Student Profile: Camille Petit, ISB Senior
Early acceptance to the University of Chicago to study molecular engineering
A Close-Knit Community
When Camille Petit arrived at the International School of Boston in Grade 8, she had already lived in Russia, France, and China. Moving from a large school in China, where classes had around 40 students, to a class of just 15 was a significant change, but one that shaped her high school experience in many ways.
“ISB, because it’s such a small community, gives us an incredible chance to get very personalized teaching. Teachers really know us, they give us individual feedback, and they take the time to help us grow both academically and socially.”Camille Petit
Learning Through Connection
During the past five years, Camille has appreciated the individualized attention and encouragement that come with small classes. She often met with teachers during office hours to review concepts and ask questions. “Being able to talk directly to teachers about what we don’t understand makes a big difference,” she said. “It’s much harder to get that kind of help in a class of 40.”
That sense of connection extended beyond the classroom. Volleyball games and team traditions remain some of her favorite memories. “Whether we won or lost, we always celebrated together, playing music on the bus and cheering each other on,” she recalled. “It taught me to always stay positive.”
Finding Her Voice in Two Languages
Camille’s ISB journey also helped her become truly bilingual. “It’s really here that I learned English,” she said. “When I arrived, I didn’t speak it fluently. Thanks to English classes and the BFI program, I became comfortable in both languages and can easily translate between them. That will help me a lot at university, especially with writing essays and research projects.”
The BFI that Camille mentions is the French Baccalaureate with International Option, a bilingual academic track that combines rigorous coursework in both French and English and prepares students for higher education in multiple countries. Choosing this pathway was a defining moment. “It gave me the chance to consider studying in the United States, which had always been my dream,” she said. “The program opens doors in both Europe and the U.S. and keeps every option available.” Its global perspective and bilingual approach gave her the foundation to pursue her goals with confidence.
A Passion for Discovery
Guided by College Counseling support and her own curiosity, Camille began exploring science in greater depth through summer programs. “It was thanks to my summer programs, which were recommended by my counselors, that I discovered molecular engineering,” she explained. The field, which combines physics and biology, immediately fascinated her.
She later completed a research internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, studying how sleep and circadian rhythm genetics influence Alzheimer’s disease. Those experiences helped her confirm her academic path and inspired her to pursue research opportunities of her own. Her paper, Liquid Biopsy in Glioma: Transforming Diagnosis and Monitoring Through Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid, conducted through the Cambridge Center for International Research, explored innovative cancer detection methods and the use of artificial intelligence in personalized treatment. It reflects the depth of her curiosity and her ability to connect scientific inquiry with broader ethical and human dimensions of medicine.
From ISB to the University of Chicago
That same curiosity led to one of Camille’s proudest achievements: her early acceptance to the University of Chicago, where she plans to study molecular engineering. “UChicago stood out to me because of its strong program and state-of-the-art labs,” she said. “I also took part in a summer program there, which gave me the chance to meet people and get a real sense of the atmosphere. I immediately loved it.”
She also looks forward to joining university clubs, including volleyball and equestrian, to continue the balance of academics and community life that she found so meaningful at ISB.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
One of the projects that most shaped Camille’s Upper School experience was the Connaissance du Monde BFI project in Grade 11. For the first time, she had to reach out to professionals, write to them about her research, and follow up until she received responses. The process gave her confidence in how she communicates and taught her the value of persistence and initiative, lessons that will stay with her well beyond high school.