Congratulations to The Class of 2023

We’re pleased to share this year’s graduating class: 28 incredible individuals, spanning two cohorts, whose personalities are as unique as their TGS experiences. Yet, for all of their wonderful differences, each is united in having left an enduring mark on their educators, our school’s culture, and, most importantly, each other.

Without further ado, we present to you the THINK Global School Class of 2023!

Aarushi Arora

Year Joined: 2021

From: India 🇮🇳

Cohort: CM2

Countries Aarushi called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior Quote: “To live life is to live every moment as if it’s your first.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? There are so many, but if I had to name one, weXplore in Mexico City is the best memory I had during my time at TGS. It was at the best time, at the best place, and with the best people.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? The people, the lifestyle, and the places we made so many memories at.

Asja Čamdžić

Year Joined: 2020

From: Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦

Cohort: CM1

Countries Asja called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” -Muhammad Ali

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Looking at the sunset in Botswana while a herd of elephants was crossing the delta.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Stipend, weXplore, and roommates.

Bido Hafrag

Year Joined: 2021

From: Egypt 🇪🇬

Cohort: CM2

Countries Bido called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “We rise by lifting others.” -Robert Ingersoll

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? When we climbed up to the cloud forest in Oaxaca, Mexico, and spent 10 hours supporting each other. The following morning, we biked down the mountains after watching the sunrise from above the clouds.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? weXplore, hugging everyone when I see them again at the start of each term, and personal projects.

Camille Asturias Marcel

Year Joined: 2021

From: Guatemala 🇬🇹

Cohort: CM1

Countries Camille called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Writing’s not that easy, but Grammarly can help.” – Grammarly

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? The weXplore in Oman’s sailing module. It was so magical, and I felt right in my element. So many great memories were formed that week.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? The flexibility of work, the travel experiences, a small and diverse community.

Chadi Saadoun

Year Joined: 2021

From: Morocco 🇲🇦

Cohort: CM1

Countries Chadi called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “What is the joyfulness in life, without living to tell the stories that will never die.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Sleeping under the stars in Oman.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Common room jokes, Mindful Mondays, and fights about the AC remote.

Dhruv Goel

Year Joined: 2021

From: India 🇮🇳

Cohort: CM2

Countries Guillermo called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Love, it sustains you. It’s like oatmeal.” -Raymond Holt (Brooklyn 99)

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? SCUBA diving in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The crystal clear waters, ecstatic marine life, and the funny feeling in my stomach made me realize how precious every moment is; you become aware of each breath, every movement, and every sensation..

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? weXplore, Adobe subscriptions, and chaotic common rooms.

Diego Morales Gutiérrez

Year Joined: 2020

From: Mexico 🇲🇽

Cohort: CM2

Countries Diego called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “At some point, we all have to choose between what the world wants you to be, and who you are.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? The Playa del Carmen weXplore in Mexico was my favorite memory. The whole week felt as if we had left reality. We were SCUBA diving every day, walking on the beach during the evenings, enjoying all-you-can-eat sushi, and almost destroyed an ice cream shop. All of this with a group of my closest friends.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Stipend, going out to dinner every night with friends, and the community.

Gabriel Terán Endara

Year Joined: 2021

From: Ecuador 🇪🇨

Cohort: CM2

Countries Gabriel called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Good times become good memories, but bad times become good lessons.” -Uncle Iroh

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? One of my favorite moments was during my first weekend at TGS. A lot of people were restricted and forced to stay at the res for a Sunday. We were hanging out in the common room, and we decided to put on “Just Dance” videos and follow the choreographies of the game. I spent the whole afternoon dancing and laughing with strangers who felt like I had known them all my life. Now I hope we have become lifelong friends.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Personal project budget, the common room, and flexibility and comprehension.

Kavi Talwar

Year Joined: 2020

From: India 🇮🇳

Cohort: CM2

Countries Kavi called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving… you will come to a better place.” -Uncle Iroh

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? The cloud forest in Mexico.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? The friends, the thrifting, and the late movie nights.

Kiana Bahr

Year Joined: 2020

From: Canada 🇨🇦 & Malaysia 🇲🇾

Cohort: CM1

Countries Kiana called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “The past three years, I’ve cried, laughed, hugged, smiled, yelled, and felt emotions I never knew existed and experienced the world in a way I never thought was possible. But I did it, I made it to the end.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? When I was in Dubai and went to Global Village almost every week with my best friend Kirsten, we rode every single ride and then ate really good Persian food!

Another memory was in Botswana during weXplore I was trying to see a lion but didn’t up until the last day, and one of the guides called Professor hugged me and told me, “Because you believed you would see it!”

