ECHOS
HAUT-LAC
INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL
ECOLE INTERNATIONALE BILINGUE
ALUMNI MAGAZINE ISSUE 1 2021-22
Your chosen universtities
Where are they now
Boarding at Haut-LAC
HAUT-LAC REACHES
500 GRADUATES
Dear Alumni,
As one of Haut-Lac’s founding Directors, I am working with the school’s alumni team to develop a sense of pride and partnership among Haut-Lac’s ex-students and families. With nearly 500 student alumni, we invite any student who has not yet managed to connect to do so via the LinkedIn Haut-Lac Alumni group. The personal and professional stories your peers have already shared with us make us extremely proud of our graduates. We have seen how your lives after Haut-Lac are sources of inspiration for our younger students thanks to our alumni graduation speakers.
The purpose of this Newsletter is two-fold.
• to share with you how Haut-Lac reacted to the pandemic. How we treated it with the respect, but did not let it define us. How we continue to move forward in exciting new directions
• to be the voice that represents our alumni around the world, sharing in your successes and challenges and supporting your diverse needs and interests
With so much happening at Haut-Lac today, it’s hard to know where to start.
Let’s go with academics, given we are a school and teaching is what we do best. Alongside our flagship IBMYP and IBDP programmes, we now also have:
• a special Swiss Option enabling students to make the most of our bilingual expertise and holistic MYP programme before sitting the Swiss state school exams at 15.
• a US High School Diploma programme for students wanting to study in the US or Canada
• the newest and fastest-growing of all IB programmes, the IB Career-Related programme
o a hybrid online and face-to-face course enabling students to develop both their academic knowledge with 3 IBDP subjects AND their professional skills with career-related studies (CRS) in International Sports Management with Federation University (AUS) or Art & Design with Savannah College of Art & Design (USA & France) or Sustainable Management with SUMAS university in Gland (CH).
Next on the list of updates is our World Academy of Sport (WAoS) accreditation, and the strengthening of our Sport & Study programme. The WAoS-IBO partnership means we can now offer elite student-athletes the chance to pursue both their education and intense training schedules with flexible and/or extended IBMYP, IBDP and IBCP programmes. Not to mention be part of a Student-Athlete Group with its own logo run by our Sport & Study Coordinator, himself an ex-student-athlete.
Our latest challenge stemmed somewhat from our Sport & Study Programme. Needing more space to accommodate the elite skiers who would join the Haut-Lac & Ski Zenit Ski Racing Academy, we got the ball rolling on plans for a new Boutique Boarding House. Located a short walk from our school campuses, the bright, modern building will be home away home for up to 30 international students and athletes aged 11 to 18 from August 2022.
As you can see, Haut-Lac has continued to grow and develop in the face of adversity. And not just internationally. We have worked hard over the last few years to develop our local contacts, which in turn has increased the Swiss, bilingual and international families established long-term in the area to 63% of our student body. A figure that means, for the first time in Haut-Lac’s history, French supersedes English as the majority language by 2%.
That’s it from us for now, but we look forward to keeping you posted on the great work going on at Haut-Lac to support a growing, diverse student population. And to hearing from you! Just as we would love to share your news with our community, feel free to share our news with family and friends.
See you soon on our Linked Alumni platform,
Anne-Marie Harwood Managing Director - Secondary
Chers Alumni,
En tant que Directrice-Fondatrice d’Haut-Lac, je travaille avec l'équipe alumni de l'école pour développer un sentiment de fierté et d’appartenance parmi les anciens élèves et familles d’Haut-Lac.
Avec près de 500 anciens élèves, nous invitons les diplômés qui ne l’ont pas encore fait à se joindre au groupe LinkedIn « Haut-Lac Alumni ». Les histoires personnelles et professionnelles que vos pairs ont déjà partagées avec nous nous rendent extrêmement fiers. Les discours sur la vie après Haut-Lac qu’ils ont donnés lors de nos récentes Cérémonies de Fin d’Études sont de vraies sources d'inspiration pour les plus jeunes.
L'objectif de cette Newsletter est double.
• partager avec vous la façon dont Haut-Lac a réagi à la pandémie. Comment nous l'avons traitée avec le respect qui s'impose, mais sans la laisser nous définir. Comment nous continuons à aller de l'avant dans de nouvelles directions passionnantes.
• représenter nos anciens élèves dans le monde entier, en partageant vos succès et vos défis et en soutenant vos divers besoins et intérêts.
