"I'm what I am because of Wycherley," words of Sabrina Ifthikar Ahmed, a young and promising Barrister seemed to encapsulate the 'grounding' given to youngsters at Wycherley International School (WIS) since their formative years.
Yet another 'star' of Wycherley, Sabrina entered the portals of this esteemed institution of learning in 1987 to Grade 1. Till her graduation in 2000, offering Accounting, Business Studies, Law and Economics at A/L's Sabrina proved to be a versatile student, balancing studies with a host of extra-curricular activities and sports. "As the President of the Arts Society, I was entrusted with responsibilities related to debating, general knowledge quiz and many other Inter-International School events. Extra-curricular activities such as Debating, together with Law which I offered as a subject for my A/Ls proved to be very complementary when I eventually chose Law as my chosen vocation," said Sabrina.
According to Sabrina, one of the best things about school life at WIS is the endless opportunities given to a student to develop one's self into a balanced personality. "I was the Swimming Captain of my school and played Basket Ball as well. The fusion of sports and quality education received at Wycherley is invaluable to any student who will leave its gates and go out into the mainstream of society," she said.
At Wycherley, discipline is the cardinal rule and Sabrina is ever grateful to her alma mater for drilling it into her at a tender age. "Right from the Junior School to Senior School, discipline is the core word at Wycherley. I'm grateful to my teachers who taught me what was right and wrong and groomed me into what I'm today," Sabrina said. Recalling the 'playful' days of Sabrina as a youngster, Head Mistress of the Primary School at WIS, Indrani Nalliah, a veteran teacher who has taught two generations said with a smile, "I remember Sabrina as a playful little girl, dragging her bag and walking to class. Although she was up to mischief, Sabrina was a lovable child with a lot of potential. I'm indeed proud of Sabrina who has blossomed into a very responsible young woman, committed to her chosen profession."
Having completed her external LL.B from the University of London at Royal Institute, Sabrina read for her Masters at King's College, London and eventually qualified herself as a Barrister and took her oaths as an Attorney-at-Law last year. Reminiscing her experience in UK, Sabrina said, "it was just a phenomenal experience. London is a vibrant and a cosmopolitan place to be in and the fact that we were exposed to cultural diversity back in school was a tremendous advantage. I specialized in Corporate and Commercial Law and the teaching was simply brilliant." Shedding light upon the sound education rendered by Wycherley, Sabrina added, "if anyone aspires to reach global standards in higher education, I must say Wycherley is the ideal choice. The reputed universities, specially those in UK have a high regard for academic records of Wycherley and I'm happy to say that most of my friends are doing exceptionally well in top universities in diverse fields."
A voracious reader and a movie buff with a flair for writing, Sabrina is a strong advocate of 'serving one's land of birth'. Having been quite a globe trotter during her student days in UK, Sabrina still feels, 'there is no place like home.' "Although I studied in an International School, it is nevertheless a Sri Lankan school, something we were always made to realize at Wycherley. This is why I'm determined to serve my country because it's where I truly belong," final words of Sabrina seemed to carry a timely message to any budding professional. |