Alumni Spotlight – October 2022

October 2022 Spotlight: Alice Brunswick

Alice Brunswick, ISPA Class of 2018, Attending Concordia University, Graduating in September 2023

Degree: English Language and Literature

Career Goals: My goal is to be able to use my love for language and creative writing to excel in a creative environment. I would love to explore my options through internships and continue my studying through a certificate in creative writing or social media.

What has been the biggest surprise about the college experience? The biggest surprise I faced during my college experience would be the autonomy. In my university, classes are not often graded on attendance, and in contrast with high school, teachers are less attentive to a single student’s needs. In short, if you want to succeed you need to take on your responsibility and work hard because no one will hold your hand throughout this process.

Most challenging coursework in college? One of the most challenging courses for me was British Literature to 1600. Learning about works before 1600 without translation from Old English language was certainly a challenge especially since it was a required course in the very first semester. It necessitated way more focus than courses I took in English Lit in high school even at the AP level.

Accomplishment most proud of? What makes me proud when I reflect upon my education is how I moved to the US at 15, unable to speak a different language than my native tongue, then went from ESOL to AP Literature in a year to finally accomplish a bachelor’s degree in this new language. On a different note, I am proud of the recognition I gained from my internships; I was a videographer and social media intern and was allowed to directly contact artists to direct an interview, and from that, I decided to create my own promotional videos for restaurants or any artists that wanted promotional content.

Can you provide any advice for current ISPA students? The most prominent advice I could give is to not forget about extracurricular activities; volunteering, school clubs or even sports! But especially internships. ISPA offers the option to take on an internship for your senior year; this is an immense opportunity to build your resume and gain experience! My internship during my senior year offered many other experiences afterward. Also, it is great for college applications. Enjoy the activities ISPA has to offer and in high school, we don’t often realize how important it is to connect to others, what makes ISPA a great experience is the people and the diversity. You will never regret going out of your circle and outside your comfort zone.

Can you tell us how ISPA prepared you for success in college and in life? ISPA has taught me a lot; of course, other than another language, this school made me more independent. In ISPA, we teach you to go out of your way to gain experience, this school not only values education but more importantly the connection we make, how to get involved in a community, and participate in the events and activities offered. Also, my academic education forged my ability to think critically, debate, and have a great sense of analysis. Some teachers have been a great inspiration many of their advice will always stay with me throughout my career.

I paid for college with… I was fortunate enough to receive financial help from my parents, which I am very grateful for.

Fondest memory from High School? Every activity during senior year, senior breakfast, prom, or graduation. I loved how high school was celebrated and it felt great to recognize the efforts and challenges we faced. All of it was a great sendoff for the rest of our academic career and I have such great memories of these celebrations, even my family was glad to be able to witness something so different from my native country. Also, I loved the French class, even if I followed an American curriculum, being able to study French literature was greatly appreciated; it felt like having the best of both worlds.

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