Carly Whetter attended SIS from 2005 to 2012 and has since become a marketing and communications professional specialising in education in Vancouver, Canada. A proud Class of 2012 alum of Shekou International School, Carly was among the first cohort to undertake the IB Diploma Programme. Carly credits the meaningful experiences and encouraging teachers, she had during her years at SIS with paving the way for many of the prominent passions and skills in her career and life.

Throughout Carly’s time at SIS, the school grew, acquired the Bayside campus and launched the Diploma Programme to support the international student body’s goals of accessing the best universities worldwide. 

“I remember when the middle school operated out of two villas in Jingshan!”

Former SIS teacher Elizabeth Cho was an inspirational figure in Carly’s development, recognising and encouraging her love of literature and writing. She credits this as the starting point for her interest in pursuing Literature and Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia and exploring her passion for storytelling in various jobs before committing to the field of Education, where she now works as a Marketing and Communications professional in a college in Vancouver. 

“One reason I was drawn into the Education sector is my amazing experience at SIS. I love connecting with people from around the world in a space where I can also learn and grow from others.”

The learning Carly acquired through her participation in sports teams, competing in ACAMIS tournaments and exploring China through the school’s Week Without Walls programme provided more than important opportunities to develop her knowledge of culture, language and life skills; Carly expresses that these were crucial moments in deepening relationships with peers through shared participation in challenging situations during key times of personal development.

Despite the transient nature of some international friendships, Carly relied on these friendships and learned how to develop deeply trusting relationships in new contexts. This helped her be open and make friends wherever she was… Although they may have spent only a few years together, Carly notes that many lasting friendships were forged during her developmental years at SIS.

“(In July,  I attended) a friend’s wedding in Seattle, USA. We met at SIS in 2008 and have since lived a lot of our lives together, celebrating milestones and mourning setbacks. A strong, long-lasting friendship like this is a testament to the tight-knit community fostered at SIS and is one of the reasons I’ll always look back at my time in Shenzhen fondly.”

Carly Whetter女士曾在2005年至2012年就读于深圳市蛇口外籍人员子女学校（SIS）。目前在加拿大温哥华从事教育领域的市场营销和传播工作。作为SIS的2012届校友，Carly是第一批参加IBDP国际文凭项目的学生之一。她相信，在SIS学习的时光中所获得的宝贵经历以及老师们的鼓励为她的今后职业生涯和人生打下了坚实的基础。

在Carly就读期间，学校不断扩张壮大，增设了Bayside校区，并推出了旨在支持国际学生进入世界顶尖大学的文凭课程。

“我记得初中部当时是设在鲸山的两栋别墅里的！”Carly回忆起过去时，感慨万千。

在Carly成长的过程中，前SIS教师Elizabeth Cho对她的文学和写作热情给予了极大的支持和鼓励。Carly认为这是她在不列颠哥伦比亚大学攻读文学和创意写作的起点。在投身教育领域之前，她曾在不同岗位上探索自己对讲故事的热情。如今，作为温哥华一所大学市场营销和传播领域的从业者，她扮演着至关重要的角色。

Carly分享：“我被吸引到教育领域的一个原因是我在SIS的奇妙经历。我热爱与来自世界各地的人交流，在这个多元空间里，我也能持续学习和成长。”

Carly通过参加运动队、参与ACAMIS锦标赛以及参与学校的“无墙周”项目来探索中国文化。这些经历不仅为她提供了发展文化知识、语言和生活技能的重要平台，也在她个人成长的关键时期，通过共同面对挑战，深化了与同龄人之间的友情。

尽管有些国际友谊是短暂的，但正是因为那些在漫漫岁月长河中建立起来的可信赖的友谊，以及学会在新环境中建立深厚信任关系的经历，这些都帮助着Carly在任何地方都能敞开心扉、广交朋友。因此，尽管他们或许只在一起度过了几年，但Carly意识到在SIS的成长岁月中建立起来的联系是她持久友谊中的重要一环。这些温暖的纽带时刻伴随着她未来的人生旅程，成为她心中的永恒记忆。

“今年七月，我参加了一位朋友在美国西雅图举行的婚礼。2008年，我们在SIS相识。从那时起，我们分享生活的喜怒哀乐，共同庆祝重要时刻，共度挫折。这种坚不可摧、历久弥新的友情，是SIS紧密社区的最佳写照，也是我永远怀念深圳时光的珍贵原因。” Carly动情地诉说这些过往。

一日为壁虎学子，终生为壁虎骄子！