Stories from us
Nilsu Açıkada
The Koç School / Student
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m in the 11th grade (IB) at the KoçSchool. I have been a student at Koç since the second grade.
Tell us about how you first became acquainted with the Vehbi Koç Foundation and your connection?
The school is how I became acquainted with the Vehbi Koç Foundation. I entered the drawing to enroll at Koç in kindergarten and in the first grade, but when I wasn't chosen either time, I was admitted after passing the transfer exam in the second grade. I have been part of the Koç family ever since.
What are your future plans and goals?
My plans for the future are not very clear yet. I know that I want to study in the United States, but I have not been able to choose a field or what I want to do in the future. I want to study liberal arts at a good university. In other words, I will be able to take the classes I want for the first two years of university and then I’ll have an opportunity to choose a field after the first two years. If you ask me which fields are at the top of my list, I would say economics, English or psychology. Regardless of the field I choose, my goal is to work in a field where I help people. I hope whatever I do in the future will be beneficial for those who are less fortunate then me…
What role does VKV play in your life?
As with every student, VKV is a huge part of my life. School is the place where I spend the most time, focus most of my attention and exert the most effort. I spend more time at the KoçSchool than I do with my family. Our school is a major factor that shapes me and all the other students and makes us who we are. The Vehbi Koç Foundation is an organization that guides me to decide on my future and discover myself.
What would you like to tell us about your school?
What I want to say about my school is that it has introduced me to an unbelievable future. I am faced with choices that I could never have dreamed of when I was a child, and the reason I am undecided about my future is that I have so many different choices. The KoçSchool has taught me to study, plan, work under stress and believe in myself. I have friends that feel like family and teachers who direct me and really care about me, and the administrative staff values our opinions. I have never thought, ‘I wish I had gone to a different school’ because I believe that the opportunities we have are the best there is.
August 2013
