From the moment Jordan Toogood arrived at the MIS in third grade, he carried with him a quiet momentum. Even before moving countries, running had already been part of his life -something familiar, steady, and grounding. But it was here, in fifth grade, when he joined the MIS cross country and track and field teams, that running began to mean something more. What started as a sport slowly became a way of understanding himself.
Year after year, he returned to the track, not because he had to, but because he wanted to see how far he could go.
“The biggest thing,” he reflects, “is that I like challenging myself and working towards improving - towards achieving a bigger goal.”
Sometimes that goal was a race at the end of the season; other times, it was simply becoming better than he had been the year before. Along the way, running opened unexpected doors - friendships with people he might never have spoken to otherwise, and a sense of belonging that extended beyond the classroom. Representing his school at the twice-annual tournaments between the 8 participating international schools (ISST8) became a point of pride, a way to give back to the place that had helped shape who he is today.
As he grew, the challenges grew with him. In 11th grade, he took a leap beyond school sport and joined a German track team, training outside the familiar rhythm of school seasons. It demanded more discipline, more time, and more resilience - but it also pushed him further than he thought possible. Competing at Bavarian championships and racing in major events taught him that growth often happens just beyond his comfort zone. He also ran at the 2025 Munich half-marathon where he won 1st in the under-20s division.
Running, he says, taught him “how to stay consistent and stay disciplined,” skills that would soon matter far beyond the track.
That same year, a different kind of challenge began to take hold - one that unfolded not in lanes and finish lines, but in equations and experiments. Physics class sparked a curiosity he hadn’t expected, and with encouragement from his teachers, that curiosity deepened into something more serious. For his extended essay, he didn’t just study theory; he stepped into engineering itself. Using a student-built wind tunnel, he modified the design and carried out experiments on how surface roughness affects drag force on a sphere. It was hands-on and demanding - a chance to apply what he had learned in a real, practical context.
“It helped me explore things I’d learned in school more deeply than what we cover in class,” he explains.
That project became a turning point, convincing him that engineering was not just interesting, but where he belonged.
Balancing training with demanding academics was never easy, especially as schoolwork intensified in IB Diploma Programme. But instead of competing with each other, running and engineering began to work together. The discipline he learned from years of training helped him stay organized, focused, and resilient under pressure. At the same time, having sport in his life gave him balance - a way to clear his head and reset when academic demands felt overwhelming.
“If you’re able to prioritize and ensure you have balance, you’re able to do more", reflects Jordan.
Jordan’s story aligns with the MIS mission to empower students through challenge - not by shielding students from difficulty, but by encouraging them to lean into it. Through sport, he learned persistence and self-belief. Through engineering, he learned curiosity, problem-solving, and the courage to explore complex ideas. Together, these experiences helped him discover what inspires him and gave him the confidence to dream boldly.
As he prepares to study engineering at university next year, he carries forward the same mindset that first drew him to the starting line: commitment, curiosity, and the belief that growth comes from showing up, again and again. His advice to others is simple but hard-earned: “if you find something you care about, really stick with it and put time and effort into it.” Because passion, like progress, is built one step at a time."