Home

My Passion

Jovana Urosevic (Class of 2025) wants to boldly go where no one has gone before – into both inner and outer space. “Right now, I’m fascinated by both neuroscience and cosmology,” she says. “I’ve been reading about printing 3D organs in space, quantum biology and wearables that could include lucid dreams! But my main fascination is brain-computer interfaces, which allow you to control something with your mind.”

Jovana has always been interested in consciousness and memory. But her interest in neuroscience began when she was selected to be a member of the ZIS contingent at a Knowledge Society presentation on emerging technologies at the Villars Institute, which included a video of a paralysed person controlling a robotic arm just by thinking. “I thought that was so incredible,” she says.

Indeed, it might sound like science fiction but, for Jovana, science is all about fact. She recently built her own braincomputer interface, using special headwear that transforms electrical data from the brain into numerical data, and which allows her to play a computer game without using the keyboard. “That’s the project I’m proudest of so far,” she says. 

And she’s keen to explore beyond the classroom. Last summer, she completed an internship at the neurosurgery department at Universitätsspital Basel as part of the ZIS Internship Program. “It was a great experience, but tough, and it required a level of emotional maturity. You have to remind yourself that what’s interesting to you is something that the patient has to live with,” she says. 

It could not have been more different to the programme she took part in at the European Space Operations Centre in Frankfurt. “This was such a contrast to the life sciences field where discoveries tend to be on a molecular basis,” she says. “I got to see really big engineering and computer science projects, such as the planetary defence programme. And my team worked with one of the lead engineers to create an interplanetary probe.”

Finding your way in science, she says, is all about trying new things and exploring – and her teachers at ZIS have been behind her all the way. For her International Baccalaureate Diploma extended essay, Jovana is investigating how farm animals influence the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes in the soil, and her teachers suggested that she carried out practical analyses. “I had to learn a lot of new practical lab skills and the entire science department was really helpful,” says Jovana. “I’m grateful for all that lab experience – I must have been in there for an extra 35 hours and they were so patient with me!”

Her interests are as wide as the galaxy, so it’s hardly surprising that Jovana isn’t yet certain where her passion for science will take her – she’s applied to universities in the USA for neuroscience combined with physics, the UK for biomedical science and the Netherlands for biology and physics. But she’s loving the journey so far. “As a girl, it’s essential to not be discouraged from going into STEM just because it is male dominated,” she says. “It’s so important to be curious, to explore, and to not limit yourself.”

Download a or request a copy of Voices Summer 2025 from the Voices Webpage.

My Passion

For as long as he can remember, Keegan, Grade 8, has been interested in history. But even he could never have predicted his specialist subject would turn out to be so unusual. A keen reader from an early age, Keegan could often be found in the library, reading old magazines and books. Then one day, half-hidden by the library counter, he had an epiphany.

It was history I could relate to, featuring buildings and people knew. I started looking for more and more books, going right back to the start of the school in 1963.

“I found a stack of yearbooks, and it was amazing!” says Keegan. “It was history I could relate to, featuring buildings and people I knew. I started looking for more and more books, going right back to the start of the school in the 1960s."

“The school was quite different then. For instance, there used to be a strict uniform – in the first few years of the school, students had to wear a full suit! Then, in the late 1960s, the dress code severely loosened and, since 1988, it’s really just been guidance rather than a code.”

Appetite well and truly whetted, Keegan began to dig deeper. “The Spinnergut Villa was renovated in the 1990s when the underground bit was added. Other things haven’t changed so much, like the teachers – some of them have been here a really long time.

“The older yearbooks, until 2008, were always dedicated to a specific teacher, and often the same names came up – like Fowler Stillman and Ken McKinley for example. But in 2008, the yearbooks for the three schools merged into one, and the dedications stopped. I guess there were too many teachers to thank then.”

Keegan’s growing encyclopaedic knowledge of ZIS history is building him quite a reputation. He was recently invited into Upper School teacher Rob Freisen’s Theory of Knowledge class to help the students find information about old field trips from the yearbooks. “Back in the day, the field trips were to riskier places, like East Germany,” he observes. “I think the students had more responsibility for themselves then.”

