Ganesh Annan graduated from the IB Career-related Programme (CP) at Robert E. Lee High School in Virginia, US. He continued his university studies at Virginia Tech in the field of computational modelling and data analytics.
Why did you originally decide to pursue the IB Career-related Programme?
I chose to pursue the IB Career-related Programme (CP) due to the rigor of the IB courses and the innate flexibility that the programme provided. Companies are looking for students with an interdisciplinary background who can identify problems, approach them with different points of view and solve them. The programme empowered me to exponentially further my understanding in mathematics and physics, while also allowing me to dive deeply into business and history. The education that I received in the business program specifically, has provided a strong foundation for my entrepreneurial endeavors during my time at Virginia Tech.
I owe a lot to my parents, teachers and mentors. There is no way that I could have reached half of my achievements without taking a leap of faith and challenging myself to do things that I have never done before. At times, you may think it is impossible to accomplish some of your goals; but when you break it down into small pieces and finish those pieces one by one, I promise you will reach your goal.
“The CP empowered me to exponentially further my understanding in mathematics and physics while also allowing me to dive deeply into business and history.”
Which of your IB teachers inspired you most?
My most inspiring teacher was Ms. Hotchkiss, my IB physics teacher. Physics was unlike any other class that I have taken: it was foreign, abstract and hard to grasp. Every day consisted of breaking the rules of how I thought the world worked and replacing it with the rules formulated by physicists. This constant cycle of learning inspired me to become a Learning Assistant for the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech.
How did you reach where you are today?
The true key to my success is my desire to never stop learning. I constantly strive to become a better person and refine my skills. Learn from your classes, the books you read, the stories your friends and family tell and everything in between. When you start to gain this passion for learning inside the classroom as well as outside, the doors of success will begin to open. There is nothing in the world that you can’t learn. Do something every day that will inch you closer to your goals. Have a positive mind and focus your energy towards your most rewarding tasks, this is crucial for achieving anything in life. Learning may not come easy to you at first; with confidence and persistence; you will reach whatever goals you set in life.
Currently, I run a website that helps students take a data-driven approach in choosing classes. My website, Anaanu.com, was a quick project to help a few friends. It has grown to become an essential part in the course selection process for students. Furthermore, some advisors are using it as a tool to help pick classes for their students. It is amazing to look back and see how far I’ve come. Over the course of three years, I have completed internships from Paris to Silicon Valley and I am looking forward to what is next.
