Thomas Chan

My name is Thomas Chan, a graduate from Ningbo Huamao International School of the 2014 cohort. Having graduated from NBHIS’s IB Diploma Program with a final score of 38, I was admitted into the University of Melbourne, Australia. Majoring in Finance and Management, I am currently in my final semester of the Bachelor of Commerce degree.

My stay in Australia has thus far been highly interesting. I have worked on a few different jobs and projects throughout the three years. During my first year, I was a part-time kitchen hand in a Japanese restaurant. That was my first time earning some income to cover my living expenses. Towards the end of my second year, I have undergone an internship with PwC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the start of my final year, I have volunteered to teach elementary finance in a high school at Melbourne.

More recently, I have also started working for an Australian mobile application startup as a part-time research analyst. My commitment of working in a startup is the most exciting experience. This is because I was able to work alongside the two founders of the company, and was given ample opportunities to understand how a startup company survives through the initial period when it has very limited financial, physical and intellectual resources.

As a former student of NBHIS, my greatest takeaway from this school has been the benefits of being a risk taker, an IB learner profile that NBHIS has been championing consistently. In the immediate term, taking risks allows me to step beyond my own comfort zone to try doing things that I have never done or thought about doing before, such as participating in case study competitions and speaking in public pitches. Being a risk-taker also bodes well with my aspiration to become an entrepreneur as a long-term goal in my life.

Finally, I wish to extend my best wishes to Ningbo HuaMao International School. Being one of the first cohort of graduates from this school meant that I was very privileged to have witnessed the school’s tremendous growth and many wonderful achievements made throughout the years. Indeed, many thanks to this splendid place and its lovely people for getting me to where I am today!