Vignesh Raman, who relocated from Bangalore to GIIS Singapore, was a bright and different student. He was free-spirited, read only the books he wanted to read, and was not intimidated by exams. Teachers at GIIS understood his unique abilities and never pressured him to do anything against his will.

Today he is pursuing Electrical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, and aims to delve into Quantum Computing. He spoke extensively to the GIIS team about his early years, his interests and his success story. 

How many years were you in GIIS?

I joined GIIS in Grade 9 after relocating from Bangalore. I studied in the school for 4 years and completed my Grade 12 from here.

Which of the universities did you get into?

I got into the following universities - Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, UCLA, UIUC, Texas A&M and NTU Singapore. I shortlisted Georgia Tech and UCLA as they displayed a more intense focus in theoretical electrical engineering.

What is your field of study and what helped you make a choice?

I am doing electrical engineering with a minor in physics. My field of studies is quite specialized – I’m currently studying semi-conductor physics and information theory, and from there I plan to transit towards quantum computing. Quantum computing primarily comprises physics, electrical engineering and a lot of Maths. From what I know, Georgia Tech has fantastic Electrical Engineering and Nanotechnological facility. 

How did GIIS prepare you for the university life?

I was quite an unorthodox student, and I didn’t particularly worry about exams. I spent quite a bit of time reading the books I liked. My teachers understood that I was a free-spirited person who would show proficiency in subjects that were of interest, so they gave me freedom and encouraged me to learn in my own capacity coupled with classroom learning. I feel that the independence that I enjoyed as a student, has prepared me to be a self-starter in university.

Apart from academics what are other activities you participated in GIIS?

I was the Sunflower House Captain in Grade 11, and Head Boy of the school in Grade 12. My friends and I started the Chess club and would be seen playing around the campus during and after school hours. We also organised a few tournaments. Chess was a huge part of my life in GIIS, and I am grateful that I was given the independence to pursue this recreation.

Do you think that apart from academics, GIIS also focuses on other aspects of development. How do students benefit from this?

GIIS offers excellent opportunities to all. Whether the student is bright or average, they get to develop multiple facets of their life during school. The school aids in building ambition, honing our academic abilities, while additionally giving us platforms for extra-curricular activities like theatre and sports. I suppose these help us develop a great outlook to life. At the same time, students are trained to be independent learners. The students get a robust foundation for life after finishing education. I think GIIS is really good for holistic development.

Do you think you have an edge over your peers at the university

Yes, definitely. Since I was not constrained to classroom education in GIIS and as allowed to uninhibitedly take advantage of any learning opportunity (for instance, asking teachers ways to further my learning, or checking how can I be more involved in a community), I developed as an independent learner. Hence I’m  a motivated learner. I feel that I am in the better part of the student group in my university, because of the learning environment GIIS offered me.

Is there any area that you feel you could have been trained in?

Any shortcomings that I may have, cannot be attributed to the school, because that is entirely on me. For example, I did not focus on opportunities to learn/further my foreign languages in GIIS, which could have been, in retrospect, a great addition to my skills.