Ally Pancer, Class of 2021

At Halcyon London International School, Ally Pancer, Class of 2021 alumna, forged friendships and experiences that continue to shape her life today.

Ally talked to us about her memorable moments, academic transitions, and the impact of Halcyon on her personal and professional journey so far.

Can you share some memorable experiences from your time at Halcyon? 

Meeting my friends was the most memorable experience – to this day they are my best friends. We consider our friends at University, our friends at University, but our friends from Halcyon are like our family; we're so close still. I’m always so excited to see them whenever I get to. Over time, we've also grown closer because without all the added pressure of being in the IB, you really can sit back and appreciate all the people that you've met and where everyone's from. 

I miss having an international group around me because everyone's got their own interesting story of where they came from or they're all from such diverse places. 

What were you most proud of whilst at Halcyon?

Looking back at my time at Halcyon, I am really proud of my involvement in the student council. I suppose that was part of the reason why I ended up going into marketing – I just remember that I found event planning and engaging the community really enjoyable. I loved being able to get involved in all aspects of school life.  

Halcyon is a small welcoming community and, partly because of its size, it's easier to put yourself forward for lots of different things.  It just doesn't feel as scary or intimidating – and that's something that I really liked about the school; it was so refreshing because everyone was so welcoming. I really miss the smaller classes. 

Halcyon holds a special place in my heart; I really think it is a great place. 

At university, what are you studying and where?

I initially began with Chemistry at The University of Edinburgh. I had graduated from Halcyon thinking that Chemistry was my main passion in life. However, once I got to university I realised that IB chemistry was quite different from university Chemistry - in the IB through the internal assessment and Extended Essay, I had so much more freedom and I got to select what I wanted to focus on.  With that realisation,  I ended up dropping out of Edinburgh and reapplied for Marketing and Management at Durham University.  During that time I got myself a job and travelled the world and it was the best six months of my life!  

How did your education at Halcyon contribute to your career journey? 

I think because Halcyon has such a strong academic programme and thriving extra-curricular programme, I was able to be involved in the student council and the life of the school.  I was able to make my ideas be heard and, for the most part, come to life. 

I really enjoyed, and I was really proud of, seeing my ideas come to life, and I think a large part of why I picked marketing was because I enjoyed planning campaigns and events. 

Which specific skills or knowledge gained during your time here have been most valuable in your professional life?

I definitely honed my skills and ability to speak up and speak my thoughts – Halcyon definitely values the student voice.

Being innovative and collaborative are also highly valued at Halcyon and we always  had lots of opportunities to practise. My group university projects have gone so well, because I know how to work in a team. I've learned further about team dynamics in my management course and again, am building on my skills that I learned at Halcyon. 

If you could give one piece of advice to current students, what would it be?

I would say to try hard but don't stress yourself out too much. At times, I let the stress get to me and I really regret that because in the long run, as long as you're happy with what you're doing and what you picked as your degree, you're all set.  

I wish I did not stress so much because I didn't really enjoy it as much as I could have.  I would also say stay in touch with your friends that you make here because they're so good! Halcyon has some really, really great kids that come through this place!

What do you remember of the transition from Halcyon to university?

My transition from Halcyon to university was not hard at all! There was a lot of support all the way through but moreover, I feel like Halcyon and the IB really did prepare me well for university.  The programme teaches you about time management. So going from the IB to university equipped with time management, you have so much more time on your hands to pursue other passions. Halcyon taught me how to be independent and how to develop an excellent work ethic. So when I got to university, it was really, really not that hard to stay up to date with all the readings and work required.