John was a scholar at SJI International from 2008-2009. He was active in service as a student and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2008 for his dedication to community service. After studying economics and education at university, he works as a teacher at a Lasallian school in Malaysia.

This article is also published in the 2020 issue of Infinitas – the official magazine of the SJI International Alumni Association – which will be available soon.

Having graduated from SJI International’s pioneer IBDP cohort in 2009, I can certainly imagine that this short piece will be placed next to those of amazing globetrotters who have moved and shaken the world in their ways. My path will become more modest, but I am glad I have taken it.  

I think holistic education is supposed to mould you beyond the classroom, and I cannot help but feel that my experiences in SJII back in 2008-2009 shaped me into the person I am today. From learning from my teachers to becoming a teacher myself, from being a hostel student to becoming a hostel manager, from playing volleyball to coaching volleyball, from receiving a scholarship to helping with the scholarship process, and from participating in service activities to organising them for others, life seems to have come full circle for me as I currently teach in a Lasallian school in Malaysia and organise service programs for youths.

My teachers have always inspired me, and I believe many of you (if not all) would agree that we have been abundantly blessed with good teachers at SJI International. I was already sure I wanted to be involved in education since I was in IB. Still, after pursuing my degree in Economics at The University of Queensland in Australia, I felt that I needed some life experience before becoming an educator, so I decided to join Intel as a Finance Business Analyst. It was a good experience seeing how large multinationals function and how their processes have been streamlined for efficiency. Later, I also tried entrepreneurship by starting an escape room in my hometown and a hobby cafe! It was a vastly different experience working in such a small team and designing processes myself! Nevertheless, they were all interesting endeavours that I treasure and have brought with me into my teaching (Economics).  

I am so blessed to have been allowed to study at SJII and find my path in life. Having the opportunity to give back in this little way has undoubtedly been the highlight of my journey so far in my career. There have surely been ups and downs, but I am enjoying my teaching despite the apparent weight I have gained since my IBDP days! Thank you to all the amazing teachers and staff at SJII for the holistic education you worked so hard to offer. It seems that your efforts were not in vain after all (I hope)!

John Ooi, SJI International Class of 2009