Gabriela Sofia Kivi (Leaver 2008)

After leaving MTGS with excellent GCSE and A level results, Gabriela attended Cardiff University to study French with Business Studies.  After one term she changed her course to Accounting as she was not enjoying the French content as much as she had done at Merchants with Madame Mistry.  She made some lasting friendships at University and achieved a first class honours degree in Accounting.  Her first job interview resulted in her moving to Wimbledon SW19 to work at Domestic and General in the International Underwriting team where she subsequently met her now fiancé Robert Kendall after 18 months.  Gabriela continued to study and passed the exams to become an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.  Gabriela and Rob started to plan and save for a gap year in Australia and Thailand and, after giving in their notices in the UK, the company asked them to complete an 8 week contract in Melbourne where they had an office and offered accommodation and flights which they gladly fulfilled.  Then their travelling commenced from October 2014 to March 2015 covering Melbourne to Cairns by road plus flying over to Perth, Vietnam, Bangkok and the islands, then back to the UK via a Dubai stay.

After having decided Melbourne was the city they wanted to settle in, they returned to Australia where Gabriela landed excellent employment as a business analyst at a company called Ansvar where she is studying for further professional exams to become an Actuary.  Their permanent visas were issued within four months, so now a cute Cavapoo called Teddy has become a member of their family.

Gabriela still keeps in touch with school friends and has holidayed with Simal Thind, Ciara O’Donnell, Nadine Iskander and Catrin Hobbs as recently as this year in Paris in March.  She is hoping they will come over to Australia for her wedding (not until September 2017).

(Lindar Kivi)