The graduation ceremony of International School of London, Qatar’s fifth cohort of graduates was the pinnacle of the school’s two-day Celebration of Learning. Of the 50 Grade 12 graduates, nine had been part of the school since it opened in 2008. This ceremony proved to be an emotional, vibrant and unforgettable event as the graduates began the procession with the gift of a rose from the pre-school children.

In addition to the Grade 12 graduation, celebrations also took place for Grade 5 students transitioning from Primary into the Middle Years Programme and the Grade 10 students transitioning from the Middle Years into the two-year Diploma Programme. Over 2,000 friends and family attended the three celebrations, in addition to students and staff. The live-feed of the Grade 12 ceremony boasted a following of another 30,000 during the graduation event.

The culturally diverse class of 2017 are truly ‘globally-minded’, with 18 different nationalities from across the globe, speaking 13 different languages. This outstanding class exemplifies the values of camaraderie, warmth, humour, creativity, intelligence and compassion and they have contributed much to ISL Qatar.

The graduation ceremony highlights the achievements of students and staff.

  • Fatima Al Naimi and Laila Saifeldeen were honoured with Valedictorian awards in recognition of attaining the highest academic standards, making outstanding contributions to the school and for being exemplary representatives of the Class of 2017.
  • Illya Myshakov was honoured with the Global Citizenship and Community Action award as the student who demonstrated leadership and responsibility and took action in a range of humanitarian and environmental matters, both locally and internationally.
  • Saleh Al Naimi received the coveted Learner Award as the student who had shown outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment and intellectual development in his academic studies.
  • The prestigious Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) Award for International Understanding was awarded to Ali Kraishan who shows, ‘a positive attitude towards the life and culture of others, is a contributing force in the life of the school, and has the ability to bring differing people together in a sense of community and international understanding.’
  • The ECIS adult award for the Promotion of International Education was awarded to Dr Pilar Fernandez in recognition of her exemplary contributions to the promotion of international education and to the understanding of world cultures. Dr Fernandez exhibits a positive attitude towards others; promotes an understanding and appreciation of other cultures; and demonstrates the ability to inspire others.

The graduation ceremony marked the end of one part of the graduates’ stories and all are looking forward to the next exciting chapter as they move on to some of the world’s top universities. Valedictorian Laila Saifeldeen summarised these next steps with the following comments in her address:

Our lives are about to change. We are going to have to embrace change, without letting our own nerves and fears hold us back. I urge you all to do the following: Get out there and do what you want with your life. Do something SO extraordinary that if I ever accidentally meet you in an airport, I can brag to my family about how I was in the same grade as someone who ended world hunger or who developed an app that outdid Facebook.’

One measure of school’s success is the quality of its graduates and universities to which they gain entrance. This year’s ISL Qatar graduates will travel the globe to some of the world’s leading universities.

The International School of London, Qatar has an outstanding reputation for high academic standards. The school is authorised to offer the highly prestigious and challenging IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes (encompassing ages 3 to 18 years) and is accredited by the Council of International Schools, British Schools of the Middle East and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

For additional information, please visit their website.