Avec tant de choses qui se passent à Haut-Lac aujourd'hui, il est difficile de savoir par où commencer.
Commençons par les études, puisque nous sommes une école et que l'enseignement est ce que nous faisons de mieux. En plus de nos programmes phares, soit l’IBPEI et l’IBDP, nous avons désormais aussi :
• une option suisse permettant aux élèves de tirer le meilleur parti de notre expertise bilingue et de notre programme PEI holistique avant de passer les examens pour réintégrer le système public suisse à 15 ans.
• le programme du Diplôme de Fin d’Études Américain pour les élèves souhaitant étudier aux États-Unis ou au Canada.
• le tout nouveau programme IB qui fait rage à travers le monde, soit le Programme à Orientation Professionnelle de l'IB o un cours hybride en ligne et en présentiel permettant aux élèves de développer à la fois leurs connaissances académiques avec 3 matières de l’IBDP et leurs compétences professionnelles avec une formation (CRS) en Gestion du Sport International avec Federation University (AUS), ou en Art & Design avec le Savannah College of Art & Design (USA et France), ou en Management Durable avec
l'Université SUMAS à Gland (CH). Continuons avec notre programme SportÉtudes, qui a été renforcé suite à l'accréditation obtenue par l'Académie Mondiale du Sport (WAoS). Le partenariat WAoS-IBO signifie que nous pouvons désormais offrir aux élèves-athlètes de haut niveau la possibilité de poursuivre à la fois leurs études et leur programme d'entraînement intense grâce à des programmes IBPEI, IBDP et IBCP flexibles et/ou prolongés. Ces derniers ont également leur propre réseau de soutien grâce au Groupe Élèves-Athlètes dirigé par notre Coordinateur Sport-Études, lui-même ancien élève-athlète.
Notre dernier défi découle en quelque sorte de notre programme Sport & Étude. Ayant besoin de plus d'espace pour accueillir les skieurs d'élite qui rejoindraient l'Académie de ski de compétition de Haut-Lac & Ski Zenit, nous nous sommes lancés dans la gestion d’un internat familial. Situé à quelques pas des campus scolaires, un bâtiment moderne et lumineux accueillera jusqu'à 30 élèves et athlètes internationaux âgés de 11 à 18 ans à partir d'août 2022.
Comme vous pouvez le constater, Haut-Lac a continué à croître et à se développer face à l'adversité. Et pas seulement au niveau international. Nous avons travaillé dur ces dernières années pour développer nos contacts locaux, ce qui signifie que les familles Haut-Lac suisses, bilingues et internationales établies à long terme dans la région représentent maintenant 63% de notre corps étudiant. Un chiffre qui signifie que, pour la première fois dans l'histoire d’Haut-Lac, le français dépasse de 2% l'anglais comme langue majoritaire.
C'est tout ce que nous avons à dire pour l'instant, mais nous continuerons à vous tenir au courant de l'excellent travail qui se fait à Haut-Lac pour soutenir une population étudiante croissante et diversifiée. Et nous espérons avoir de vos nouvelles !
Tout comme nous aimons partager vos nouvelles avec notre communauté, n'hésitez pas à partager les nôtres avec votre famille et vos amis.
À bientôt sur notre plateforme LinkedIn des alumni de Haut-Lac,
Anne-Marie Harwood Directrice Générale - SecondaireWhere are they now....?
As Haut-Lac celebrates 15 years of Alumni, reaching 500 graduates, we touch base with students from the following classes.
Où sont-ils maintenant....?
Alors que Haut-Lac fête ses 15 ans
15 Years
Aman Singh Makkar –Class of 2006
I graduated from Haut-Lac in the summer of 2006. From IB into the real worlduniversity to fatherhood - it’s been quite the journey.
My adventure after Haut-Lac begins in Brussels where I studied Business Administration. I participated in student associations, travelled across Europe, and sunk my teeth into accounting, financial modelling, and economics.
Wishing to explore lands outside of India where I was born and Europe, I flew across the pond to Toronto, Canada. After a short internship at the University of Guelph, I completed a Masters in International Management at Ivey / Western University.
To experience “Business Management”, I worked at a boutique consulting firm in strategy and operations with clients across Financial Services, Retail, and Airline. Fascinated by how technology affects consumers, I moved to RBC, a large Canadian bank, in the Multi-channel strategy group.
