Catching up with our alumni: Emiele’s journey after King’s InterHigh

I spent most of my school years in Dubai following the IB curriculum before my family moved to Portugal. The school I attended there offered GCSEs, which I completed, but the A Level options were very limited. Subjects were grouped in ways that didn’t align with my interests. King's InterHigh gave me the flexibility to study the subjects I wanted, including German, which wasn’t even an option at my previous school.

Initially, I chose politics as one of my subjects but decided to drop politics and choose physics instead from Year 13. Using class recordings, I caught up on the entire first year of physics over the summer and joined the Physics regular class from the start of Year 13. The school’s structure made that possible and allowed me to follow the path I truly wanted.

Even though I studied during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, when trips and in-person meetups weren’t possible, I still built strong friendships. We stayed connected through group chats and Instagram and I’m still in touch with many classmates today. It’s great to see where everyone has ended up, it really is a global community! One of my favourite moments was meeting up with an old classmate while on holiday. I had shared where I was on Instagram and it turned out they were nearby too, so we arranged to meet in person. That connection meant a lot.

The biggest advantage was learning independence and self-discipline. At King's InterHigh, teachers don’t always see you working directly, so you’re responsible for keeping yourself on track. That discipline carried over to university, especially when it came to doing pre-reading and preparing for classes. I noticed that some of my peers struggled with that, but for me, it already felt natural.

I joined Forward College, in the founding cohort of a double bachelor’s programme that takes place across three countries in three years. I studied in Lisbon in Year 1, Paris in Year 2 and Berlin in Year 3. The programme combined two degrees -a Bachelor’s in Politics and InterNational Relations (designed by LSE and awarded by the University of London) and a Bachelor’s in Business and Leadership from Forward College itself. I graduated in June 2024 with a First in Business and Leadership and an upper second in Politics and International Relations.

After graduating, I completed a 9 month internship with Schwarzkopf Professional, one of the leading brands in the global hair industry. I worked on training initiatives, online courses and live seminars (these were programmes designed for professional hairdressers). I’m now in Düsseldorf, interning with L’Oréal as a People Development and Learning intern. I’m keeping my options open about the future. A Master’s might be on the horizon but for now I am exploring different opportunities through these internships. At the moment, I like to say I’m living life six months at a time.

If traditional schooling isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to make the change. Online education might suit you better, and if it doesn’t, you can always return to traditional schooling. What matters most is recognising when something isn’t working and having the courage to choose differently. The transition can feel challenging, especially socially. Your network may shift, but it’s important to actively work on maintaining friendships and finding new connections. Self-discipline is also key and you need to create an environment where you can focus, not just log in from your bed or sofa.

I think that many families will have concerns around excessive screen time, but I found that it wasn’t excessive. Much of my studying involved taking notes, doing homework, and reading offline. We live in a world where technology is increasingly integrated into education and work and the important thing is to balance it with offline activities and time away from screens.

I had some great teachers at King's InterHigh who were supportive, engaging and genuinely invested in helping us to succeed.