International School of Toulouse
From the Head of IST Secondary
All of us here at the International School of Toulouse who knew James Rao were deeply saddened when we heard he had passed away in April 2014; our sadness and sense of loss will remain with us always. James was the best kind of student any school could wish for. He started with us in 2006 when he joined Year 9 and he stayed with us all the way through to Year 13 graduating with a full IB Diploma in 2010. From the outset James was always a very positive boy in and around school, he had a bright smile and a keen intelligence, a combination that allowed his self-assurance, his kindness and his great sense of humour to shine. As he progressed through the school he proved to be a remarkably well-rounded student who studied hard in school but still found time to enjoy go-karting whilst at the same time developing a real passion for music.
It was perhaps as he came to his final school years at IST that James really showed us what a wonderful young man he was becoming: hardworking and ambitious, he nonetheless always had time for others and nothing was too much for him as he always rose to a challenge. He was the sort of student that thought it a small matter to give up his time to help others and he was the first IST student to show such ambition when organising charity events; events that ranged from music concerts, both intimate and large-scale, to a very successful and ambitious project with an orphanage in Mumbai, India.
All this led to James being awarded the ‘Outstanding Contribution to School Life Award’ in 2010, and yet James’s contribution to our school didn’t stop when he graduated. He made regular return visits to IST, be it just to say hello or be it to give talks and advice to our students at the time; his smile was always welcome, his words always kind and his advice always very helpful for the students he spoke to. His generosity, his sense of adventure and his can-do attitude were of immense benefit to all of us who knew him and we consider ourselves very lucky indeed to have welcomed James and his family into our school.
The James Rao - Live Your Dream Foundation is a very fitting tribute to James – a boy who dreamed for himself and for others, and who became a young man who lived those dreams.
Nick Fretwell, Head of Secondary, the International School of Toulouse.
It was perhaps as he came to his final school years at IST that James really showed us what a wonderful young man he was becoming: hardworking and ambitious, he nonetheless always had time for others and nothing was too much for him as he always rose to a challenge. He was the sort of student that thought it a small matter to give up his time to help others and he was the first IST student to show such ambition when organising charity events; events that ranged from music concerts, both intimate and large-scale, to a very successful and ambitious project with an orphanage in Mumbai, India.
All this led to James being awarded the ‘Outstanding Contribution to School Life Award’ in 2010, and yet James’s contribution to our school didn’t stop when he graduated. He made regular return visits to IST, be it just to say hello or be it to give talks and advice to our students at the time; his smile was always welcome, his words always kind and his advice always very helpful for the students he spoke to. His generosity, his sense of adventure and his can-do attitude were of immense benefit to all of us who knew him and we consider ourselves very lucky indeed to have welcomed James and his family into our school.
The James Rao - Live Your Dream Foundation is a very fitting tribute to James – a boy who dreamed for himself and for others, and who became a young man who lived those dreams.
Nick Fretwell, Head of Secondary, the International School of Toulouse.
James's Careers Talk - IST
After leaving school, James continued to contribute the the life of IST and came back a number of times to say hello to us all. Mr Bowles wisely used this opportunity to invite James in to talk about life at university and his training as a pilot. Below are the three videos that were filmed on the presentation day in 2011.
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