Exceeding Expectations
As a Year 13 student, on the verge of applying to university to follow her dreams, Saba Vaziri takes a trip down memory lane to Year 7, when she first walked through the gates of Jumeirah College feeling just a little anxious.
Finding her feet
As someone who considered herself the definition of the average student and never thought of herself as ‘naturally intelligent’, Saba was initially a bit intimidated by Jumeirah College’s reputation for academic excellence. Moving from a smaller school, she thought she might be overwhelmed by her new surroundings, but things turned out very differently. After just a few weeks at Jumeirah College, Saba was already getting to experience the strong community spirit and enthusiastic support system at the school. She was making new friends and witnessing first-hand her teacher’s commitment towards fostering the holistic development of students. Before long, Saba had found her feet, her fears a distant memory.
Where there’s a will...
During her time at Jumeirah College, Saba has seen her fair share of both challenging and enjoyable moments. Never one to run short of passion or shrink from hard work, Saba points to some anecdotal evidence from her GCSE days, which she feels sums up her journey at the school. “I had always been passionate about history, so I decided to pick it as an optional GCSE subject,” she says. “However, shortly before Year 10, I received a C, or a grade 4 score in CAT, which put a question mark on the decision. Yet knowing how I would never settle for a C and aware of my love for history, my teachers – including those not from the history department – rallied behind me. Thanks to their constant support and guidance, I ended up achieving an A** or Grade 9.”
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Taking the next step forward
Understandably nostalgic about a school that has enhanced her self-belief as a student, Saba is now ready to step beyond its nurturing walls and embrace new challenges and experiences. Of all the values that she has learnt and imbibed at her school, Saba believes that understanding what it takes to exceed your own expectations and self-imposed limitations is the greatest. “Jumeirah College celebrates and supports a will to succeed,” she says.
“If a student is determined to achieve something, the teachers do whatever it takes to make it happen. If there is a will, there is always a way – that’s what the school encourages us to believe.”
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