From the classrooms of GESS to the cutting-edge research labs of Europe, this alumna has taken an inspiring academic and professional journey. It all started at GESS where a curiosity for learning and a passion for subjects like biology, art and psychology laid the foundation for her successful career in neuroscience.
Time at GESS
2009 – 2016
Year of Graduation
2016
Are you still studying now? If yes, what are you studying?
I completed my Bachelor of Science in Psychology at University College London, then my Master of Science of Clinical Neuroscience at King’s College London, and I am now doing my PhD in Neuropsychology at the Ruhr University Bochum.
Why and how did you make this decision to pursue higher studies? What got you interested?
Being an ambitious student, I was strongly encouraged to pursue further education. At the time I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in the future, but I did know which subjects I enjoyed and what I loved learning about. While at GESS I decided to take an online IB psychology course, which I found quite interesting. On top of that, I love biology, maths and art, as these are my strengths, so going for a BSc in psychology just made sense to me. Even at that point, I was drawn to the more biological form of psychology, which is why I ended up pursuing a Master’s as a way of specialising in neuroscience. It all seems very logical and straightforward now in hindsight, but as an IB diploma student, it was very daunting. I remember working through the personal studies tasks, like practice job applications and personality tests, which really helped me to make sense of what I even wanted.
GESS Graduation Ball 2016
Are you currently working? Can you share more about your work experience?
I am currently employed as a research assistant in a PhD programme. At this research institute, I work in the field of electrical brain stimulation, but I’ve also worked in a lab specialised in multiple sclerosis research. This is a very academically challenging field of work, which can definitely be tough at times, but from experience, I really need and enjoy the daily mental challenge, and I tend to thrive in these jobs much more than in slow-moving or tedious jobs.
In terms of my daily tasks and structure, it’s all varied and flexible. I choose my working hours and from where I work. I also decide my preferred tasks for the day and what goals I have, so I can really dive into whatever I find interesting. Overall, I become an expert in some very niche topics. It’s hard to summarise the tasks you have as a researcher, but a typical day includes programming, statistics, writing, supervising MSc students, setting up tech equipment, running experiments with people, and working with biological samples.
Well and above all of those, we have a lot of collaborations, which allow me to work with different labs. Right now, for example, I am in a lab in Belgium for 3 months to run an experiment with the team there. You get to know different systems of working, meet many new people, and travel the world for work. I love that wherever I am as a researcher, I am in a social environment and life has an element of unpredictability.
We know you made time to attend GESS’ Alumni meeting in Aachen in June 2024? What made you sign up and why do you feel that alumni meetings are important for you?
I honestly attended out of curiosity and because Aachen was a close-enough location for me, but I’m so glad I did! It was really fun and it immediately brought you back into this feeling of community and the sense of ease that comes with it. Having gone to GESS is quite a unique experience and it’s very rare to meet people who share a similar sociocultural background once you leave GESS.
Are you still in touch with any friends from GESS before the Alumni event? Are you planning to have reunions with them in the future?
Yes, I am still in touch with most of my friends from GESS. We have all spread out into different corners of the earth and we are in completely different directions of life. In terms of reunion, we usually do this 1-on-1 when we happen to be in the same country and try to meet. A few of my close friends from GESS will remain my lifelong friends – they are like family! And shout out to Emma, whom I still call for 3 hours to talk about everything and nothing!
Amba and her friend Emma (2015)
What is your favourite memory of GESS while you were studying?
We really loved the art class. We would often spend lunches or the after-school period hiding out in the art storage room. Mr. Landseer would let us paint and just do whatever our creative minds felt like doing. We would come up with the most random, hilarious ideas and paintings and laugh endlessly. From time to time, one of us (usually Marie or Harry), will find a video from back then and send it around. Almost 10 years later, it still makes me laugh and smile without fail!
Amba during her Art Class
What do you miss about Singapore and your life here?
I honestly just loved the social environment. The teachers were all great people, and so were my peers. Seeing your closest friends every day is also so much fun. Coming from a multicultural household, I sometimes miss how international and open-minded GESS was, but I have found similar groups as well. And from Singapore itself, I miss the luxuries of life there, specifically the food and the sun!!
What did you learn at GESS that you especially value today?
Over the years, I’ve recognised and valued different elements of what I learnt at GESS. Thinking about it now, I value that we were taught to embrace differences and see the world and situations as multi-layered. We were also taught to question everything and not take information at face value. In this political era, it’s an important skill to understand how language can be used to bias information subconsciously. I also learnt the importance of mentors. Working in a role where I supervise students, I look back on how a positive reinforcement or challenge from teachers affected me massively, and I have compared this with people’s experiences at other schools, I appreciate how richly we were taught at GESS and encouraged to become our best selves and what a rare privilege that is.
How did GESS help you as a student?
I felt like I had a massive head start at university compared to my peers. We had already done a lot of the first-year tasks and learnt a lot of the information. We also learnt some basic life skills, like budgeting, job application processes, and taking care of your health and safety, which really put me at a major advantage.
As a mixed-race black person, I can personally say that I didn’t experience any major racism at GESS. Of course, kids can be much harsher than adults and can make potentially problematic jokes, but I personally never felt like there was a prejudice towards me or that I was being discriminated against. In terms of development, I gained a strong sense of self before “entering the real world”. Of course, I don’t know how an alternative would have affected me, but I do value the enormous privilege of having a protected childhood in this way.
Is there any piece of advice or any experience you would like to share with the current GESS students?
After leaving GESS, your friends and peers will spread out through the world. Try your best to stay in contact, even if it’s just periodically. Some of those friends will still be with you 10 years later (and probably even for life), no matter how different your paths are and no matter where in the world you end up.
From a neuropsychologist’s point of view: the way you think about yourself and the world impacts your life in bigger ways than we realise. Be kind to yourself. Be your own friend, fan and caretaker. It can change your life dramatically!
