Picking up our Sharing Stories series again for 2025, we kick off with some inspiration from Phoebe Mullis, a Junior Legal Researcher at TMC Asser Instituut.

I joined AICS in 2007 starting in Group 6 and stayed until my graduation in 2016. After completing the IB program, I took a gap year where I worked in retail, before starting my bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences at Amsterdam University College. There, I majored in social science with a focus on international law. I then completed my LLM in International and Transnational Criminal Law at the University of Amsterdam.

After university, I completed an internship at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, a research center specializing in international and European law based in The Hague. During my time there, I interned with the counter-terrorism team and was fortunate to be offered a position as a junior researcher. My work primarily involves collaborating on projects and initiatives with the Global Counterterrorism Forum, an organization dedicated to developing tools and strategies to combat the global threat of terrorism. This year, my role has taken me to several countries, including Italy, Norway, the UK, and most recently Senegal, where I participated in a panel at a conference focused on strengthening border security in West Africa.

My time at AICS was an incredibly happy period in my life, filled with fond memories of attending school alongside a vibrant mix of nationalities and backgrounds. One of the biggest highlights was the sailing camp in Friesland. During MYP 1-3, I spent my first week of school learning to sail boats of all sizes, capsizing into the freezing cold water, and fueling up with peanut butter and hagelslag sandwiches for lunch. 

To any students who are worried about their future, don't sweat it. You won't have it all figured out, and that's the exciting part. There are so many opportunities and experiences waiting for you. Some of your most formative moments will happen while you search for who you are and what you want to do. Embrace the uncertainty, because it’s in those moments of searching and growth that you will discover what you are capable of.