IAB graduates look ahead to the future
Graduation days are upon us. In May and June Beijing’s international schools have been bidding farewell to their senior classes. We’ve been reporting on these graduations with details on each class and the text of speeches delivered by the students … check out our coverage so far here. Stay tuned each weekday at 10am as we bring you more.
IAB (International Academy of Beijing)
The twelve seniors at the International Academy of Beijing graduated from high school at a ceremony witnessed by family, friends and faculty on June 4. The students came from six different countries and special music was provided by the High School Chorus followed by soloists Bellamy Tang and Pauline You.
Students celebrated their accomplishment in style at the China World Hotel in a private dinner with family and faculty. The night was wonderful, and students took turns speaking about their time at IAB, with teachers sharing meaningful and funny moments they had shared with students over the past few years. It was a celebratory night filled with joy and delight.
Below is a full list of graduates:
Eugene Ahn from the United States has received a scholarship offer from Berea College in Kentucky and plans to study Psychology.
Jamin Ahn from the United States was admitted to Emory University in Georgia, and is considering studying a dual degree in Science and Biomedical Engineering.
Joel Colina Fung from Venezuela will attend Queen Mary University of London in the fall and prepare for a career in Law.
Ryan Kim from Korea will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in the fall and plans to study Biochemistry.
MJ Koo from Korea will apply to Korean Universities in the fall.
Fiona Leung from Canada will attend the University of British Columbia in the fall, and plans to study in the Faculty of Arts.
Cielle Lucas from the United States will attend the University of Oregon in the fall, and plans to double major in Environmental Science and Chinese.
Angel Moon from Korea plans to attend Heriot-Watt University in the fall and major in fashion merchandising and retail management.
Centane Nasri from Indonesia has been admitted to the University of The Hague in The Netherlands. He plans to study Law.
Bellamy Tang from the United States/Hong Kong will attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison and plans to major in Mechanical Engineering.
Pauline You the United States will attend Biola University in the fall and is considering majoring in Political Science, Art, and/or Music.
Christina Yuan from the United States will take a gap year before pursuing further
studies.
For more pictures of the graduates click here.
IAB graduate Bellamy Tang delivers his speech
Bellamy Tang, the Senior Representative for his class, gave the graduating speech. Here it is:
Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, and the Graduating Class of 2011.
When I was asked to speak at the graduation, the first thing that came to mind was the beginning. What was freshmen year like? Then I realized that, since 9th grade, 17 (yes, I counted) 17 of our classmates have come and gone.
Seventeen is a pretty significant number, considering that there are only 11 of us here today, ready to receive our diplomas. But this is what it’s like to be a part of this school. Everything is constantly changing. Most people don’t like changes, but for us, somewhere along the way, we have learned to adapt and accept. We have become an active and unified class.
In our heart, we know that even in chaos, God has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future."
With that in mind, we no longer fear the future and we put our focus on the present. This is the kind of people we have become; we embrace the changes life brings to us and we make the most out of it.
Well, here we are. I don’t know about you, but I am very excited. As we walk out of that door today, we will finally be done with High School! But before we do that, my fellow Graduates, take a look around, and take a mental picture of the faces in this room. Remember them, because these are the people who have been here for us.
I want to take this time, and give thanks to all of you.
Parents, thank you. For the lessons of life you have taught us; for the times you have picked us up when we fell; and most of all, for believing in us. Please know that we will always be grateful for your effort to provide us with everything we need to become who we are.
Teachers and faculty, you are our mentors. You are the ones who guide us towards the gate of knowledge; you are the ones who encourage us to explore the unknown. Thank you, IAB. We will always remember how to find the area under a curve, how to appreciate poetry, how to take responsibility, and many more lessons we have learned here.
Friends, thank you for the memories. We will always remember the enrichment weeks, the sports tournaments, and the times we spent wandering the streets after school. These are the memories we will cherish forever. With you, the joy last longer, and the sorrow ends sooner. You have made this journey that much easier. Each one of you here took part in building, shaping, and molding us into the people we now are. Because of you, we know that we are prepared for whatever is ahead of us.
We know that there is a group of people who will always have our back. So let’s go and have a blast and be who we are meant to be, Class of 2011, we owe it to everyone that has helped us along the way. How? It’s simple really, just be the amazing person that you are, and whatever you do, do with all your heart. Let’s go and show the world what we are made of!
