Sparsh Kataria (IBDP- 2020-2021 Graduate)
Biomedical Engineer student at Penn State University, USA
At the very outset, I would like to express my heartiest thanks to the VKE family. I extend my warm regards to my IBDP teachers, the programme heads, and coordinators who have immensely helped me succeed. VKE has greatly facilitated me to achieve my goals by devising me for college through its meticulously designed programme. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at VKE was a representation of what university academics would be like, which helped me stay a step ahead at Penn State University, US. The IB curriculum has taught me the value of perseverance and dedication, and the fruits of hard work. The environment and guidance that VKE provides are best to nurture the talents of young students like us. VKE believes that every child is unique and thus offers specialized need attention to each of the students- there are many schools that have adopted the challenging IB curriculum, but few have such a truly diverse, yet tight-knit student body. It is rare to find a classroom with students from around the globe who focus on their similarities instead of arguing over differences. VKE is exceptional in the wealth of its diverse community of people - you learn as much from your peers as from your mentors, and it keeps you humble, opening your eyes to other perspectives and your personal degree of ignorance.
Of late, I completed my first year as a Biomedical Engineer student at Penn State University, US. Throughout my freshman year at Penn State University, I have upheld my academics with a GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. I got elected as the director of a residence hall association club. I am progressively executing undergrad research in photoacoustic imaging where I will be publishing research papers. I have worked on imaging the brain of a mouse, human tissues, and much more using the technology we developed during my initial year. I have also vindicated my interest in sports, by being a part of the Penn State volleyball community. My team and I won a championship last semester that had more than 70 teams. Overall, I am appreciating my time at Penn State through my passion and interest in learning more. Today, if I am fortunate to study this course at a renowned university it’s because of what I have learned from VKE.
Yashh Kotecha (IBDP- 2019-2020 Graduate)
Mathematics student at The University of Edinburgh, UK
Victorious Kidss Educares is a great school! The name itself is a brand and I am still associated with it. The IB Model School nurtured us with care as the almighty does. The faculty support was over and beyond limits with strong intentions to mold us to perfection. The 2 years of IBDP time spent in VKE was the best time I had in our life and every moment spent on the school campus is still precious. The knowledge and transformation we had here is the reason we find ourselves successful today.I am currently a senior reading Mathematics student at The University of Edinburgh, UK. I studied IBDP with Further Maths, Maths, Physics, and Chemistry at Higher Level with Extended Essay in Maths at Victorious Kidss Educares.
The independence one feels at university is unreal. Over the couple of years, I spent there, I feel grateful to have solid backing in the international curriculum as I had in IBDP. The skills I procured in my DP, helped me be socially active being part of academic and cultural societies like KoreanSoc, IndianSoc, and MathSoc. Other than that, I volunteered to represent my year cohort last year in the Student-Staff Liaison Committee in the School of Maths. This year I stood and was elected office bearer as the Mathematics Undergraduate School Representative. The ability to foster homeliness also brought about the MathClans initiative at the university, where nerds can get a place to nerd out and make friends without fear of judgment.
All this though did not come at the expense of my education. Being directly admitted in the second year at university was challenging but IBDP Further Maths made all the difference for me. As of right now, I got one of the fifteen places in all of the School of Maths to undertake a research internship on ‘The Algebra and Geometry of the Gaudin System’ with a stipend of 1800 GBP. This grant money was sponsored partly by the School of Maths and partly under the esteemed College Vacation Scholarship. My education prepared me in such a way that I am currently on track for a first-class degree!
All I have to say is that IBDP prepares you for university in many more ways than you expect. The depth of your education gets you ready for your intended major, but the breadth is also very important. Knowing something about everything is important to hold and tune in to all the different kinds of conversations people have in real life. You will learn in the leadership positions, and I don’t need to tell you, but you’ll already have mastered working under stress by the time you obtain your Diploma.
The teachers here encourage students to do their very best, and truly care not only about your education but about you as a person! Furthermore, the VKE environment provides opportunities, and challenges which help you discover yourself better. The IB programme provided me with a well-rounded experience, alongside the insane credentials to help me secure offers from NYU, University of Edinburgh, University of Warwick, etc. I highly recommend VKE for people who are really looking to 'Learn to Love to Learn'!
Thanishq Kokare (IBDP- 2018-2019 Graduate)
Fashion Design student at NABA, Milan, Italy
High School is a place where you mature and turn into a seasoned professional. It’s a passé where you fascinate a tremendous amount of knowledge and explore the limits of your imagination. My time at VKE was no different. I learned the nuances of Art & Design Technology under the guidance of some of the most experienced IB faculties.
I just completed the last semester of my fashion design course at NABA, Italy and I latterly showcased my graduate collection to a jury that included journalists from Vogue Italia and fashion insiders in the Italian fashion scene. I’m working with a renowned shoe designer where I develop ideas into sketches and be categorically involved in the process of a collection from start to finish. The shoe industry is where I wish to major as my future course of study. During busy fashion weeks, I work offstage for fashion shows (Alexandra Moura, Vien Atelier), helping models get ready and experience a live fashion show through a new pair of eyes. Furthermore, I also work as an assistant to casting directors for brand campaigns (Ray-ban, Carrera, Polaroid) and showroom assistant during sale periods(DVF, grey groove). I am also a freelance stylist for magazines where I get to work behind the scenes.