My interest in technology and problem solving drove me to Google ~6 years ago, where I’ve had the opportunity to introduce the Hardware portfolio (Pixel, Nest, Chromecast) to Canadians, and build Telecom partnerships in my current role.
Outside of work, my hands are full with a 2 month newborn. Continuing the tradition of bilingualism, I speak English, and Sophie speaks French with our son Théo. In reflecting back, I’m grateful for the friendships, along with the love Haut-Lac fostered for languages & culture and personal curiosity & fulfilment.
d'alumni, nous contactons des étudiants des classes suivantes.
10 Years
Hannah Whittaker - Class of 2011
I graduated from Haut-Lac in 2011. It doesn’t feel like it was 10 years ago; time really does fly! After my time at Haut-Lac I jumped straight into my 4-year undergraduate degree in Biomedical sciences with an Honours degree in Pharmacology at Edinburgh University. I loved my time there. I learned important skills, made lifelong friends, and made lasting memories in a beautiful city. I spent the term times studying and enjoying the experiences Edinburgh had to offer and the summer holidays catching up with friends from home, while also exploring potential careers, volunteering for a sea turtle charity in Kefalonia and working at the CHUV hospital.
Unlike some of my other friends, I didn’t know what I wanted to do after University. I knew I wanted to stay in the sciences but not exactly I wanted to pursue. After much deliberation I ended up choosing to do a master’s degree at University College London in Epidemiology. Little did I know, this would be the best decision I have made so far.
I loved the course, and it sparked my passion for epidemiological research. It also sparked my love for the city of London. After graduating, I was able to stay on in the department for a short-term post as a Research Assistant working on projects based on risk factors for Alzheimer’s Disease. That project made me want to carry on research in academia and I was offered a job at Imperial College London working as a Research Assistant on projects related to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease using national data which has been a great experience! I was also given the opportunity to do a PhD at the same time which I have just completed, and so my official title is now Dr Whittaker! I am currently working as a post-doctorate research associate in the same department at Imperial on long COVID-19 projects.
My journey is still only at its beginning and having finally finished my education, my options are limitless.
I’m always grateful for my time at Haut-Lac. Without even knowing it, my time at the school helped shape my future and guide me onto my current path.
5 Years
Jan Forschner - Class of 2017
Since graduating from Haut-Lac in 2017, I have been pursuing a 5-year Integrated Masters Degree in mathematics at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. The programme there has allowed me to take on a selection of additional subjects such as business management and economics in my first and second year, allowing me to get an interesting insight into these fields. However, I am now focusing on applied mathematics (in particular financial mathematics and risk management). I am thoroughly enjoying my course as it is highly engaging but at the same time always offers a good challenge. Throughout my studies, I have found that the IB has equipped me very well for life at university by preparing me for the expected workload and allowing me to aquire study and problem-solving skills, which have come in handy many times. At university, I have also been fortunate enough to meet and live with many new people from a range of backgrounds, which has already made my experience here unforgettable.
Last summer, I had the chance to take on a 3-month internship at Deloitte in Frankfurt. Working in audit & assurance, I assisted with the appraisal of real-estate companies as well as participating in a range of other interesting projects. Throughout, I was supported by a great team that I unfortunately had to communicate with remotely most of the time (due to Covid). It was however, an extremely insightful and educational experience and I look forward to starting my second internship in financial risk management at PwC this summer.
All in all, these past few years have been very memorable. I have very positive memories when looking back at my time at Haut-Lac and am still regularly in touch with many of the friends I graduated with 4 years ago. I am very much looking forward to completing my studies at St Andrews next year and beginning a new phase in my life.
Catching up with the class of 2020
Des nouvelles de la Promotion 2020
Georgina Shepherd
My first year at university has been a world away from what I imagined! Graduating from Haut-Lac last year I was thrilled to be going to study International Development at McGill University in August and starting my student life in Montreal in Canada.
It turned out that I would start my university life in Switzerland doing lectures online from my childhood bedroom at 11 pm, but things looked up when I finally made it to Montreal in early January. 14-day quarantine in my dorm over, I was ready for some real student life, only to find that an 8 pm curfew and the authorities’ conviction that we students were “a clear and present danger” meant that our liberty was rather curtailed.
