Reese joined Branksome in Grade 9 just over a year ago and quickly found what she wasn't expecting: a tight-knit, welcoming community. "I first expected it to not be as smooth as it would be," she says, "but the amount of community and support there is, and how welcoming everyone is, just made it so easy and felt really good." Now in Grade 10, she's balancing a demanding academic path with a serious competitive dance career, up to 40 hours a week outside of school.

IB Select allowed me to not take a language and still take two sciences along with dance.

Last year, Reese competed as a title soloist at nationals, earning third place out of 100 dancers with an Irish jig-inspired jazz solo called "The Jig of Life." "I wasn't expecting that at all," she says. "My parents and family and friends encouraged me to do it, and it just showed a lot of my hard work throughout the years." Branksome's High Performance Program has been key to making that balance possible, giving her a spare period instead of an elective so she can keep up with schoolwork while missing class for competitions.

Looking ahead, Reese has chosen the IB Select pathway, a decision shaped by her love of science and interest in the medical field. "I want to go into the medical field, so I need to take biology and chemistry," she explains. "IB Select allowed me to not take a language and still take two sciences along with dance." She's especially excited to continue with HL American History and DP Dance this year, where she'll get to choreograph her own pieces. Her interest in medicine, particularly pediatric oncology nursing, was sparked further by her Careers class and a Personal Project on ALS. "It made me want to help people even more," she says.

Reese has come to see Branksome as far more than she expected. "I have so many friends from different friend groups," she says. "Spirit weeks, Hockey Day, all those things make it so fun and so connected with everyone." She adds that being part of a school for girls has been especially comforting. "These girls are so supportive and so friendly. Everyone's so hardworking, and they all want the best for each other, which is really encouraging."