GIIS 9 GEMS podcasts are all about highlighting inspiring stories of our students excelling in academics, sports, innovation, entrepreneurship and others. The media team at GIIS recently had the opportunity to interview a bright mind who has several accolades to her name. Deeksha Kapoor of IB Year 2 is an academically strong student, a skilled debater, a published author, an inspiring leader and a captivating orator. She exemplifies the true spirit of GIIS Pedagogy which beliefs in the holistic development of students. The podcast was hosted by one of our very own students Om Koli of 10 IG. 

Being an all-rounder, she did her schooling at a local school in Singapore, then went on to study in New York state and when she came back to Singapore, she decided to join the IBDP Curriculum at GIIS SMART Campus. With her experience of schooling, she has diverse perspectives and GIIS gives her the cultural outlook and is rooted which makes her closer to her roots more than ever. She has gained a global perspective about things and activities.

Her public speaking journey started in New York when she took part in a TEDx event organized by her school. There she realized her skills and potential to speak. Upon her return to Singapore, she joined Singapore mainstream schools and became the schools’ main debater and took part in a myriad of competitions, debating against students from other schools and countries. With her prior experience in debating, within her first year in GIIS, she was strongly motivated to join the GIIS Debate Club and was elected the President of the Debate Club, she continued to take part in debates and MUNs and organized various training workshops, and competitions for the school at large. She had the abilities and the confidence to bring her experience into the club and take it up a notch.

When asked about her constantly changing schools, she said that made her more resilient and less afraid of doing something new. Every new place she has been, she has learnt a lot and in exchange has a lot to offer as well. She has inculcated new skills and been exposed to more values which is a beautiful experience. She is someone who lives in the present and in life goes with the flow. 

Deeksha has a long list of achievements and accolades to her name. In New York, she delivered a TEDx talk on the topic “Women’s property rights, fair wages, education and political equality in the 1800’s” as part of a school event. She did extensive research to write her proposal and relate it to her personal experience. 

She has participated in a number of debating events and competitions. She actively participates in being the emcee for events and hosts podcasts. She has also hosted podcasts called “Sustainability Talks” where she interviewed esteemed guest speakers from multinational corporations (e.g. Microsoft, UNAS, CRODA, etc.) in efforts to promote and further cultivate an environment of sustainability under the Global Social Leaders 2020-21 competition. She is extremely inspired by Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ and she presented her key aspects and learnings to over 1800+ audiences. 

Deeksha along with her academics also focuses on her extracurriculars which truly makes her an all-rounder. She is an inspiration to many. At GIIS, Deeksha has continually nurtured her interests and talents by incorporating them into the curriculum and providing ample opportunities to expand her horizons.

Listen to the first part of her podcast here.

Watch her video here.