The school librarians like to try and catch him out with spot quizzes. “They’ll ask me random questions like, who was the third director of ZIS? It was Peter Mott, of course.”

And last year, he was invited to join Yearbook Club and help produce the 2024 edition, a 60th anniversary special celebrating the school’s opening in 1963. “The theme was the 1960s, so I was able to help with that, especially getting the right look. I helped edit it too, and I took pictures at Turkey Trot and WorldFest. It was fun. I got a discount on the yearbook and an ice-cream with lunch! But mostly I was just happy to be able to share all the stuff I know about ZIS and its history.”

Download a or request a copy of Voices Winter 2024/25 from the Voices Webpage.

My Passion

When I'm in the water, I'm OK. If I feel mad or sad, I get in the pool and it makes me happy.

There’s one place that Ella (Grade 4) feels completely at home – in the pool. “As long as I’m in the water, I’m OK,” she says. “If I’m feeling mad or sad, I get in the pool and it makes me happy.”

She has loved swimming for as long as she can remember. “When I was two or three, my mum would fill the bath for me as high as possible and I’d put on my bathing suit and go ‘swimming’. In my first ever swimming lesson, when I was maybe around four, apparently I doggy-paddled straight away. I’ve never been afraid of the water, although I don’t like being in water where there are fish! I’m scared of fish.”

She joined the ZIS swim team as soon as she could – at the start of Grade 4 – and has already flown through her first inter-school competition, coming in the first six in each of her strokes – breaststroke, front crawl, relay and her favourite, butterfly. The competitions are designed to give Lower School students an insight into a competitive environment and prepare them for the transition to Middle School.

“My swimming teacher, Ms Wright, saw how much my friend Lucy and I both loved swimming and suggested we try out for the swim team,” she says. “Luckily, we both got in! Monday is my favourite day of the week because I have swim training. Ms Wright is really nice and kind. She says it doesn’t matter if you win – it matters if you join in and if you have fun.

“I do want to win, but mainly I just like being in the water, and swimming as fast as I can. In a race it feels different, though; it happens so fast, you don’t really know how fast you’re going, or how much time has passed.”

The swimming programme offers the perfect opportunity to compete at the same meets as students of all ages – a true one-school event. “I was really nervous before my first competition in Adliswil. I just wanted to get my first race over with. The second I was even more nervous, but in the third and fourth I had fun.”

Winning means prize ribbons, which Ella keeps in a drawer in her bedroom to admire from time to time, and it can also mean healthy competition with her friend, Lucy. “We do compete, but sometimes we agree to make it a tie. We never fall out for long,” she says. “Mostly we compete against ourselves: I ask Ms Wright to time me and I try to get a faster speed, from 10 seconds, to nine, to eight… until it’s impossible.”

She also has private lessons, and then there are the times she can persuade her mum to take her to the pool again, or to the lake in summer. “I just want to get my head under the water, because it feels really nice.”

And her ultimate swimming goal? “It’s not really me to want to be in the Olympics,” she says. “Even though I’m competitive, that doesn’t interest me. But I always want to be in the swim team. I won’t ever stop swimming.”

Download a or request a copy of Voices Summer 2024 from the Voices Webpage.

My Passion

It's about finding new materials that are accessible and not expensive

As a passionate football fan – he supports Arsenal and France – Victor Legenne was glued to last year’s FIFA Men’s World Cup. But it wasn’t just the matches he was interested in. One of the Qatar stadiums was particularly unique, created from 974 shipping containers – the first ever temporary World Cup stadium. After the tournament, the stadium was dismantled, and the containers sent to be repurposed in countries in greater need of the materials.

“When I heard that they could build it and then take it down and transport it I thought, that’s really impressive,” says ictor. “It’s a totally new approach to buildings. Normally when we build something, it’s permanent, and then we wait for it to wear or we break it down.” Examples of sustainable architecture like this are something Victor, Grade 12, is exploring as part of his International Baccalaureate Higher Level Design Technology course. “I’ve been thinking about the idea of using containers and repurposing them for low cost to provide homes for people. I’m also exploring the use of better-quality materials, so that builders don’t resort to buying poor-quality materials that can impact the environment.”

