Roads Less Travelled: Trailblazing Alums from the Class of 2011 Artwork

PrincipalED: Conversations with Grace McCallum

Interested in girls’ and women’s success? And in hearing from people who are invested in advancing girls’ education today and helping to shape its future? Then the PrincipalED podcast is for you! We’ll take you inside the halls of a girls’ school, where you’ll hear candid conversations with educators and students, friends of the school and experts in their fields. We’ll also highlight the incredible stories of people in our Branksome Hall community, sharing what's on their minds—and why it matters.

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PrincipalED: Conversations with Grace McCallum

Roads Less Travelled: Trailblazing Alums from the Class of 2011

May 26, 2026 • Grace McCallum/Branksome Hall • Season 2 • Episode 8

0:00 | 33:55

As we kick off Reunion Week, we’re delighted to bring you a special conversation with two trailblazers from the Class of 2011: Bertilia Trieu and Jie Ying Wu.

Fifteen years ago, they were classmates in Higher Level Math and leaders in the Branksome community. Today, they are both pioneers in the medical field—but neither took the traditional path of a clinician. Instead, they are driving healthcare forward through innovation, research and data—Bertilia as Manager of Outcomes and Data Analytics at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and Jie Ying as Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville—proving that the "Branksome way" is about far more than just following a script; it’s about writing a new one.

Join us for this special Reunion episode as we discuss:

The Non-Linear Path: How the IB curriculum gave Bertilia and Jie Ying the courage to pursue "unconventional" STEM careers in data analytics and machine learning.
From the Orchestra to the Lab: Memories of Residence life, the World Affairs Conference and orchestra rehearsals, and how those early leadership roles translated to the professional world.
Surgical Innovations: A look at how Jie Ying is turning robots into "intelligent assistants" and how Bertilia uses data to redefine patient outcomes.
Coming Home: What "Keeping Well the Road" means to them 15 years later as they prepare to reconnect with classmates at Reunion.

Whether you’re a current student curious about the future of healthcare or a fellow alum, this episode is a celebration of the shared roots and different paths that define our community.

Welcome home, Bertilia and Jie Ying, and the Class of 2011!

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The PrincipalED podcast is produced by Branksome Hall, Toronto's leading independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls. branksome.on.ca

Episode keywords: Women in STEM, Surgical Robotics, Data Analysis, Machine Learning, Patient Outcomes, Healthcare Innovation, Vanderbilt University

Show keywords: Branksome Hall, Grace McCallum, podcast, education, girls’ education, leadership, school leadership, independent schools, private schools, girls, teens, women, academic success, social-emotional learning, resilience, well-being, future of education, university preparation, women in leadership