This champion indoor skydiver is aiming for the skies with her ESSEC Business School Global BBA programme

Ms Kyra Poh is not your ordinary 20-year-old. She holds not one but three Guinness World Records for indoor skydiving.

Having represented Singapore in international competitions and winning 45 gold medals to date, Ms Poh clinched a Sport Excellence Singapore (spex) Scholarship offered by Sport Singapore. While there were many other universities she could have chosen from, she picked ESSEC Business School’s Global Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme in Singapore. 

Last year, ESSEC was ranked among the top 5 per cent in the world for Business & Management Studies by QS World University Rankings, and its BBA programme has been recognised as one of the best in France. 

More on this topic: ESSEC student is learning from a diverse, global classroom

With an International Baccalaureate score of 41/45, Ms Poh could have made it to most universities in the world but she was drawn to ESSEC’s Global BBA.

The programme’s flexibility, coupled with the school’s open culture and international outlook, aligned well with her personal aspirations to continue pursuing her sport at an elite level.

Making global connections

A huge part of Ms Poh’s university experience at ESSEC comprises the people she meets and the conversations she has with them. After all, ESSEC has a diverse population, with 42 different nationalities represented on campus. 

ESSEC’s Asia Pacific campus is located within the one-north business park. “I really enjoy coming to school, learning from the professors and meeting new people almost every day,” she says. 

With a vibrant and lively campus culture, Ms Poh observes that people are open to chatting anywhere, even in elevators. This open communication culture has led the self-described extrovert to befriend people from many different countries and programmes.

“I am looking forward to all the overseas opportunities that ESSEC’s Global BBA offers, ranging from social missions to exchange programmes in other campuses”

– Ms Kyra Poh, ESSEC Global BBA undergraduate

She has even picked up French and Spanish to an advanced level. She views it as an exchange of cultures when she receives support from her friends in these languages and in return, she helps them to learn Mandarin. 

To further her international exposure, Ms Poh also intends to study abroad in Cergy, France, this year, as part of ESSEC’s wide range of exchange programmes offered.

“I am looking forward to all the overseas opportunities that ESSEC’s Global BBA offers, ranging from social missions to exchange programmes in other campuses,” says Ms Poh. 

In her third year, she hopes to earn a double degree from one of ESSEC’s over 175 institutional partners worldwide, including such prestigious names as King’s College London in Britain and Tsinghua University in China.

Reaching for greater heights

While she is excited about studying abroad, Ms Poh remains rooted in her love for skydiving. She hopes to use her education to explore how the sport can be made more environmentally sustainable as it does burn a lot of fuel and generate carbon emissions. 

For those who are about to embark on the next stage of their learning journey, Ms Poh has these words of advice to share: “Go with an open mind and interact with anyone and everyone. Try to meet as many people as possible, as every single person can teach you something in one way or another. 

“Or, to paraphrase a common saying: If you want to fly fast, fly alone; if you want to fly far, fly together.”

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