Nonetheless, my first year has been amazing! My courses are great and my lecturers inspirational, and the IB has definitely helped me to cope with the “grown-up thinking” required. I also realised this year that the most important thing that the IB taught me was resilience and adaptability; qualities that shone through when living in a new city, in a strange country, in a lockdown with a curfew. McGill has announced that starting in September we will be having in-person classes, so I’m very excited to hopefully experience a “normal” university life soon!
To future DP2s, good luck in your exams, study hard, and cherish your last year at school; a great big exciting wide world awaits!
Shreya Desai
I am close to completing my first year of university, studying Film and Television Production at the University of York and it has been a whirlwind! York is truly one of the most wonderful and exciting cities I have ever been to. The streets often remind me of Montreux. My course has proven to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I thoroughly enjoy being able to study my passion.
Don’t get me wrong though, this year has had its ups and downs. Due to Covid it was a challenging IB exam experience, having to travel and settle down in a foreign country alone and of course a global pandemic which led to countless weeks stuck in isolation in my flat and prevented my creative course from being in person - well, safe to say it has been tough. Nevertheless, I have cherished my experiences over the past year. Although most of the year has been online learning, in the last term we have been able to go in for practicals and use the editing and studio spaces! I’ve had the privilege of being taught by some of the most inspiring individuals and have made friends that I can’t imagine not having in my life now. I do miss everything about HautLac and all my teachers and friends, but I also feel like I could not have been more prepared by them to be able to manage by myself now and I am so grateful. I am looking forward to coming back to Switzerland and being reunited with my family and friends!
To future DP2s, you’re all troopers for getting through everything and you have a very exciting chapter awaiting you. I am sure that you’ll all do great, and I wish you the best of luck!
Nicole Schretlen Montes
"Hey everyone! Long time no see. Since that random day in March where school ended, I have gone out into the world and "followed my dreams" (how cliché, I know but true). I started studying at Rose Bruford College on a Foundation Acting course where, for 6 months, I trained to be an actress full-time. It was exactly what I wanted and needed; lessons in voice, movement, technique, masterclasses, film, Shakespeare, industry and more. It was incredible! Although London was in Lockdown and COVID undeniably altered the experience, I made the most of it.
After the course finished, I began au pairing for a family in London, living the Maria Von Trapp life. I take care of 2 girls and we enjoy loads of activities. With the spare time, I've been able to venture into more creative outlets ; painting, writing, music, lightsabering, cooking, reading and running.
In terms of studying next year, I'm happy to say that I was standing offers to go to drama school in London after a rigorous audition season on zoom.
Overall, life is good, I'm feeling great, and I'm content with how everything turned out.
XOXO Nicole "Yaelle Lohner Hutzli
It is quite a year we all have behind us, which definitely came with its many hurdles and challenges! I remember when last year on a Friday afternoon in March all us DP2s were called into the dining room, where they told us that school was going to be closed for an uncertain amount of time.
No one knew what that would mean for us: would we go back to school? What about the exams? Does our leaving ceremony take place? And the graduation itself? We lived a period of uncertainty without clear milestones which was not the easiest. On top of that, I did not have a plan for my future yet: was I going to take a gap year or go to university? I simply applied to various courses in several universities in different countries.
I ended up pursuing a bachelor’s degree in law at the University of Fribourg. It was a strange year, mainly following online classes. When you have 300 students on a zoom call, mainly with their cameras turned off, and when all social events are cancelled, meeting people and making new friends can be a bit of a challenge. However, through the breakout rooms, I was able to meet a few people, including some who also completed the IB :)
Studying in two languages did not make things easier either, but looking back on my first year of studies I can now say that I really enjoy it. I enjoy the uni student life and I am lucky I get to live with one of my sisters.
I really miss the school life though. I know, I know, when I was in school I also just wanted to be done with it and got stressed about all the deadlines and exams. But enjoy it! In my course, we do not get homework throughout the year and in the first year we only have one set of exams at the end of the year. Who would have thought that I miss homework? Being an expert in procrastination, I know how hard it is to stay up to date and not let things fall behind, because believe me catching up is even harder and more stressful (I am currently experiencing that…). I truly believe that the IB prepares you for the future and that Haut-Lac is a school in which you learn many valuable lessons, academically as well as socially.
The advice I would give to all students, but in particular the new DP2s is to have fun! At times you may not see the light at the end of the tunnel and you are eagerly and impatiently waiting for the moment you walk out of your last exam and finally have that diploma in your hand. But enjoy that last year, it is a unique one and will always be remembered.
Work and study hard, but also make sure to have fun and make memories!
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