helped me identify the things I was really interested in. Not necessarily working with animals, or surveying things from far away, but looking closely at the interactions between people and the environment. It’s about the crossover between how we live our lives, and the impact that we have on the living things around us. It is not just the theory, it’s about taking action on the things you care about.”
After a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Management, Felsted Alumna, Sophie Dorothe began her PhD studies in Sustainable Food Systems. Continuing her solution-focused approach to environmental impact and stewardship, Sophie Dorothe is exploring how to bridge the gap between science and society, "My passion is to uncover the environmental responsibility and stewardship that we all must act on through our daily choices and consumption practices, and in doing so inspire individuals to recognize their agency whilst striving towards a more sustainable and resilient future."
Alex Dakin is a Box Hill alumna (2016) who completed her undergraduate and master’s studies in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, London. She is now working as a Digital Transformation Consultant at Arup and supports the company with digital change. Alex talks passionately about her “obsession for all things Round Square”. She talks about the impact of attending student conferences, how the personal growth she experienced continues to support her personal and professional decisions, and how she strives to affect positive change in the lives of others.
A former pupil of Cobham Hall School in the UK, “Katharina Dolezal works at the European Regional Office of the World Health Organisation in Copenhagen, Denmark, supporting countries in their efforts to increase vaccination uptake and to reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. She says: "If you work hard and believe, you can achieve anything. I don’t mean sitting on the bed wishing for something to happen, I mean getting out into the world and making it happen. I remember the wise words of my Housemaster at Cobham who told us: ‘don’t be active be proactive’. It inspired me to follow my heart and my passion but understand that I had to work hard to achieve it.”
As a student at Round Square school, Markham College in Peru, Marcelo Rochabrún spearheaded a student volunteer response to the Peruvian earthquake disaster of 2007 that constructed more than 30 community centres helping over 3000 people access emergency resources. Since then his dedication to Service has inspired an award-winning career as a current affairs investigative journalist. “The sense of fulfilment has lasted for years. I was privileged to see people using the buildings and see and hear the gratitude they felt at what we had provided. But I also saw how they developed them as the years progressed”
Entrepreneur, Darren Smith, is an alumnus of Round Square school, Appleby College, in Canada. He set-up his craft beer business whilst studying Economics at university and launched it in the middle of the global financial crisis. “I had a sense of not wanting to wait” he says “If there’s stuff you want to do in life, just do it. Funnily enough, my grades actually improved when I did.”
At the time of this interview, Craig Bennett was UK Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth. He describes how his Round Square experiences during a gap year at Sedbergh School in Canada helped to shape his views on environmental issues, providing “a connection to the natural world, opportunities to build my confidence, and an experience of camaraderie, community and common purpose”. “In an ideal world, these would be characteristics that you hope all schools would have in some way or another,” he says. “Round Square schools are very lucky to have that more explicitly as part of their ethos.”
Biologist, Liane Nowell, was a student at Sedbergh School in Canada. The school’s membership of Round Square supported its passion for outdoor pursuits which in turn inspired Liane’s career in outdoor education and sustainability-driven scientific research. She now manages the Kenauk Institute, based in a 65,000 acre nature reserve in Canada, overseeing scientific research into the environment and running outdoor education programmes for young people. “The biggest theme that I still draw on today is the importance of being outside and pushing yourself from an educational standpoint. My current educational programmes draw upon components pulled from Sedbergh and Round Square.”
Anna Van Der Ploeg is a former pupil of St Cyprian’s School in South Africa. Through her school’s Round Square membership, her participation in a regional conference, international service project and student exchange inspired an interest in the “complexity and diversity of the human experience”, a theme she has continued to explore and celebrate in her work as a contemporary artist. Anna has enjoyed success at home and abroad with two solo shows in Cape Town and Artist-in-Residence positions in Japan, India and France. “Round Square opened up my world to learning about people and how we function” she says. “There is value in learning about another place and having experiences outside of your realm.”
Shadman Sahil Chowdhury, a recent alumnus (2020) from Chittagong Grammar School (CGS) in Bangladesh, is passionate about leadership and service. Attending a school committed to character education has given him the confidence to affect positive change in the lives of others. He says “CGS gives us assurance that whatever you say, whatever you do, it won’t go unheard and you have equally as much of an opportunity to change the world as everyone else.” During his time at CGS Shadman initiated fundraisers, led conference teams, and worked to breakdown stereotypes and destructive behaviours in his community through student discussion groups.