It’s perhaps no surprise that Victor has such a passion for design technology – as a child he loved playing with LEGO, Play-Doh and Jenga. And thanks to his parents taking him to museums and galleries, he has long had an appreciation of buildings. Inspiration is all around, especially as one of his favourite architects, Sir David Chipperfield, designed the extension to Zurich’s Kunsthaus gallery.

His school projects – which include an IB internal assessment inspired by the innovations in stadium building and his IB extended essay on how changing the ingredients in concrete might make it more sustainable – allow him to combine several of his passions: football, architecture, sustainability and, importantly, helping others. “Last summer, I went by myself to Tanzania where I did some humanitarian work and helped rebuild a school that was hit by a tornado. It really inspired me to want to help others, especially people that don’t have the capacity to help themselves.” 

Repurposing building materials offers not only the chance to make the construction industry more sustainable, but also to assist with housing and infrastructure in disadvantaged countries. “We produce around 30 billion tonnes of concrete every year,” says Victor. “Instead of always producing new materials, why not try and reuse old materials? That’s where the idea of containers comes in, because so many of them get discarded when they’re no longer suitable for transport.”

For Victor, architecture can and should be about more than just beautiful buildings. “That is important, but for me what counts the most is that everyone has the opportunity to stay safe and healthy. It’s about finding new materials that are accessible and not expensive to provide homes to the people that don’t have the same opportunities.”

Download a or request a copy of Voices Winter 2023/24 from the Voices Webpage.

My Passion

Rylee, Class of 2027 is at her happiest when she's expressing her creativity,in whatever form that is.

It’s an expression thing, says Rylee Young (Grade 8). “I love all the creative arts – singing, dancing, acting and painting. When I’m acting, I get to be a different person and bring a character to life. And you can share your thoughts and views through artwork – just as someone like Banksy does. The arts can connect to real-life feelings and experiences.”

Rylee has been singing in choirs since she was very young. And, she points out, she sings everywhere else, too. “Around the house, when I’m out doing stuff, I’ll always be singing,” she says. “I just adore it, and I’ve even written a few songs of my own. I also really enjoyed the ZIS choir because we sang a whole range of songs. Singing connects you to real life, the past, the future, new cultures, worship – or just plain fun!”

But it wasn’t until she came to ZIS that she discovered her passion for acting. “I’ve always loved the thought of it but never had the opportunity or space to try it,” she says. And dancing has been another new discovery: she’s currently taking dance at school and loving it. “I love the window in the new dance studio because it lets in lots of natural light but also provides privacy,” she says. “The lighting combined with the new mirrors gives a clear view for dancing, and the way the music echoes off the walls is amazing.”

And incredibly, she also finds time for drawing, painting and photography. Her passion for the arts enables her to develop other skills, too: from being more confident in front of an audience to looking beyond the horizons of her world view. “Drawing and painting have taught me how to be more aware of the world and what is going on,” she says. “I have done a lot of expressive paintings of real-world issues and problems.”

And, of course, the arts are deeply collaborative. Plays, choirs and films: all these are only possible when people with different skills and personalities work together towards a common goal. It’s no surprise to hear that Rylee’s favourite moments are all about the relationships the creative arts help to build.

“The Dancing Queen song and dance moves will forever be in my mind from the arts festival last year,” she says. “But I also enjoy singing at church with my Dad. We sing together and it makes me so proud and happy to lead people in worship. When I was doing the plays and the movies, I loved being at the rehearsals, hanging out with my friends. I remember a lot of laughter. There was never a dull moment. It was always fun – even the challenging moments.”

Right now, her future career is up for grabs – but whatever it is, she’s sure that it will include her passion for the arts, even if that’s behind the scenes. “I’m pretty sure it will lead me to fun and success, no matter in what form that is,” she says. “I’m thankful that ZIS provides opportunities to help me learn new things and express myself through the arts. It’s truly my passion. And now that we have the new building, I have a lot more room to paint, dance, sing and act – oh yeah, and learn!”