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Laughing with my friends so hard my stomach hurts, walking around listening to music and exploring the places in the country, and the chaotic guest speakers.

Maheen Hasan

Year Joined: 2021

From: Pakistan 🇵🇰

Cohort: CM1

Countries Maheen called home: Botswana, Greece, Mexico, and Türkiye

Senior quote: “This one’s for you, Malala.” -Zayn Malik

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Greece weXplore 2022. Camping, kayaking, sailing, and leaving term.

Marily Morales Gutiérrez

Year Joined: 2021

From: Mexico 🇲🇽

Cohort: CM2

Countries Marily called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “We got to be the dysfunctional-functional caring and supportive family we once dreamed about.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Stargazing during the Botswana Rite of Passage around the fire. After a safari day seeing animals I never thought I would see in person and crying because of hyenas.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Feeling at home everywhere we go, waking up and starting my days with friends, and Educator Andy.

Mehdia Sadat

Year Joined: 2021

From: Afghanistan 🇦🇫

Cohort: CM2

Countries Mehdia called home: Botswana, Mexico, Türkiye, and Greece

Senior quote: “Its Afghan, not Afghani.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? My Sadia project. In this project, Sara and I are doing social experiments and basically trying to be positively weird. In Mexico, we started making a language called Sadia; then, we started making words randomly. Meow=Yes, Woof=now Ow Ow=hello. In Botswana, we shared it with all the students and educators, and they used to greet us using this language. Once when we were talking about our language, Yosef believed us in the beginning and then started to get the joke, but the wrong one. He actually talked about Sadia airlines (they don’t exist).

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Project stipend, traveling, and academic independence.

Mila Fossey

Year Joined: 2020

From: France 🇫🇷, Canada 🇨🇦, and Romania 🇷🇴

Cohort: CM1

Countries Mila called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: Nouha: Is there any spicy sauce?” Chelle: “Yeah, we have ketchup :).”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Too many to count. Almost getting attacked by dogs in the mountains with Thebe on our hike to get 4G. Almost got attacked by an elephant in Botswana while in the reserve. Almost got attacked by a leopard in Botswana that was at my tent. Mabel and Jessie soaking my hair in the ocean in Greece so I could have nice curls. Dune bashing in Dubai for weXplore. Diving with Max in Oman and collecting data and following turtles. My hair being in gigantic knots in Botswana. Writing songs with Yeli. Having Maheen as a roommate. Sleeping on the ground in Greece with Camille and being sick. The night market in Malaysia. Jumping out a window. Leading archery for community PE. Winning El Clasico. Dancing with Sipho. Mentor meetings with Sam and Jac. Being overly dramatic for every single thing that has ever happened at this school.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? My favorite people, never ever being bored, and not knowing what I don’t know.

Minahil Mobeen

Year Joined: 2021

From: Pakistan 🇵🇰

Cohort: CM2

Countries Minahil called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “You’re an eagle; you’re supposed to soar. There are still plenty of skies ahead of you.” – Sir Iqbal

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Making sculptures in Oaxaca, Mexico, with the Syncretic Sculptures module while discussing the meaning behind our work. It was quite powerful and inspiring to sit in the breeze of the valleys as we created art that was so personal.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? 1) There is always someone to help you here. Few communities are so supportive, and fewer yet have built collaborative systems with such diverse members.

2) People in the community are limitlessly passionate. Every time I have a conversation with anyone, I learn something new and feel inspired. And no two conversations are ever the same.

3) The ability to explore so deeply. Whatever country we go to, there are so many things to explore, and we get to do it without limits.

Monnathebe Mosimane

Year Joined: 2020

From: South Africa 🇿🇦

Cohort: CM1

Countries Monnathebe called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote:

“The funds were useful
The words were truthful
The suspects were usual
The opps were delusional
The finish line is beautiful
And the disrespect is mutual
See You never.” ~ Father Africa

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Winning the CM1 vs CM 2 El Clásico. Leading the kids to glory.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Stipend, weXplore, and the opps.

Nouha Bellal

Year Joined: 2021

From: Morocco 🇲🇦

Cohort: CM1

Countries Nouha called home: Botswana, Greece, Oman, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “I better be reading this on a skyscraper. Until we meet again, maybe soon or never!”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? I have many memories, but there was one day at Expo Dubai 2020 that stood out. I was enjoying some incredibly delicious sushi from the Japan pavilion, surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms, with one of my closest friends. We were laughing so hard that my stomach started to hurt, and it was a truly unforgettable experience.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? weXplore, traveling A LOT, and stipend.