Angela McCarthy, an alumna from Aiglon College in Switzerland, is passionate about creating opportunities for students to be innovators and change-makers. Much of her work as CEO of The Earth Foundation has been inspired by her experiences at Aiglon, and realisation that she has pulled on the Round Square IDEALS as a powerful source of inspiration throughout her life. “It's amazing when you realize you were given a gift at school, you don't necessarily realize it. And then you have your “aha moment” in your forties when you think, 'Oh, this has already been a framework for me in my life'.”
Ruxandra Bratfalean or “Ruxi”, graduated from Transylvania College, Romania, in 2018. Since leaving school, her passion for film making has led her to London, to study at the University of the Arts. Ruxi credits her Round Square education with giving her vital skills for later life; the numerous conferences she attended while at Transylvania College, along with the interactions she had with students from other countries, has given her the confidence to view each new situation as an opportunity. Rather than being fearful of change, she feels she is comfortable meeting challenges and sees it as a chance for courage and personal growth.
Karolina Gaebe, a former pupil of Rothesay Netherwood School in Canada is now studying at Medical School. The skills and understanding she gained at Rothesay Netherwood School continue to resonate and motivate her to drive forward and seize new challenges with enthusiasm and tenacity. Karolina’s advice for students is, “don’t be afraid of challenges. When you see something that you want to do, just try and do it. I think the worst that can happen is that it fails, and then you either find something else, or you try again. And then you succeed. That's the biggest lesson that I've learned from everything that I've done so far.”
In her current position, Nadine is Chief of Staff to Deputy CEO of Vitality Group at Discovery Limited in Johannesburg. Their Vitality Shared-Value Insurance model has received international recognition and was even ranked in Fortune’s index of 51 companies “changing the world” in August 2015. Nadine is committed bringing opportunities to Africa and feels that in the financial services sector she can really do this, “I really hope that I can make a valuable contribution in that arena, especially when it comes to economic growth and uplift for our continent.”
Molly Turpie is an alumna from AKS Lytham. She graduated in 2018 with A Levels in Maths, Geography and English. She is currently studying International Hospitality Business Management in Lausanne, Switzerland. Following an RS International Conference hosted by Aiglon in Switzerland, Molly and her fellow AKS students created The Bring Me Sunshine Project helping alleviate loneliness and isolation amongst the elderly in her hometown of Lytham. When Molly was asked to share her message to other students about her own superpower. “I think I'm always positive. I really am not often negative, because I don't think it helps with anything. Being pessimistic is never going to help you achieve anything."
Dr Charlotte Newton is an Inter-Community School (ICS) graduate and currently practicing as a General Practitioner (Family Doctor) in the UK, caring for patients who come from “quite a deprived area within the community”. According to Charlotte, “schools shape you more than you realise… I can’t say it was all the school, a good half of it was how my parents brought me up to always think of others, be kind to others and put yourself in their shoes. The two of those together have given me a good springboard to work where I work, and to do what I do.”
Krishna Shekhawat is an alumna of Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School. Krishna read History at Miranda College, University of Dehli, before continuing to Ashoka University, Haryana, where she was selected as a Young India Fellow and trained in leadership and change-making. After her studies, she remained at Ashoka where she became a Teaching Fellow in Art History and Modern History. Krishna has since returned to her home city of Jodhpur and is now working as the Assistant Curator of Mehrangarh Museum Trust.
Matthew’s childhood experiences of growing up on farms in both Zimbabwe and then South Africa have inspired a life devoted to environmental protection and service. Matthew credits St. Stithians and Round Square for giving him his universal approach. His early exposure to political instability and violence has given him a passion for peace and social equality.
Ali Conn is a Stanford Lake Alumni and believes that at School, Round Square taught him never to say no or take no for an answer and that he left school with a mindset that it is ok to fail before you succeed. After discovering that 20 million South Africans go to bed hungry and/or under- nourished and annually 10 million tons of food goes to waste, he set up his own food waste-to-plate company, SA Harvest – South Africa’s fastest growing non-profit, food organisation.
