JUNE 12 was a day to remember for 32 First Diploma Program (DP 2) students who officially graduated from Shen Wai International School (SWIS). A ceremony celebrated each student's academic achievements and presented them with an SWIS diploma.
It began with a music performance by SWIS Secondary students led by SWIS music teacher Malcolm Mawhinney. As the music echoed in the theater the graduating students made their way to the stage. The host of the ceremony, SWIS DP Coordinator Tucker Barrows, introduced guests from the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, the SWIS Board and Shenzhen Foreign Languages School. .
After a speech by Guan Su from the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, Mandy Chen, a student representative, recalled the unforgettable days she spent with her classmates at the school.
SWIS Deputy Director of Academics and Secondary Principal Daniel Legault thanked all the parents and students of the graduating class and offered a few words of advice. “As you move on from SWIS, you will encounter challenging sections of the trail. If the stress of new situations in new locations with new people mounts, hold the handlebars a little looser. In doing so, I hope you will find those challenges a little less scary and perhaps even exhilarating. ”
SWIS Director Ally Wu concluded the ceremony with a touching note. She expressed her appreciation for all teachers, staff members and parents of SWIS students for their support for the school since it opened its doors back in 2011. Wu also spoke about her care for the students and her excitement to envision their future success. “Cherish the past, but look to the future. You will be the choices you make, and you will be the goals you are after,” She told them.
An evergreen pine tree was planted at the entrance of the school to honor its first graduating class.
All 32 graduates received their SWIS diplomas on stage. Many also received Academic Merit Awards and Honors Awards.
