Rehana Lujee
The best part of my childhood was spent at Patana. I remember my first day, standing on the steps of the old building when Bangkok Patana was still in Soi Navin, at break time feeling both nervous and excited. I remember feeling so happy and relieved when I spotted my best friend from Sathorn Nursery, bounding up the steps to meet me. That was the start of my wonderful school experience at Patana.
Nationality: British
Years at Bangkok Patana: 12
Patana Graduating Class: 1998
University: B.Comm University of Sydney, 2001; M.Comm University of New South Wales 2003
Currently: Data Strategy Consultant in London, UK (Data Planning Ltd)
What are your favourite memories of Bangkok Patana?
The best part of my childhood was spent at Patana. I remember my first day, standing on the steps of the old building when Bangkok Patana was still in Soi Navin, at break time feeling both nervous and excited. I remember feeling so happy and relieved when I spotted my best friend from Sathorn Nursery, bounding up the steps to meet me. That was the start of my wonderful school experience at Patana.
After those first tentative steps into school life, there have been endless fond memories. One of my most cherished memories was being the lead in a drama production which we wrote, directed and performed as part of IB Theatre Arts class. But in addition to that, I have some great memories of exciting school trips, partaking in basketball tournaments, spending free time with friends in the IB block and most of all, making lifelong friends.
Some of my happiest times and fondest memories are from my time at Bangkok Patana.
What have you been doing since leaving Bangkok Patana?
Firstly, I am still in shock at the realisation that I graduated twenty years ago! Time flies but the wonderful memories are still held close to my heart.
After graduating, I was keen to leave the nest and explore what the world outside of Thailand had to offer. I moved to Sydney to start university and have since moved to London, where I am now based.
A few years ago, I took a leap and started my own consultancy. I now work with different agencies to develop their data strategies. The aim of which is to help them make business decisions using data driven insights.
The best thing about having my own consultancy is the flexibility it affords me. I work for two thirds of the year and spend the rest of the time relaxing, traveling and spending time with the people most important to me.
What are the things that you learned/experienced at Bangkok Patana that you still use today?
There are just so many things I learned at Bangkok Patana that have influenced who I am today. From a young age, the school allowed us to celebrate being part of the international community and appreciating the cultural differences therein.
Living and working in one of the most transient cities in the world, the ability to understand and work with people from across the world, has been very important for me both personally and in my career.
Further to this, the breath of activities that the school encouraged each of us to be involved in, the critical thinking our amazing teachers taught us to engage in and challenges we faced at school (IB comes to mind!), have all helped shape my approach to everyday life.
