SCAD Student Ambassador

High School Art Teacher Pavla Poch had asked Mimi Komthongchuasakul, a former RIS student who is now studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Hong Kong, to write a reflection about her visit to RIS last semester. This is what Mimi had to say about her experience:  

“Coming back to RIS as an alumna is definitely different from going to RIS as a student. Instead of walking through the gate with just my student ID card, I had to exchange my Thai ID for a visitor card. A few things here and there had changed around the school, but I still remember the times when my friends and I were greeted by our teachers as we hurried to class. I felt nostalgic seeing the laughter in the hallway still there and the students enjoying themselves as much as I did back then.”

“I had taken the IB Program; participated in many leadership and service activities both in and out of school; and received several awards, including the Outstanding Student Award. But similar to my friends from the Class of 2017, I was both nervous and excited about how my university life would be.”

“I’ve spent the last quarter studying at SCAD (Hong Kong campus) pursuing a BFA in animation. Although I’m only a freshman at SCAD, the final grades for all my classes were As. I’ve also gotten onto the Dean’s Honors List for the Fall 2017 quarter (awarded to full-time students who attain a 3.5 cumulative GPA during an academic quarter). I know that it’s only the beginning, but RIS definitely prepared me well for life and for higher education.”

“Nowadays, we have the opportunity to pursue creative careers—including but not limited to—animation, game development, architecture, UI/UX design, visual effects, and industrial design. I recently visited RIS as a SCAD student ambassador and shared my experience with the IB Art students, as well as some middle school students. It felt heartwarming to see students as young as sixth-graders be so intrigued to hear about my experience-sharing. While the 11th and 12th graders asked more about the process of preparing for a creative university program, such as preparing a portfolio and resume, the younger students asked me about the possibility of having a ‘dream job’.”

“The thing about getting a dream job is that you have to figure out what your passion is. Once that’s done, you only have to follow your passion.”