Meet Apeejay’s meritorious student who is winning accolades in academics and sports alike

Vaishnavi Chaudhary, a student of Apeejay School International, Delhi, is an all-rounder. She not only adapted to the new International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum after joining the school last year but went on to top her class. Academic achievements aside, Vaishnavi, who will be promoted to MYP 5, also takes interest in a variety of sports including advanced-level gymnastics, basketball, chess, and more, and has won a lot of medals. Read on:

You joined Apeejay last year. So far, how has the school helped you grow?

Getting into the IB curriculum in a new school, in a new city, was a huge change for me. The academic programme is quite different at Apeejay but it led to a lot of growth in terms of deepening my knowledge of key concepts by improving perspective, creativity, communication, etc. With my teachers’ guidance, who were very welcoming, along with my classmates, it was easier to adapt to the new method of learning. I was able to score fairly well in all the subjects and secured the highest in most even though it was a completely new format of e-assessment.

Have you developed the urge to dig deep into every topic you study?

Yes, because the curriculum is more research-based which has made me realise that there is a lot to explore beyond the textbooks. I have imbibed the habit of going deeper into whatever I study.

Is there a project you are currently working on?

I am working on a personal IB project where I am making an anthology of my poems with hand-drawn illustrations. Poetry and art are topics I am really interested in. I am also interviewing other poets and studying their work. Since it is a research-based project, I am learning about different genres, literary techniques, and poetic devices. My class teacher Nandini ma’am is my supervisor, so she has been guiding and supporting me throughout. This project is quite unique to me, and I am enjoying it very much.

Which poets are you reading?

I am reading many different authors and exploring different forms. My favourite ones are Sylvia Plath and Sappho.

How many poems have you written for your anthology? What are they based on?

So far, I have completed four poems. One of them is about painting while another is about my baby sister. There is one more poem about being submerged in time.  

You love sports. What games have you played?

As soon as I joined the school, I participated in a chess competition and secured the third position. I have been playing a variety of sports for some years; prior to the pandemic, I balanced advanced gymnastics training with my studies for nearly three years. I won a lot of medals and awards in gymnastics. Currently, I am taking online classes in chess.

Apeejay School International gave me the opportunity to participate in sports events, which helped me regain my momentum. I participated in race and acrobatics. I have also joined the school basketball team.

In my previous school, I played a lot of football and basketball inter-school matches. I also played badminton and won many medals.

Can you tell us about other memorable experiences at school?

I got the opportunity to be the anchor at both the Diploma Programme (DP) and Primary Years Programme (PYP) Graduation Ceremony. It was a great experience. Nandini ma’am taught me voice modulation and speech techniques and I was able to apply these new learnings while hosting the ceremony. I received a lot of praise from the teachers, parents, and the school principal who attended the event.