Anastasiia Sozanovska ’26, a trilingual student from Ukraine, concluded five highly productive years at TASIS with an exceptional 43 points on her International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma assessments. Her academic trajectory was marked by early success, including excellent scores on three AP exams—European History, Precalculus, and Drawing and Painting—in grade 10. She was inducted into the TASIS Cum Laude Society chapter and received the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Award for her analytical depth. Beyond academics, Anastasiia distinguished herself in diplomacy, athletics, and the arts. She participated in Model UN and traveled to The Hague for the prestigious THIMUN conference, where she earned the Best New Delegate Award. Her campus engagement extended to competing on the soccer and track & field teams, performing through the TASIS Dance program, and serving on the TASIS Speaker Series Committee. Following her graduation in May 2026, she reflected on how TASIS prepared her for college. She noted that the international understanding and connections she gained reduced her anxiety about transitioning to university, and that teachers encouraged independence and critical thinking. She also praised the College Counseling Office, particularly her counselor Mr. Wickham, for making the application process exciting rather than stressful. Anastasiia received offers from all seven universities she applied to—London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UCL, King's College London, Durham University, Warwick University, Leiden University, and University of Amsterdam—and ultimately chose to study Politics at LSE.
Among her most inspiring experiences at TASIS, Anastasiia highlighted her participation in the Global Service Program trip to Zambia, where she taught social studies to sixth graders. Explaining democracy to young students deepened her passion for education and international relations. She also recalled the visit of Timothy Cho, Secretariat of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, as part of the TASIS Speaker Series. His keynote speech about escaping North Korea and becoming a human rights activist resonated deeply, and interviewing him solidified her plans to pursue international relations and political science. Anastasiia expressed fond memories of her teachers, particularly Ms. Nijssen, her advisor, dorm parent, IB Math teacher, and CAS supervisor, who provided unwavering support. She also thanked Ms. Anderson, her IB Coordinator and TOK teacher, for creating an encouraging classroom environment, as well as Mr. Chellman, Dr. Love, Ms. Avaldi, and Ms. Bragger. When asked what she would miss most, Anastasiia cited the people, the beautiful campus, and everyday moments like gathering in friends’ dorm rooms, Academic Travel, snowboarding in nearby mountains, enjoying the lake, and studying outside. She emphasized that TASIS shaped her into a more open-minded person and provided a global network she can rely on wherever she goes.
