Alumni Profile: Aliisa Harju


Alumni Profile: Aliisa Harju

Earning a perfect score of 45 on her International Baccalaureate exams, Aliisa accomplished what fewer than 0.09 percent of students could worldwide. She achieved this score after many hours of study and discipline, but schoolwork wasn't everything – Aliisa attributes her success to a balanced life of sports, service and social activities provided by Western Academy of Beijing throughout the 12 years she attended.

WAB inspired Aliisa to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. In High School, her favorite subjects were biology and chemistry, which along with her love of mysteries and problem-solving, transformed into a pursuit of medicine. This culminated in the experience of following general and specialist doctors in the best private hospitals in Beijing. The application process to top medical schools overseas wasn't easy, but despite a few initial rejections, Aliisa persevered and knew that her hard work would pay off. She now studies at the prestigious Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom, where she has embarked on an exciting journey to become a doctor.

"WAB really gives you the resources to take any path in life," says Aliisa. "You use them and you can go anywhere."