Back on Campus: Catching Up with Alumni Anton V and Edgar V
*This interview has been edited for clarity and understanding.
Anton Van Parys and Edgar Van Parys, alumni of Dulwich College Seoul (DCSL), were both at the school from 2017 to 2022, Anton from Year 7 to Year 11, and Edgar from Year 5 to Year 9. Four years on, the brothers returned to visit the campus on an early autumn day in September, just as the new school year was getting underway. They now live in the UK, where Anton attends the University of Bristol and Edgar is due to start at Imperial College London this month. We took the two down memory lane, as they relived their teenage years in Korea.
- How does it feel like to be back on campus?
Anton: I really enjoy seeing all the teachers in a different environment, because it's changed quite a lot, but it also kind of seems the same. You can imagine what you would have done here a few years ago.
Edgar: You've got so many good memories here, and you see yourself in the students, you know they're having exactly the same experiences that you had, which was so nice. It's nostalgia, not quite sadness, just a bit of missing it. It makes you want to relive it a little, simply because it was such a good part of your life.
- What are some of your favourite DCSL memories?
Anton: I don't want to make it sound like it's all about football, but the football team, KAIAC (Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference), the year we won the championship- that stands out.
It's a small school, and the sense of community is so good. Everyone knows each other, and you can have a laugh. I don't think there are many other schools where you can do that. I was very good friends with some of the Year 13 students, and we had a great time together. You don't really get that in many other schools.
Edgar: I really liked KAIAC too, and I enjoyed House Football, especially the teacher-versus-student games, House Sports in general. Going abroad, to Phuket in Thailand, for sports tournaments. Playing the guitar in the auditorium. Things like that gave you a lot of opportunities to try different skills and hobbies.
- How has DCSL shaped who you are today?
Anton: I think it comes back to what we were saying before, about the sense of community, being kind to everyone. You get to interact with all kinds of people: there's real diversity, but also people from younger and older year groups. You learn to be kind to everyone.
You see that the teachers are kind to everyone, some of the best teachers in the world, and when you see that, you learn to talk to anyone naturally, as if they were your friend.
Edgar: I'd also say it's about diversity, and being in an international environment. I wanted to be in that kind of environment again, where everyone is open-minded. Interacting with people from so many different backgrounds is quite special, and it shapes your outlook on life and how you treat other people.
- How is university life in the UK like?
Anton: It's probably one of the best times of your life in terms of freedom, you get to decide what you want to study and which classes to take. If you find the right university for you, and you're comfortable where you're living, then you can do anything you want, really.
- What is your plan after university?
Anton: I'm hoping to do a Master's after this year, pursuing Mathematical Economics. I really like the econometric side of economics, so I'd be interested in quantitative research, statistics, and the more mathematical side of things. Ideally, I'd like to work at a national bank, or use maths in some way to help solve economic problems, whether that's policy, trade, or asset-based. I'd want maths to be part of my life going forward.
- Any advice or tips for current students on school life?
Anton: It's probably a cliché, but I'd say: throw yourself into everything you can, and make the most of life at Dulwich College Seoul. Make sure you take every opportunity you can while you still can. Just immerse yourself.
Edgar: Even if it's something you wouldn't usually do, throw yourself into it anyway, step outside your comfort zone, and you may well end up glad you did. Keep taking risks and challenges. For studies, it’s easy to say, but you have to stay consistent with your day-to-day schoolwork. That said, I don't mean it should be all work, work, work, that's not really how it is. You want to make time for hobbies too; that's what gets you through everything else.
Our thanks go to Anton and Edgar for taking the time to revisit the campus and to share such open reflections on their years at Dulwich College Seoul. Their journey is a reminder of what our education is intended to do: to equip students not only for examinations, but for life beyond school, wherever it takes them. We wish them every success as they continue their studies, and we hope they will consider this campus a home to return to for many years to come.