Download a or request a copy of Voices Summer 2023 from the Voices Webpage.

My Passion

Isabella, Class of 2022 (2009-22) explored her Colombian roots through the Barefoot Service Club. 

With her Colombian roots, the Upper School Barefoot Service Club was an essential choice for Isabella Sanchez, Class of 2022 (2009-22). Dedicated to raising awareness of, and funding for, education in Colombia and other Latin-American countries (and affiliated with Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira’s Pies Descalzos – or Barefoot – Foundation), the club offered a way for Isabella to connect with her heritage.

“It meant a lot to me,” says Isabella. “I haven’t lived in Colombia, but I visit a lot and discover various different places within it. So being in a club that helped to give back was quite lovely for me, being so far away and living a completely different life in Switzerland.”

One of her proudest achievements as a member and then President of the club was organising Barefoot Week, involving a volleyball tournament, decorating the school with Colombian posters and delivering lectures on its culture.

Another was presenting on behalf of Barefoot at the annual European conference of the Global Issues Network, which supports and grows sustainable youth-led empowerment in the face of challenges including climate change, poverty and illiteracy. Working with other clubs at ZIS, Barefoot “created an interactive story game that told the lives of three different kids facing these issues. It was the best way for people to understand what their support can do for someone else.”

And in recognition of her outstanding leadership, Isabella received an Award for International Understanding from the Educational Collaborative for International Schools, which acknowledges students who are actively involved in promoting international understanding.

“She is a truly international student who recognises the advantages and opportunities that education offers,” said the judges. “With a humble Colombian heart, she appreciates the culture of others and was a driving force encouraging ZIS students to understand the social problems in Latin America. She is a fantastic leader who has a way of making others feel appreciated and comfortable. She leads by example and has been a positive force at ZIS throughout her time here.”

Isabella helped to raise almost CHF8,000 over the course of her time at ZIS, money that is sent to support school projects administered by the Pies Descalzos Foundation in underdeveloped areas in Colombia. As a result of her efforts, “most people at the school know more about who we are, because we try to make activities that directly correlate to Colombian culture,” she says with pride.

It wasn’t just the Barefoot Club keeping her busy at ZIS, though. Isabella was also a keen participant in Model United Nations (MUN), enjoying the debating and the chance to “delve into other issues around the world”. It’s thanks to her experiences at the MUN that she decided to go into law, which she’s now studying at the University of Bristol. “Being at ZIS for so long has really grown my awareness of other cultures,” she says. “I wouldn’t trade that for anything else.”

Download a or request a copy of Voices Winter 2022/23 from the Voices Webpage.

My Passion

Isabelle explains why leadership is about the team.

Public speaking - Isabelle says she used to be more reserved, but speaking in front of 500 people at school assemblies quickly improved . her confidence.

It might seem unlikely, but it was while watching Grade 9 students trying to win a tug-of-war against their teachers that Isabelle Dady, Class of 2020 (2013-20), realised how much fun student government could be. As a Grade 11 representative, she had helped organise the school’s first Spirit Week, a five-day competition between faculty and students. “I figured out that I have this passion for using my abilities to help the student body unleash their potential.

As Upper School Student Council President in her final year at ZIS, she promoted causes that benefited the whole campus, something she’d long been enthusiastic about. “I think that’s when my confidence improved, as people really supported me.”

Isabelle’s team was keen to make meaningful changes, not superficial ones. “We wanted to promote students’ voices on administrative matters, and collaborated with Upper School Principal, Mr Markus, to set up a process so students could be heard.”

She says the highlight of the year was being asked to speak at the ZIS Women in Leadership event alongside Director Lisa Lyle and holistic health coach Martina Fink, where she hoped her presence inspired younger students. “The last female Student Council President was six years before me, so I wanted to challenge the mindset that powerful positions belong to guys. The president elected after me is another girl, so hopefully that worked!”