Leah was not aware of the inclusive and holistic nature of her schooling, it was only since university and then leaving school, that she has realised how different her education had been compared to those of her peers. It was these differences that she believes provided her with the lenses that have informed her approach as she builds healthy, inclusive, and diverse communities in her work.
Sarah is led by her values and affects positive change in the lives of thousands of children and community members in Malawi. Her contagious enthusiasm and drive have led to the success of Sparkle Malawi in supporting orphans and vulnerable children in 17 villages. Sarah believes that her schooling gave her the belief that there is always something for you, even if you weren't the best at sport or the smartest. Sarah believes that it was this exposure to opportunity, and the expectation that everyone can make a difference, that opened her eyes to what was possible.
Shivam Jumani is an alumnus of Dhirubhai Ambani International School in India. He is now a Research Analyst at an influential consulting firm in New York where he has played a pivotal role in the creation of New York City’s Climate Change Action Plan. “The IDEALS came together for me in a way that informs all that I do” he says “Service isn’t just about volunteering or working for a charity, Environmentalism isn’t just about planting trees. I believe you can still make an impact by expanding the definitions of these IDEALS so that they can be imbibed seamlessly in one’s day-to-day life, regardless of one’s passion and career.”
Nimet Rener, a former pupil of RS school, Gordonstoun is now Director of the Aga Khan Education Services, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network working to improve the living conditions and opportunities for people in some of the poorest parts of the developing world. “Having opportunities to take leadership roles at the school helped me understand that leadership isn’t necessarily about being the first, or necessarily the best, but being the one who can bring people together towards a shared goal and create a team spirit. I started to learn that Leadership isn’t about making yourself the priority, it’s about representing your team members.”
A former pupil of Round Square School, Cobham Hall, Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini is an influential peace campaigner, consultant and author, who has brought the issue of women in countries torn apart by conflict both to the debating floor of the United Nations and to the attention of academia and the global media. “Through Round Square at Cobham, students were celebrated for all different reasons. It’s instilled in me a respect and wider appreciation for people with different skillsets and abilities in my team.”
Alison Corner, former pupil of Lakefield College School is now a Management Consultant at a top consultancy firm in New York where she is she is currently working on an international research project examining the cultural differences affecting consumers’ financial behaviour. “Round Square gave me the foundation to learn about being a leader, exposed me to leadership opportunities early on, and demonstrated to me the many different perspectives of leadership. I draw upon this context whenever I am offered an opportunity to lead on a project or mentor a colleague.”
Claire DesBrisay, a former pupil of St. Clement’s School in Canada, now lives and works in South Africa, a country she first visited on exchange nine years ago through her school’s membership of Round Square. Claire is currently Communications Director for Smile Africa Foundation (SAF) a grassroots NGO that promotes STEM in Africa through volunteer initiatives. Of her exchange experience at St Cyprian’s School she says: “It was really difficult to see the contrast between the experiences of the rich and poor… it made me think deeply about where my place is in the world, what I can do to make a difference.”
Nishant Makhijiani is Director of Advancement at the University of Illinois. A former pupil of Daly College in India, he attributes his passion for environmental issues, and the communication skills he now employs in his fundraising career, to his education at a Round Square school and his experiences on a RS exchange to Lakefield College in Canada. “People learn through experience. Don’t turn your back on an experience just because it seems irrelevant to your current life goals. You never know how it will help you in the future. Every experience I’ve had has shaped who I have become and will define my future too.”
Alexandra Tidd is a 2017 graduate from the Inter-Community School in Zurich, Switzerland. She is studying for her Masters of Research in Biosystematics at Imperial College, London. She hopes that this will lead her to a PhD in the field of cancer research. Alexandra believes that her experiences with Round Square have had a strong impact on her personal development and how she views the world. Alexandra identifies strongly with the Spirit of Internationalism. Whenever she had the opportunity, she applied for experiences that would allow her to access other cultures and schools at a deeper level.
Charles Masaki, a resident psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, is a former pupil of Round Square School, Starehe, in Kenya, a Graduate of Nairobi University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. His research has taken him all over the world exploring potential new treatments to alleviate pain and manage depression. “I learned through Round Square the joy of meeting people from other nations and seen that we have more similarities than differences. I have experienced what it feels like when things go wrong, worked through those situations, and now take the ups and downs of life in my stride.”
