IST Alumna: Ms. Shamima Bhalloo | Commencement Speaker

At IST, we love creating a link between our alumni and current student body, and one of the best ways to do so is to invite distinguished graduates to speak at commencement ceremonies.

One such speaker was the former president of our Alumni Association, Ms. Shamima Bhalloo. “I spoke about the school’s diversity, its perks, the advantages and all the successful alumni around the world.”

According to Ms. Shamima, speaking to our current student body is always an enjoyable experience. 

After graduating in 1991, Ms. Shamima gained admission to a college in Toronto, Canada. After school, her husband and she decided to move back to Tanzania to open a business, and once there, they knew where they wanted to send their children, the school which helped make Ms. Shamima who she is today. 

“Once my kids were in IST, I wanted to be a part of it and make a change,” said Ms. Shamima. To do this, she became the president of the Alumni Association.

“I made it my goal to make a difference,” said Ms. Shamia who worked to get IST alumni involved with the school. 

As a member of the IST alumni community, she’s always proud to showcase her Twiga history. 

“There’s much to celebrate. I enjoy being part of the whole community and I have been lucky that because of my children I could be a part of the school again. I always have positive things to say about the school and I felt thrilled that out of so many alumni, I was the one representing them all.”

In addition to getting involved with the Association, Ms. Shamima also sees the benefits of joining the International School of Tanganyika Alumni Network. She uses it to find out about alumni happenings and any evening networking events as she loves engaging with fellow graduates.

“Most IST alumni returned to Dar and were successful. To be an IST alum is definitely an honour, most of us thrived and succeeded.”

Ms. Shamima feels privileged to have had the journey she has with IST. 

“I went from an alum that no one knew at the school to an alumni president to a school board member. I feel that as an alumna I tried my very best to connect alumni with the school.”

And that thought process is exactly why getting involved with our new Alumni Network is important. The IST community is one of vibrancy and of camaraderie. Our Network fully integrates with social channels and cultivates a culture of helping and giving back. The IST Alumni Network allows you to both re-connect with old classmates as well as enables you to utilize the trusted school community to expand your professional network.