After their many years in International School Manila, the class of 2016 is ready to conquer the world.

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(From left) Nicholas Te, Maxine Alindogan, Seth Hiranand, Liana Samson, Stefan Suarez, Samantha Um, William Batchelor, Chiara Squillantini, Keith Yang, Nikolas Puno, Arianna Cu, Ysabel Ayalam Myles Rublee, Liana Lopez

Leaving the comforts of one’s home and school is a big leap into the unknown. The prospect of living and working in a new city brings about a mix of excitement and anxiety, which is understandable given the impending departure from familiarity. This year, 14 exemplary students from the International School Manila (ISM) bid adieu to their high school environment and get ready to take on the bigger picture as they enter the next phase of their lives. 

Maxine Alindogan
Maxine Alindogan is set to attend university at the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences at Boston College, leaning towards a major in Economics. In high school, she found herself drawn to doing publishing work; she was part of ISM’s official publication Bamboo Telegraph as a photographer, writer, and editor, and Kawayan (their yearbook) as head photographer. She has also been contributing to the national daily Philippine Star, with her interviews of authors like Marie Lau, Jenny Han, and Lang Leav. She considers as her biggest achievement to date her being able to bring the Israeli shoe brand Marcha Ballerina to the Philippines. “I have opened four kiosks in some of the major malls in the country,” she says. “A few years from now, I hope to apply everything I’ve learnt in university to expand the business. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it more successful than it currently is.” 

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Keith Yang, Liana Lopez, and William Batchelor

Ysabel Ayala
Last year, Ysabel Ayala had to walk away from the chance to be a part of the first Philippine National Women’s Touch Rugby team. “I had to focus on my junior end-of-year exams, which were integral to my college application,” she says. It turned out to be a life-changing decision, as she was admitted to one of the Ivy League schools, Princeton University. “As of now, I’m really interested in becoming a teacher,” she says. “I have had some experience teaching with the student-led organisation, PREP, where I learnt how I could do what I enjoy while inspiring others.” A dancer since she was four years old, Ayala also plans to join dance organisations in Princeton. Although she’s prepared to face a new life on the other side of the world, Ayala admits that she will miss high school. “I will most likely miss the feeling of security and being home with my friends,” she says. “ISM has been my only school for 14 years, and I have been surrounded by walls of familiarity, where I met a solid group of friends.” 

William Batchelor
William Batchelor has long dreamt of becoming a broadcast journalist, with high hopes of working for major television news networks like CNN. In school, Batchelor served as the head producer for ISM’s online publication, Bamboo Telegraph Video. He was also president of Bearcat Council, an athletics club that plans and oversees sports activities. His interests include politics, economics, fashion, and sports. Batchelor admits to feeling stressed out at times due to the demands of the International Baccalaureate curriculum, but his friends always helped him pull through. “The friends that I made here will definitely stay the course,” he says. Following graduation, Batchelor will be attending Boston College in Massachusetts to take up a course in Communications with a focus on Journalism. “I look forward to living in a new city and immersing myself in a different culture,” he says. 

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Nicholas Te, Chiara Squillantini, Seth Hiranand, and Ysabel Ayala

Arianna Cu
“I went to ISM for 14 years, and I truly consider it home,” Arianna Cu says. “I have made best friends and learnt valuable lessons from the best teachers and from the mistakes I made in that school.” She will be studying at Northwestern University in Illinois, and although the idea of living in a new city is nerve-wracking for this young lady, she is ready for an independent life away from home. She took her first step towards her dream of working in the entertainment industry by majoring in Communication Studies. “My favourite hobby has always been acting in theatre,” she says. “I’ve been in a handful of school productions—mostly as an actress, but I’ve also helped out as a stage manager and director in some as well.” If Cu had to summarise her high school life in a word, it would be “rollercoaster,” as it had its ups and downs, and “at the end of it, you leave smiling and wanting another ride.”