Olivia Abraham

Year Joined: 2021

From: United States 🇺🇸

Cohort: CM2

Countries Olivia called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” -A.A Milne

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? I loved our orientation day in Oaxaca, Mexico.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Disposable camera moments, Thanksgiving family dinners, and weXplores.

Rachel Cronnelly

Year Joined: 2020

From: Ireland 🇮🇪

Cohort: CM1

Countries Rachel called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “In every universe there is a question, and in every person there is an answer.” –The Midnight Gospel

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? The moment our first quarantine in Botswana ended.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Meeting guest speakers, advisories, and the coffee stipend.

Robyn Altham

Year Joined: 2020

From: United States 🇺🇸

Cohort: CM2

Countries Robyn called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Life’s secrets are found in questions, lemon tarts, and our Staten Island dump.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? A day-trip biking in Athens. Term four of my final year, we kicked it off with a bike ride through the parks and streets of Athens. Supposed to be 3 hours, but it quickly turned into a 5-hour trip. One hour was dedicated to being Chris’ paparazzi and another to grabbing ice cream and sitting in the grass with my group.

Dinner was supposed to be quick; instead, it quickly trickled into a couple of hours of conversation about ironic grilled vegetables, family, and embarrassing interactions with waiters…

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? The bizarre and obscure foods and drinks, the satisfyingly exhausting excursions, and being Chris’s paparazzi.

Saffron Bowen

Year Joined: 2021

From: United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Cohort: CM2

Countries Saffron called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: There is no reason why today can’t be the best day of your life.” -Sofia von Wachter

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Eating taco’s with the whole cohort in Oaxaca.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? My advisory, being around friends all the time, and regularly trying new things.

Samara Mutinda

Year Joined: 2021

From: Kenya 🇰🇪

Cohort: CM2

Countries Samara called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.” -Lemony Snicket, Horseradish

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Watching the sunset through an infinite sea of clouds from a small watch tower during the Mexico weXplore.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Easy communication, weXplores, and evening chats in the common room.

Sara Guessous

Year Joined: 2021

From: Morocco 🇰🇪

Cohort: CM2

Countries Sara called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: Be afraid, and do it anyways.

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Goa weXplore in India. There was a specific moment when we were on the beach with the pink sunset, and it just felt like such a magical moment.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Independent work time, traveling, and project-based learning.

Seher Yılman

Year Joined: 2021

From: Türkiye 🇹🇷

Cohort: CM2

Countries Seher called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? My favorite memory was probably playing on a frozen lake in South Korea after learning to prepare various Korean dishes with Mrs. Sonya.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? I will really miss the diversity we have here, the family I have here, and the constant exploring we have, whether it’s travelling or diving into a different subject.

Siphokazi Sokhela

Year Joined: 2021

From: South Africa 🇿🇦

Cohort: CM2

Countries Siphokazi called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Just give me my law degree already.”

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Falling into the Okavango Delta during a game of tag — I’m pretty sure I was pushed!

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? I’ll miss being a part of such a diverse and creative community; I quite honestly have never met a group of people who are so dedicated and passionate in their interests. I’ll miss the adventure of exploring a different country and never knowing what to expect from a day in life at TGS. I’ll miss having that almost family connection with my educators.

Wil Engalla

Year Joined: 2020

From: The Philippines 🇵🇭

Cohort: CM1

Countries Wil called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “If you ever feel safe and happy just remember, I’m out there.” -Batman

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Every single time I have been with my friends doing nothing but talking and laughing.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Friends, the dumb conversations, and tough tummy time.

Yeli Kourouma

Year Joined: 2020

From: United States 🇺🇸 and Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮

Cohort: CM1

Countries Yeli called home: Botswana, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Türkiye, and United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “Ogsoonoo inaan ku kujeclahay
Ana love you more than my life
Ana xibak yaa xabiibi
Nakupenda mimi saba
Waa u jeedada caashaqayga.”
-Nimco Happy

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? Sleeping in a shelter we built out of mopane branches and eating potatoes cooked under the sand during our Rite of Passage in the Kalahari Desert.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Stipend, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and TGS parents.

Zhaniya Kinbayeva

Year Joined: 2021

From: Kazakhstan 🇰🇿

Cohort: CM2

Countries Zhaniya called home: Botswana, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates

Senior quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

What is your favorite memory from your time at TGS? My birthday during Term 2 in Dubai at the EXPO 2020.

What are the three aspects of TGS you will miss the most? Sense of camaraderie shared by the community, transformative exponential line of personal growth, the opportunity to embark on thrilling and memorable experiences to cherish for the rest of my life, and a stipend.