Emily Falkenberg graduated from the Copenhagen International School (CIS) in June with a perfect score of 45 points – a result that only one in a thousand IB Diploma graduates achieves worldwide.

Falkenberg is Danish and joined CIS in the 6th grade. In October, she will move to the UK to study biomedicine and play volleyball at the Durham University.

Individual attention
“CIS has been an ideal school for me. I’m a bit of an over-achiever, and my hard work combined with the support and flexibility of the school administration and teachers allowed me to fulfil my full potential,” stated Falkenberg.

“For instance, I missed a few topics on the mathematics course and my teacher gladly offered the individual attention needed for me to catch up. We worked together for two intense days before the final exams!”

Fully motivated
Falkenberg especially appreciates the many opportunities she was offered while studying at CIS, including charity trips to Peru and Thailand and many sports trips.

“CIS really motivates you to be the best you can be, in every aspect, individually and with your team, and for that I am grateful. I think that is probably the biggest difference compared to most Danish schools,” she noted.

Shy girl becomes captain
After the summer, Emily will move to northeast England to attend the University of Durham to study biomedicine.

As an enthusiastic volleyball player, Emily partly chose the university also because they have an excellent women’s team.

“I loved those volleyball trips and the training leading up to them,” she explained.

“I love being a member of a team: the sense of belonging, having a common goal, all of us working hard to achieve it and having fun doing it! I have learned so much from it. I went from being pretty shy at the beginning to taking on a leadership role, becoming captain of our team.”

*French-Lebanese
*joined CIS in 9th grade in 2011
*will study law at University College London

“I have learned a lot here in class and also because of the many opportunities CIS offers outside the curriculum, which help you find out what you would like to do after school. I have been involved in artistic activities such as the yearbook and photography. But at the end of the day it was my involvement with MUN (Model United Nations) and the many interesting and challenging debates about right and wrong that we had in that connection that inspired me to want to study law.”

*born in the UK (parents from Hong Kong and Malaysia)
*joined CIS in the 1st grade in 2000
*will study business management at Warwick University, UK

“CIS gives students the opportunity to meet people of different cultures as equals. We learn with and about each other without the bias and prejudice that unfortunately often exist in the greater world, even in Denmark. Having an international understanding and acceptance is an asset no matter what you do and what career you pursue, because you are going to interact with people from other cultures every day. Having an open mind and an interest in learning about other cultures is going to make your life richer.”

*Danish
*attended an IB school in England from age 11, joined CIS in 10th grade in 2012
*wants to study international business at Copenhagen Business School

“Moving to England was a huge challenge, both in terms of the language but also the culture. In England we had to be driven everywhere – there were security issues; we were very limited in what we could do. It was almost like sheep-herding. Coming back to Denmark and CIS was a big relief because here students are allowed to be – and expected to be – much more independent while the public transport system is safe and reliable.  The freedom means you can grow as an individual and that is very important to me.”