I studied at GYMES from 2007 to 2011 in the eight-year programme, and from 2011 to 2016 in the five-year programme. When I look back, I see a little fifth-year pupil in 2007 who had no idea that she would spend almost all her childhood and adolescence at this school. My journey officially ended with my leaving examinations in 2016, but the memories remained. I was fortunate to have wonderful class teachers, Mgr Tomáš Leško, Ing. Ľudmila Olšinárová and Mgr Zuzana Labunová, and I remember each of them with respect, gratitude and joy.

As for my class, I think I got along with everyone. Each of us was unique in some way, and that was exactly what made it so special. Of course, we were divided into the usual groups of girls and boys, but when something really mattered, we were able to come together. I was closest to Mima, Katty and Saša, and among the boys to Maťo, Hožko, Juraj and Ignác. With them, one was never bored.

With the passing of time, I realise that I shared some exceptional moment with every person in the class, whether it was Adam, who patiently explained mathematics to me, Dávid, who calmed me down before English conversation lessons, or Tomáš, who helped me with English. Everyone had something they excelled in and something that simply made them a good friend. Those were the years during which I came to know people who shaped me not only as a pupil, but also as a person, and I am sincerely grateful to them for that.

After my leaving examinations, I began studying biology and ecology at the Faculty of Science of Palacký University in Olomouc. After half a year, however, I decided to try the entrance examinations for the Faculty of Medicine at the same university, and it worked out. Six years of medicine were demanding, exhausting, but also beautifully formative. When I finally held my diploma and the title MUDr. in my hands in 2023, above all it was a feeling of gratitude, joy and expectation for what was to come. Today I work as a doctor in an infectious diseases department in the Czech Republic. I see my work as service to people, one that requires not only knowledge, but also humility and an approach of the heart and with respect, towards people, towards moments, and towards myself. And so I try to live the present moment with gratitude, where I am and with the person I am with at that moment.

If you had to decide again, would you choose GYMES once more?

Yes 🙂

How did you perceive the atmosphere at school during your studies?

Very positively. I genuinely looked forward to going to school, although when I reflect on it now, I often went to secondary school with more stress than I later experienced in medicine. The reason was English. I did not believe in myself in that subject, I felt I was falling behind, and I constantly compared myself with classmates who seemed to have it completely under control. However, neither the teachers nor my classmates ever made me feel weaker. On the contrary, I always felt support, understanding and encouragement. They saw that I was trying. I was the type of student who simply had to “sit it out”, I worked hard for everything and devoted a great deal of time to it. But my own perfectionism and self-criticism also played a role in that, sometimes the harshest teacher one can have.

Was there anyone among the teachers at GYMES who inspired you or significantly influenced you?

I was always fascinated when a teacher truly lived for their subject, when you could feel that they were exactly where they were meant to be. That was certainly true, for example, of Ing. Olšinárová, who patiently gave us the foundations of English grammar, or Mgr Joščák, who spoke passionately about history and civics. The best PE lessons were with Mgr Leško, who had “a good eye for metres”, because he immediately noticed when I had deliberately shortened the route in a 500-metre sprint. Mgr Trail was equally passionate about English and American literature, and I still have at home the relationship charts from the books we read. Mgr Vaľková, PhD, and RNDr Lukáčová, PhD, also truly lived for their subjects.

 Have any of your friendships from GYMES lasted until today?

Yes. Not with everyone, of course, but I am still in contact with about eight of my classmates. Although we have scattered across different cities and countries, when we return home we are happy to meet up. And sometimes we combine it with a visit to our class teacher Zuzka.

How did you choose your future direction at GYMES?

I had a fairly clear idea of my professional future from my very first year. I remember that whenever we discussed the topic “My dreams” in class, I would say without hesitation that I wanted to become a doctor and one day go on mission to Africa. So when the time came to choose seminars, the decision was clear: biology, chemistry and physics. I had a goal, and the seminars were the path towards getting closer to it. What is more, we had truly excellent teachers who presented those subjects in such a way that I enjoyed them even more. But when I look back on it after all these years, perhaps I would also have chosen something outside my “scientific bubble”, simply for joy and for a broader outlook.

Did GYMES help you in any way in your spiritual life?

For me, GYMES was more than just a school. It was also a place where, in the silence of the chapel, in the words spoken during spiritual retreats, or in singing during Holy Mass, my spiritual journey was quietly taking shape. At the time I may have taken it for granted, but now, with some distance, I see it as a great gift. The opportunity to pause in the middle of ordinary school days, to draw strength and to become still, that is no longer such a common thing today. I still remember certain moments: the atmosphere in Domček, the conversations in Važec, the peace among the Redemptorist sisters in Kežmarok. These were moments that quietly formed me and have remained with me to this day. And for that I am truly grateful.

 What values or principles from school do you carry with you into adulthood and professional life?

I carry several of them with me: faith, respect, appreciation, the courage to pursue what I want, the ability to realise my potential, the importance of relationships, openness towards others, acceptance of myself and of other people, and also a healthy degree of self-reliance. All of this was something GYMES helped me to name, develop and carry further with me.

What was the greatest challenge you overcame during your studies at school, and what did it bring into your life?

Every English conversation lesson was a challenge for me. I remember reading the notice on the board saying, “conversation cancelled”, with relief. It was not that I was deeply troubled by it, but I simply did not feel confident speaking. I was not the kind of person who could deliver a long monologue in English flawlessly and with confidence, and as a perfectionist I found it difficult to accept that I could not do it perfectly. But precisely because of that, I learned something much more valuable: how to step out of my comfort zone and realise that courage does not mean being perfect, but trying even with mistakes and then being able to say to myself, I managed it, I am proud of myself.

What advice would you give to current students?

Ask questions, a lot of them, curiously and boldly. Search, try things out, and do not let yourself be discouraged when something does not work immediately. Be yourselves, even when that is sometimes a challenge. And above all, follow what your heart truly longs for.