Meet Nuraiah Farid | This graduate’s global perspective and academic outlook supported her goal to pursue economic development studies at a Global Top 100 University
Nuraiah is a 2023 graduate from Rosedale Global High School’s Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) program with partner Academia School, located in Bangladesh. She will begin studying a bachelor’s degree with Honours in Economics and International Economics from the University of Nottingham Malaysia—a Global Top 100 University—with a High Achiever’s Scholarship that covers her first year tuition fees.
With a father in the army, Nuraiah grew up with many opportunities for cultural awareness, travel and global perspective. She began her academics in an American kindergarten while her father was studying for a master’s degree from National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Even at such a young age, Nuraiah could draw comparisons between the American school and the Bangladeshi school at which she began studying when her family moved back to their home country.
“It’s quite different, the whole environment. In America you moved from classroom to classroom for different activities, you could go outside to explore during recess,” Nuraiah recalls. “But in Bangladesh, from kindergarten on, everything is in the same classroom. Even recess and lunch, your environment and exploration were limited to the same space.”
Nuraiah thrives in new environments, always looking for the next challenge to which she can adapt and Rosedale’s transformative OSSD program was no exception. The differentiated curriculum with a focus on higher order thinking was a novel experience for Nuraiah, but she was able to quickly adopt a more independent learning style and excel in her academic and personal development.
“When I first heard that Academia was bringing Rosedale’s OSSD program to Bangladesh, I did some research. After watching the school’s YouTube videos, reading their articles and School Profile, I realized that it was a good curriculum for me,” says Nuraiah. “The way the program is designed is so similar to university.”
Feeling prepared to study in university, Nuraiah decided to think practically about what she wants to accomplish in her life and where in the world she wants to pursue these goals. With an interest in economics, and more specifically economic development in Asian countries, Nuraiah decided to apply for the program best suited to prepare her to be a changemaker in her field of choice—which happened to be at the university she has always dreamed of attending.
“I have always wanted to study at the University of Nottingham, seeing my wish come true is an amazing feeling for me,” says Nuraiah. “And Rosedale was a big help in making it happen.”
Rosedale supported Nuraiah in building the necessary competencies to continue her studies in her dream university. She developed her critical thinking, creativity, accountability, communication and organization skills, and was exposed to ample opportunity for real-world application and innovation. She is thankful for the practical knowledge she built through the program and when reflecting on her experiences, Nuraiah believes that Rosedale better prepared her for university than her previous curricula.
“If I was still in the British curriculum, I would go to class and then come home only to prepare for my A-levels. I wouldn’t be preparing for my university life,” says Nuraiah. “Rosedale really exposed us to the actual expectations of university, and how to exceed them.”
