Casey is a founding student and joined the GEMS family as a sixth grader in the school’s inaugural year. He thrives in the IB Programme and embodies all of the Learner Profile traits. Ms. Jay Annadurai, Individuals & Societies Teacher/Senior Advisor, recalls, “I’ve known Casey since he was in my 6th grade class. Even as a little 10 year old, Casey was so driven to succeed, never taking the easy way out and endlessly curious.” That curiosity and quest for knowledge remained constant throughout Casey’s MYP and DP years. Annadurai continues, “Over the years, Casey’s confidence has blossomed, and I’ve seen him become a leader in his class, inspiring his peers academically while also bringing laughs with his dry humor and wit.”

Casey willingly shares his gifts with the GEMS community. His inspiration, leadership, and humor were not only evident in the classroom, but throughout several areas of student life. Whether running cross-country, founding an eSports team, or participating in theater, Casey is one whom teachers and students can count on.

Casey is a thoughtful learner and his analytical mind proves to be an asset in many endeavors. French teacher, Marjorie Blettry, notes that, “Casey has this way of tackling language through a scientific method. He loves grammar and rules. He is a risk-taker and loves debates and Socratic Seminars.”

Sir Ken Robinson said, “Curiosity is the engine of achievement.” Fueled by his curious mind and genuine spirit, we know Casey will succeed on any road he chooses to travel. The entire GEMS community congratulates Casey and we wish him well as he embarks on his next adventure. Casey proudly shares some of the highlights of his GEMS journey in the following Q & A:

What clubs/sports/extracurricular activities did you participate in during your high school years (either at GEMS or outside of school) and how did these activities help you grow as a person?

I participated in the GEMS Cross-country team for two years and founded the GEMS Smash eSports Team which I also ran for two years. In particular, the process of creating, recruiting, managing, and teaching the Smash Team was very gratifying and provided many opportunities for growth along the way. I was able to network with students around the city when setting up scrimmages and tournaments, and this is a skill that I think will be useful wherever I find myself years from now.

Can you describe some of your favorite Field Study experiences?

One of my most memorable experiences at GEMS took place during our local government unit for Humanities. We tried to contact all of the Chicago Mayoral Candidates and ask them questions to create our own voter's guide. During this process, we had yet to hear from Toni Preckwinkle, the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, so we took a 15-minute walk to her campaign office downtown. There we were actually able to meet and speak to Ms. Preckwinkle and managed to get a response to our questions despite their busy schedule.

How has GEMS prepared you for college?

GEMS places an emphasis on time management, presentation, and writing skills. I think these are incredibly important to a high school education, as it's these skills that are most applicable to college, whatever the course content. At the beginning of the DP in junior year, our class faced a massive spike in workload, but teachers like our advisor, Ms. Annadurai, regularly worked with us to outline what we had to get done and helped devise management plans. The phenomenal GEMS faculty support through the rigorous IB Programme was integral to my growth as a learner.

What advice would you give to incoming ninth graders?

Utilize your teachers’ office hours at every opportunity they're available. The times I decided to talk to a teacher directly about a less than ideal test score were the times I did the best on the following retake. Your teachers will know how to best help you, generating far less stress and work than if you decide to keep things to yourself.