Claire’s Pathway

For Claire, Bangkok Patana School has never been just a school, it’s been a second home. “I’ve been at Patana since Nursery,” she says with a smile. “It’s the only school I’ve ever known, and I love it here. The people, the teachers, the buildings… everything just feels like home.”

Over 15 years on one campus might seem like a long time, but Claire’s journey has been anything but static. From her earliest years, she was already carving out her own path. She joined the Gymnastics team in Year 4, eventually rising to Vice-Captain alongside her long-time teammate and friend. “That was my whole Primary school life, really,” she says. “Training, competing and just being part of a team, that taught me discipline and teamwork early on.”

As she moved into Secondary, Claire expanded her horizons beyond athletics. She became an active member of Operation Smile, a student-led club supporting cleft lip and palate surgeries. “I was treasurer for three years,” she explains. “We managed to double our fundraising to over THB 200,000. It felt so rewarding to know that we could make a tangible impact.” The club’s efforts even earned them the title CAS Club of the Year. Claire also served as President of the Secondary Student Representative Council (SSRC), a role that placed her at the intersection of student voice and school leadership. “There were only three of us leading the SSRC, so I had to take charge of meetings, organise communication with teachers, and respond to real student concerns,” she says. “It really helped me grow as a leader.”

That sense of leadership translated seamlessly into Claire’s academic journey. Her Higher Level subjects, Economics, Maths and Geography, reflect a strong interest in the analytical and human-focused aspects of education. “I hadn’t done Geography in (I)GCSE,” she admits, “so jumping into it at IB level was hard. But I love the human side of the subject. It’s about how people live and interact, and it really connects with what’s happening in the world.” Her favourite subject? “Economics,” she says without hesitation. “It’s logical and practical. It gives you tools to understand the real world.”

When it came time to choose a university course, Claire knew she wanted to build on what she’d learned, not just in class, but through years of leadership and initiative. “Some people think management is what you do when you don’t know what to do,” she says with a laugh. “But for me, it’s exactly what I love. I don’t like standing in a crowd, I like being the one leading the conversation.” Claire has accepted an offer from the London School of Economics (LSE) to study Management, her dream course at her dream school. “I still can’t believe it,” she says. “There were people with higher grades, but I got in. I’m so happy and honestly, so relieved.”

Her entrepreneurial streak has already had a chance to shine. Claire co-founded Biome, a student-run business selling eco-friendly keychains. “It was part of the Junior Achievement competition,” she explains. “We pitched to a panel of real entrepreneurs and even people from the World Bank. We came fourth overall.” Biome also had an e-commerce site, giving Claire firsthand experience in launching a product and managing a business. “It was a turning point. I realised this is what I want to do.”

While Claire is excited to move to London and start a new chapter, “I’m really looking forward to traveling around Europe,” she says, she knows there are parts of Patana that she’ll deeply miss. “My friends, definitely. Some of us have been together since nursery. One of my closest friends is going to King’s, so we’ll still be nearby.” And yes, she’ll also miss the food. “The Tuesday noodles, the red pork ones,” she laughs. “I don’t know what it is, but they’ve become a tradition.”

Looking back, Claire is grateful for a school that gave her the space to explore, lead, and discover who she wanted to become. “Patana shaped me,” she says. “It’s given me so many opportunities. I’m nervous about leaving, but I’m also ready. I know I’ve had the best foundation I could’ve asked for.”