A pandemic was never part of the plan, but the council made the end of the school year as enjoyable as they could. Instead of an in-person Spirit Week, they ran a virtual event, featuring dance and cooking challenges as well as Instagram Live performances by student musicians. “We were debating whether to do it, because you can’t force spirit on anyone, but I’m really glad we did.” And then there was the online graduation, at which Isabelle and fellow student Nicholas , Class of 2020 (2005-06, 2014-20), reflected on the unusual end to their peer group’s school career.

“It was disappointing, but we didn’t let it stop us,” says Isabelle, who is now studying at Dartmouth College in the US. “We just adapted. The challenge made us stronger.”

Why I love... math

Class of 2020, MathEmatician

Liam says that when you solve a math problem with logic it feels like you’ve been touched by brilliance.

Liam, Grade 12, first realised how much he loved math when things didn’t quite go to plan. “There was a competition in Grade 4,” he recalls. “Four ‘mathletes’ were to be chosen and I was so sure I’d be one of them I’d stopped trying. When I wasn’t picked, it was a wake-up call. I realised how much I enjoyed it and that I wanted to be good at it.”

Liam took the initiative and began spending hours in his bedroom learning calculus and trigonometry beyond what was being taught in school. By Grade 7 he was working on derivatives – something not usually covered until Grade 11.

“I thought I could ‘do’ calculus, but really I could just do one bit of it. I didn’t really understand it. Still, it gave me bragging rights with my friends.”

In fact, things didn’t get serious until his math teacher picked up on his progress. “At the end of Grade 7, Ms Reed said: ‘We can see you’ve been spending hours on this and you’re committed to it. You should push yourself’.”

The school worked with Liam to ensure he had the tools he needed to anchor his knowledge – “like explaining what the little triangle over the letters in an equation means,” he says – and that he was always challenged.

“What I love about math,” he explains, “is there’s always a right answer. And you can figure it out from things you already know. It’s almost stealing: using logic to solve a problem. It feels like a stroke of brilliance.

“Take quadratic equations. That formula looks like random variables but it can be applied to every single quadratic! It’s ridiculously cool and strangely intriguing.”

Liam also plays chess and runs cross country. “I like that you can measure your running progress in numbers,” he says. “Like going from 22 minutes for five km to 18.45 in three years.”

As well as his ambition to become an astrophysicist, Liam wants to learn differential equations, in homage to the stars of the TV show, The Big Bang Theory. “I too can be socially awkward,” he laughs.

My Passion - Art

Lucy, Grade 8, always has pen and paper to hand.

Artfully done
Lucy says that drawing is character-creating.

Since she was very young, Lucy's family have always known where to find her: sitting at a table with pens and paper, drawing something. “I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember,” she says. “It’s always been with me, and my parents have always been supportive of it.”

Inspired by classic art and artists such as the Mona Lisa and Van Gogh, Lucy nevertheless doesn’t have a particular style, she says. At the moment, she loves to sketch “people, things that look cool or interesting, or whatever I feel like in the moment”. Drawing, for her, is also character-creating. “A lot of the time I’ll draw someone I don’t know. I’ll create my own person and add anything I want.”

Her passion for art has flourished at ZIS. “My teacher, Rainer Jutzi, is so much fun. He really challenges us but also makes the class exciting and enjoyable, and takes me out of my comfort zone.” She found a recent project, to create a piece of art around social protest, particularly inspiring. Students were asked to pick an issue they felt needed to be spoken about and represent it.

Improving her craft is tough, she says. She’s already familiar with the artist’s struggle for inspiration – “I know it’s a stereotype, but sometimes I’m just staring at a piece of paper and I don’t know what to draw!” – and still life is a challenge. “I find many things hard about art, but it’s always been a struggle for me to draw things that have a lot of detail or texture, because I’m more on the creative side.”

Art, she says, takes her out of this world and transports her to a completely different place, with none of the traditional rules or boundaries. All she needs is that table, paper and pens. “When that happens, I’m lost. I’m in the moment – I’m experimenting and creating, and nothing else matters. Art is a great place to lose yourself.”