Alumni Spotlight Series: Jolee Tung

New to the Mulgrave alumni community, Jolee Tung from the Class of 2015 is in the exclusive company of only four other students in Canada and two from the United States to score 45 points (a perfect score) on her IBDP exams in June. A Mulgravian since 2006, Jolee has worn the hat of Deputy Head Girl, captain of the swim team, a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award recipient and an alto saxophonist in the school’s band. In this week’s Alumni Spotlight, Jolee shares her tips and tricks on how to balance a social life and extra-curricular activities while thriving academically at Mulgrave.

Q&A

JOLEE Tung

Mulgrave School Class of 2015 | Interviewed by Michelle Noble | July 2015

Jolee, congratulations on your outstanding exam results! How many IBDP exams do students have to take?

I wrote exams in six Diploma Programme subjects, as well as Theory of Knowledge (ToK) and wrote an Extended Essay (EE).

What was your first thought when you received the news that you achieved a perfect score on your IBDP final assessment?

I was actually in Barcelona when the exam results came in, but with the time change I had almost forgotten about it until one of my friends messaged me asking if I had seen them yet. I was in a butcher shop at the time, so I quickly went outside, sat on a park bench, and tried to load

the results on my phone. All I got was, ‘internet service error’. So the suspense lasted a little longer until I finally found an internet café. I think my first thought was, ‘Is this real?’ I will always remember that internet café!

ABOVE Jolee with Mr. Wray at the 2015 Convocation Ceremony

Well, Barcelona is the perfect place to celebrate.

What did you do?

I had an ice cream.

Not a bad way to celebrate! Have you decided which school you will be attending in the fall?

I will be going to the University of Toronto to study Life Science.

What have you learned through your IB experience that you think will be especially useful at university?

One of the most important things I’ll take with me from the IBDP is the writing skills that I have developed. The IB didn’t just teach me how to write, it more precisely taught me how to write different types of work, like a science report versus an English literature critique. TOK will also be very useful at university and beyond because it

taught me to break the bubble of ignorance and understand what is valid and true. The level of discussions we had were invaluable as we were taught the methodology to pull arguments apart and have respectful and meaningful debates and discussions on challenging subjects.

How did you find Mulgrave’s University Counselling programme?

Mulgrave has two full time counsellors for a class of 58, so it’s a huge advantage to have such a high level of accessibility. The counsellors are always available - they’re at the school early, are around past 3:00pm, they can always be reached by email, and (though I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate me advertising this) they will always make time for you even if you didn’t book an appointment.

Because they’ve spent the time getting to know each student on a personal level, they know us better than just our resumes and can continued on next page...

TOP LEFT Jolee on the first day of G12 BOTTOM RIGHT Jolee on an OE trip with her classmates

ABOVE Jolee playing the alto saxophone at a school assembly

advise with our best interest in mind. They can also encourage us to draw on our experience and skills that they know we have. Mulgrave’s university counsellors are there for us and they are invested in our success; it never feels like it’s a job or service for them. They also have tons of connections and a lot of great resources to tap in to, and I highly encourage students to take advantage of that.

don’t let it be too daunting – you just have to take that first step and begin tackling your todo list. The best piece of advice I can give is to plan your time ahead and use your teachers as resources.

“Everything that Mulgrave students encounter is achievable, so don’t let it be too daunting – you just have What is the best piece of advice you can share with to take that first step.”

Who was a key influencer for you during your time at Mulgrave?

All of my teachers, my parents and my sister. Ms. Morgan and Ms. Tang particularly went out of their way to be my personal and emotional cheerleaders, but every single teacher played a role.

students entering Grade 12 with regards to preparing for exams?

Do you plan to continue swimming at university?

Keep it all in perspective. Everything that Mulgrave students encounter is achievable, so

I definitely want to swim at a club level or perhaps a varsity level, but I might even try a new continued on next page...

ABOVE Jolee at swim meet

ABOVE Jolee getting ready to have 8 inches of hair cut off for the Balding for Dollars campaign

sport. Either way, athletics always has, and always will be a big part of my life. Being part of a team sport keeps you structured, balanced and is a great way to meet people.

How are you planning to unwind this summer after all that studying and exam preparation?

Any tips on managing your stress during exam time?

In my opinion, a lot of the hard work, like selfreflection, learning to write, problem solving and time management, is already built into your habits throughout your years at Mulgrave - so, come exam time, it should feel like second nature.

In terms of staying sane during crunch time, I was very proactive and introspective, so when I felt uneasy, I would figure out what the issue was and tackle it head on. The best thing you can do is divert your energy from panicking into something more constructive, like problem solving. If you’re out of time, maybe you have to cancel something else. I never asked for an extension, because I always felt like it was just delaying the inevitable.

In terms of exams, I knew the exam approach quite well because of all the practice exams I did, so there weren’t really any surprises.

Well, I already traveled to Europe, which was great. Now that I’m back in Vancouver I will mostly be swimming, coaching, tutoring and soaking up the sunshine.

What is one of your favourite Mulgrave memories?

One of the best things I ever did at Mulgrave was participate in Spirit Week last year for Balding for Dollars; it was definitely a highlight for me.

Not only was it really good bonding for the 10 of us core people who organised it, but it was also something we could feel good about. We marketed it in a way to get everyone involved, so whether you wanted to completely shave your head, cut off 3 inches of hair, 8 inches, or help from a campaigning perspective, there was a way for everyone to participate. I cut 8 inches of my own hair and it was turned into a wig. It felt so much more gratifying than just writing a cheque to a charity.

Jolee Tung, July 2015