Another of our Sharing Stories episodes for the Amsterdam International Community School Alumni. This week we hear from Liam Hayes, who is studying for an MSc in Industrial Design in Eindhoven.

I joined AICS in 2014, at the start of MYP3, and was there for 5 years, until I graduated from the Diploma Programme in 2019.

Directly out of AICS I went to a bachelors course in the Netherlands, but soon discovered that it wasn't to my liking - I spent the remaining academic year developing my portfolio to apply to courses that suited me better. During this time Covid began, and I started my BA Hons. in Product Design at NCAD in Ireland in September 2020. I completed it 4 years later, having spent two semesters abroad for exchanges and an internship (in Sweden and Portugal). I then applied to my current masters course, the MSc Industrial Design at the Technical University of Eindhoven, where I'm nearing the end of my first year. I'm glad to be back in the Netherlands and have reconnected with many old friends from AICS! I have a part time job on the side doing product development for an Irish startup as both a hobby and source of income, and balancing studies and work keeps me busy, but I'm enjoying it a lot!

I remember AICS most fondly because of the people: I made so many long-lasting friendships there, and set myself up to be enthusiastic about international collaboration which pushed me towards taking every opportunity for international travel during my further studies. I really enjoyed the yearly trips abroad during my time at AICS: my class went to Prague and Budapest in our final years, and those were great experiences!

My main advice for current students is to try to find something you're passionate about along the way. Having a genuine interest in your field of study makes everything so much easier, and if you're not sure yet, experiment! I began doing CAD drawings during my time at AICS for fun, designing cars, and now I study Industrial Design, which allows me to have all of the tools and expertise at my fingertips to design and prototype anything I'd like, and I genuinely really enjoy my studies and work. I wish any current AICS students the best of luck with their studies, and don't forget to have fun!