Seth Hiranand
“It was seriously a life-changing time for me in all the good ways,” Seth Hiranand says of his time in ISM. A business whiz in the making, Hiranand came up with his own shoe line while he was in high school. He also worked on several fashion and music projects, though he hasn’t made most of them available to the public. “If I could go back and do high school all over again, I would’ve released all the music I produced and shared my fashion ideas,” he says. Hiranand will be going to school at the Parsons School of Design: The New School, taking up Strategic Design and Management, and looks forward to pursuing his dream of becoming the creative director of one of his favourite clothing brands, and further down the line, launching his own brand. “I will miss the life I had during high school,” he says. “Even though things will get even better, I will always appreciate where I came from.” 

Liana Lopez
“I was fortunate enough to study in an international school and [had the chance] to meet people from different walks of life,” says Liana Lopez, who is ready to open a new chapter as a student in Boston College Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. “I’m excited, albeit nervous, to be in a completely new environment,” she says. “I’ve never lived outside of the Philippines and away from my family so I’m excited to grow independently as a person.” After college, she wishes to come back home and study law at the Ateneo de Manila University Law School. This kind-hearted young lady also dreams of starting her own non-government organisation, one that will help give quality education to those who most need it. “My biggest inspirations are my parents. They have been so selfless and hardworking, ensuring that we can have the best; they are my number one supporters.” 

Nikolas Puno
Ever since he was a kid, sports and athletics have played a huge part of Nik Puno’s life. He dabbled in many sports as a kid, but concentrated on volleyball, basketball, and softball in high school. Music is another interest that he got to pursue in ISM. “When my band auditioned for Battle of the Bands, we forgot the lyrics to the song and messed up the performance,” he recounts. “We barely made it past the auditions, but ended up making it to the finals and winning third place!” Puno’s biggest achievement, however, took place outside the realm of sports and music. “In my junior year, I was inducted into the National Honour Society,” he says. “I consider this to be my biggest achievement in high school because I felt like no one really recognised me as being academically capable.” Puno will be attending the University of Southern California, studying History and Economics, and is looking forward to some friendly competition within his family; his dad is an alumnus of rival school UCLA.

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Myles Rublee, Arianna Cu, Liana Samson, and Nikolas Puno

Myles Rublee
“I’ve always been very passionate about film,” says Myles Rublee. “I devote a lot of time to watching different kinds of films that inspire me to learn how to tell powerful stories.” This is why he chose to major in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. While in high school, Rublee travelled to Taipei for the IASAS Cultural Convention, where he and his schoolmates presented an unconventional dance and drama piece that was well-praised by the audience. He also worked on 13 shows over the past four years, and was one of five students inducted into the Cum Laude Society this past May. He’s sad to leave his friends behind, but is looking forward to being one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming a professional filmmaker working in a production company in Hollywood. “I’m really looking forward to living and working in Los Angeles,” Rublee says. “I’m excited about all the opportunities out there—it’s a vibrant city teeming with talent.”

Liana Samson
Tennis and dance are Liana Samson’s biggest passions, though she has always been more dedicated to the latter. “Dance has been one of my main interests for the past 10 years now,” she says. “I love being able to express emotions through movement and perform with a group of friends that share the same love as me.” Samson was a member of a dance team since her freshman year, and the team became a second family to her. When she goes to college at Wesleyan University in Connecticut to study Economics, Samson will miss her friends the most—she credits their help and support for getting her through high school. What excites her most about going to college is being reunited with her brother, who goes to Wesleyan as well. “I was devastated when he had to leave after his senior year,” she says. “I am excited to go on adventures with him.” 

Chiara Squillantini
“What excites me the most about going off to college is the freedom,” says Chiara Squillantini. The upcoming freshman of Chapman University in California makes her grandfather—the late great Carlos P Romulo—her inspiration, aspiring to become an honourable person like he was. Her goal is to work in the marketing department of her family business, and so this young lady decided to take up Business Administration and Marketing. “I’m also planning on taking a semester at a sea programme, where I will be studying/living on a boat that docks on different ports for a whole semester,” she shares. Though she can’t wait for her new life on the other side of the globe, Squillantini is sure she would miss everything and everyone whom she will leave behind. “I believe we are incredibly fortunate to get the opportunity to actually go to high school, especially in ISM,” she says. “I have learnt so much through my experience there.”

