Previous studies:
Bachelor of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University and Research (The Netherlands)
Spoken languages:
English, French, Mandarin Chinese
Hello! Salut! 大家好 !
My name is Soraya and I'm currently studying as a first-year master's student in the SMIB program. I'm half French half Indonesian and was born and raised in Beijing, China until I was 11. I then finished middle and high school studies in Lyon, France. Having lived on two continents where landscapes were very different from one another, I began to grow interested in the environment and the impact that human activities have on it. As a very sciencey kid at the time, I wanted to know more about ecology as well as geological and biological processes.
Thus, prior to studying at ESSEC Business School, I pursued a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, where I majored in quality and systems analysis. I also did a semester exchange at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - Switzerland) with the Erasmus program during that time. All this moving around throughout my life has made me a very open-minded, flexible, and adaptable person! I also realized during my undergrad years —I had way too much time to think about my future, thanks to Covid— that I didn't want to go into research, but I really enjoyed talking to and communicating with people. And it is in the hopes of reaching that goal that I wound up applying, and eventually getting into the SMIB program.
The people I've met here, classmates and professors alike, are just absolutely lovely and so supportive. It's a perfect international and multicultural environment where ideas can form, clash, and evolve. In addition, the countless networking events and career services are ideal for helping students prepare for their future careers in business.
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions at all. Whether it be related to the courses, associations, school schedule, cost of living, rent, what it's like to live in Cergy or anything else, I'll be happy to answer any queries you might have!
