Visiting UNIS Hanoi this January, siblings Ella Gubbels (Class of 2024) and Rafael Gubbels (Class of 2023) returned to see familiar faces, and to give back to the community that helped shape them. As part of an alumni panel alongside ten fellow graduates, they shared with our Grade 12 students to give frank advice about university life and the future waiting beyond UNIS Hanoi.
The siblings shared on their journeys since leaving Hanoi: different, yet deeply connected by a shared sense of purpose, curiosity, and care for others. Ella is now in her second year studying Criminology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is already thinking ahead to how she might use her degree in investigative or community-focused work.
Rafael, a third-year medical student at the same university, is steadily working towards his goal of becoming a doctor. Recently, he spent eight weeks in Indonesia supporting ambulance services in remote communities, an experience that reinforced why he chose medicine in the first place.
Both spoke openly with students about university life: notwithstanding the primacy of academics, they spoke about balance and the importance of finding your people and actively building a social life. For both, joining clubs, playing sports, and saying yes to new experiences have made all the difference. Rafael continues to stay active, playing volleyball alongside his studies, balancing the intensity of medical school with teamwork and community. Sports continue to be central for Ella also, who participates in elite swim training in Amsterdam. In her time at UNIS Hanoi, she founded a service learning group that invited children from Thuy An Center to come play sports on campus.
When reflecting on what prepared them most for university, both pointed to Theory of Knowledge (TOK), crediting it with building the confidence to think critically, write independently, and question deeply.
Looking ahead, their ambitions are firmly grounded in service. Whether through development, medicine, or community work, Ella and Rafael are focused on making a real difference. Their return to UNIS Hanoi was not just a homecoming, but a reminder to current students that the values nurtured here can carry you far, while still keeping you rooted in compassion.
- Alumni News