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Samantha Um, Stefan Suarez, and Maxine Alindogan

Stefan Suarez
Stefan Suarez would like to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a successful lawyer, which is why he decided to go to Villanova University in Philadelphia to pursue a degree in Finance—something he thinks will be helpful when he becomes a corporate lawyer. Apart from his chosen academic path, he is also l ooking forward to joining the Villanova Varsity Tennis Team, where he will be playing the sport he has loved since he was a kid. Suarez was elected vice president of the student council when he was on his sophomore and junior year. “My time as a council member was memorable as I had the opportunity to lead the grade in many activities,” he says. Being a student leader is not the only thing Suarez will miss in high school; he says he will miss his friends the most. “Throughout high school, I have met so many interesting and amazing people,” he adds. “I’m sure we will all remain good friends.”

Nicholas Te
Nico Te has always known his true calling: to be an engineer. A robot enthusiast, Te isn’t content with just collecting robots, he also creates them. He has participated in a number of robotics tournaments, bringing his club, ISM Robotics, to the world stage. That’s why he’ll be entering the Engineering programme of University of California Berkeley. Te doesn’t want to be just an engineer, however. 10 years down the road, he wants to establish a sustainable and feasible platform for STEM in the Philippines. He also wants to be able to create a better environment for future generations. Make no mistake, Te isn’t an all-work-and-no-play kind of guy. “My most cherished memory from high school is the time I attempted ‘parkour’ despite my immense lack of athleticism and physical prowess,” he recounts. “This led to me planting my face onto the cafeteria floor after a failed attempt to climb over the waiting line railing—with the entire lunch crowd watching.” 

Samantha Um
High achiever Sami Um was the first person to ever simultaneously hold the positions of student body president and Bamboo Telegraph’s Editor-in-Chief. Apart from being a student leader, Um also played on the varsity teams for tennis, softball, volleyball, and cross country. Out of all of those sports, tennis was her favourite, and she wishes she had focused on the sport even more—though with a record of 23 wins to one loss, she didn’t do too badly juggling her hobbies. Um still hasn’t decided on her major, but she will be attending Harvard University, where her older brother also studies. “I want to work in a field that allows me to help people who cannot defend or ‘help’ themselves,” she says. “I envision myself working as an advocate for young children, either as a human rights lawyer or for an organisation championing for children’s rights.” 

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(seated, from left) Chiara Squillantini, Arianna Cu, Keith Yang, Liana Lopez, Stefan Suarez, Nikolas Puno, Samantha Um, Liana Samson, William Batchelor, Maxine Alindogan, Myles Rublee; (standing, from left) Nicholas Te, Seth Hiranand, and Ysabel Ayala

Keith Yang
For Keith Yang, going off to college is a journey to self-discovery, and this is why he can’t hide the fact that he’s excited for his first year in Stanford University. “Because of the independence, I feel like I’ll be able to find myself and what I truly want to do,” he says. “I want to become a game designer and create my own video games. Hopefully in 10 years, I’ll be working for a big company, or even an indie game company—anything that involves technology, actually.” Although he looks forward to his new life in California, he treasures all of the memories he made during high school—from silly freshman mistakes of going to the wrong classes, to being an active member of school organisations, and even playing drums and competing in the annual Battle of the Bands. “It was pretty stressful for me, but I’m proud that I was able to finish [high school] with my best effort, and still have fun along the way,” he says. “I’ll miss my friends a lot, they always found a way to make school fun and enjoyable.” 

Photography by Dookie Ducay | Words by MJ Jose, Cristina Morales, and Eirah Ople | Location: Blackbird at the The Nielson Tower | Hair and Make-up: Patrick Alcober of Shu Uemura