Being an IB student at VKE allowed me to develop strong and close relationships with my teachers, and utilize a multitude of opportunities by which I could engage myself in the local and global communities. IB is undoubtedly challenging nonetheless the VKE community is tremendously supportive that the whole experience was nothing but rewarding. As I can reminisce I knew I wanted to peruse a design career field and VKE truly gave me an opportunity to explore through my projects (personal project, visual arts, and Design technology) based on my goals and gain experience and knowledge as an outsider. Today I feel like a part of the fashion community with the fashion experiences I have gained here in Milan, with the strong backing of VKE and the Vedantic and spiritual practices keeping me grounded even in this “glamorous” world. I have also worked with an indeed aspiring brand DIANE VON FURSTENBERG as a stage intern during fashion week and it was an enormous opportunity to work with such a big established brand. The IB ATL skills that I learned throughout my school tenure have infinitely helped me here be organized and ready to take on new roles assigned to me. Although I have never met a designer, it was great to work for someone who is really been there in the fashion industry since the 90s and has seen the rise and fall of many brands, designers, and creatives.
My passion for fashion initially started from watching the women around me dress up around me and that sort of inspired me to go into a more creative route. I am quite inspired by Saardha ma’am and Ira ma’am who are such fashionable women, and I made it a point to see them every day just to admire what they would so graciously wear. I would often just look at the all teachers in school and their sense of style would intrigue me and make me wonder how I would style their outfits through my aesthetic and point of view. Since the IB curriculum is more learning-based and VKE was more of hands-on learning where we figure out what we want to do and how to work towards the right direction and achieve it, it makes us more Independent as individuals. Apart from university and freelance jobs, in my free time, I am doing various fashion courses online to expand my knowledge of expertises like styling, merchandising, and the business marketing aspect of fashion. VKE teachings have been a backbone for where I am today. VKE’s journey has always been extraordinary rather than just formal education. I have learned how to have a solemn & good work ethic, and self-management skills, and overall has shaped me into the person I am today.
Parthu Koppana (IBDP- 2016-2017 Graduate)
Medicine student at Boston Medical College, USA
VKE principles focus on nurturing & enriching young talents into efficient and passionate leaders. My learning journey at VKE was one of the best experiences in my life. The campus has excellent infrastructure and is very beautiful with a perfect blend of nature. There is something motivational and special in this phenomenal spiritual environment that made us focus on our studies and enjoy co-curricular activities. IBDP was one of the best decisions I have ever made, it opened up my mind to a vast number of opportunities, experiences, and thoughts. Having CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service) showed me how much I can do for the community first at a local level and then implement globally; this got me prepared for my life now. The opportunities that I was allowed to have with VKE through CAS, made it easier for me to be part of bigger organizations at my university now. Then TOK (theory of knowledge) helped me understand the world better from a knowledge perspective. VKE provided me with a number of opportunities as the teachers, coordinators, and principal have an “open-door policy”, where I was able to talk to all of them regarding any questions I had about my classes then and my coming future. The school empowers the students to think big and see the ways in which we can make a difference as individuals, with open communication and transparency between students and teachers. Such policies made it easier for students to get the help they needed, understand their own future career opportunities or clear out any doubts about the present or future.
The VKE Career Counseling department plays an immense role in the direction our future takes us, and they do a just job at it. They helped me first to evaluate my interests, personality, and aptitude; decide what I wanted to do, and then chose my subjects accordingly. From there on look into the requirements for future colleges, and made a huge impact by being able to direct me in the right direction. The other way in which they got me to the place I am today is by helping me find internships and courses that are best suited for me. VKE also helped me get a head start in college and my job, the library team helped me with my research, citation, and college application essays, which helped me get under-graduation research opportunities, and also helped me get a head start on how to conduct research in the sciences. IBDP in VKE has made a huge difference in the opportunities I receive today, as the school also taught me not to let go of great opportunities. I would like to thank each and everyone at VKE for giving me unconditional support and opportunities to step on the first rung of the ladder of success. I am overwhelmed by being a proud alumnus of VKE for whatever & wherever I am today.
Saloni Dhoot (IBDP- 2015-2016 Graduate)
UX Designer at Tata Consultancy Services
Nine great years at Victorious Kidss Educares was an incredible experience. Thanks to the VKE community for shaping my future! The rigor and quality of education provided by VKE have opened opportunities for me to excel in academics and beyond. This I believe is the reason why VKE is an outstanding IB school with global recognition. Teaching methods and the practical exposure greatly motivated me to think beyond limits and inspire me to dream about what I wanted to pursue in my life.
I graduated from the Indian School of Design & Innovation, Mumbai. Presently working with Tata Consultancy Services as a User Experience Designer for the past 3 years. It has been 6 years since my journey at VKE ended; nevertheless, its teachings are ingrained within me. I have been a student at VKE from PYP-4 up to DP-2, throughout those years I have seen myself grow not only academically, but holistically as an individual. VKE helped shape my identity and nurtured me to realize my true potential. After graduating from DP, I became an inquisitive, responsible, and confident learner.
I graduated as a product designer, and all those skills that I had developed during my DP journey; be it time management, organization, thinking, or communication, gave me an upper hand while tackling several projects. The journey also taught me the art of articulating my thoughts, ideologies, and opinions which helped me comprehend the ways of the real world and distinctively define them. I have learned through the years that defining a problem in the design field is as important as solving it. Additionally, the emphasis on holistic development in the integrative curriculum of DP has imbibed within me the drive to maintain balance in my personal and professional life. This has always challenged me to outrival in life.
As a designer, I believe my strongest tools are empathy, respect, integrity, and open-mindedness; all of which were nurtured in me through the many years I spent as an IB student at VKE. The DP has molded me into my ideal human being; one who is honest, critical, adaptable, and self-aware. It has molded my eccentricity by bestowing me with great learning opportunities and giving me the freedom to sculpt my personality. It has made sure that I continue watering myself with knowledge and skills and grow gracefully. As I enter the world of jobs and professionalism, I have no doubt these skills and abilities would continue to advocate my steps to make this world a better place.