CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2015 Fulfil your potential

June 2015
In this issue
Fulfil your potential. Improve the world.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2015
This year’s graduating class held their graduation ceremony on
Saturday, 23rd May 2015 for the 67 members of IST's Class of 2015.
Families, friends, and teachers gathered to applaud the many
accomplishments of this year's graduating class. Among those singled
out for special recognition were the award winners for this year.
Men's Sports Award
Ryan Ogg
Women's Sports Award
Lola Paunovic Community Service Award
Oumou McAra
William Powell Award for TOK (Theory
of Knowledge)
Jamie Fuller
ECIS Award for International
Understanding
Junwoo Jang
BK Tanna Award
Ryan Ogg
Jagpreet Lamba for Creative Arts
Vyette Tiya
Congratulations to the Class of 2015!
[1]
• Class of 2015
• Grade 12 Student Profiles
• Views from the Grade 5 Workforce
• IST Scholars
• In Pictures: the Class of 2015
Graduation Ceremony
VIEWS FROM THE CLASS OF 2015
Martin Hall, IST Director, had the chance to pose a few questions to a some members of the Class of 2015. Their responses reflect assurance as
well as enthusiastic anticipation of their future. Amongst the highlights, these nine students note the value of hard work, not procrastinating and
setting achievable yet challenging goals. They have obtained remarkable predicted scores on their Diploma exams and have also received offers for
admission to prestigious universities around the world. We wish them, and all members of the Class of 2015, well.
RYAN OGG
VYETTE TIYA
JUNWOO JANG
I knew I wanted to study
law … [and] I began by
looking at the ‘league
tables’ and seeing which
universities were highly
ranked for this subject and
would challenge me ..., but
I also considered which
universities suited my
character the best.
Because I’ve known what I
wanted to study for a long time
[and] I’ve always been drawn to
Washington D.C. (being the
center for national and foreign
affairs) … [also] I’m also very
passionate about theatre and
performance art so I wanted to
be in a big city where I would
have many options.
I knew that I wanted to
study Chemical or
Biological Engineering
[and] I wanted to be in the
middle of a city. In the
end, I picked Seoul
National University (ranked
within the top 50
worldwide) over Korea
Advanced Institute of
Science and Technology.
Ryan has been offered a
place to the University of
Oxford (UK) to study law.
Vyette Tiya has been accepted
to American University (USA) to
study international relations.
What do you
think made you
successful in
getting the
offers that
you did?
I believe that my personal
statement was the key to
the offers that I
received... I also think
that all of us here at IST
have the privilege of
growing up in such a
diverse community, allowing
us to develop valuable
insights into the world and
gain experiences beyond
those people that live
within their home culture.
Without a doubt, what I’ve done
in the past three years at IST
has paved the way into
acceptances to college.... I
strongly believe that going to
an international school and all
of the experiences that I’ve
had through IST (MUN, school
trips, ISSEA, Student Council
and Community Service), is what
made me stand out. Also, I
really tried to pour my heart
out into the college essays
about who I am and my story, so
I hope that contributed ... as
well!
High grades throughout
Secondary school; on the
other hand [I] could have
spent more time pursuing
interests and deepening
knowledge and
understanding, rather than
“just” getting the good
grades.
Looking back,
what do you
think you got
from IST that
helped make
you
successful?
IST is a very high quality
school and I am extremely
grateful for the time and
effort that my teachers
have put in to get me to
where I am today… I also
believe IST’s extracurricular activities,
especially ISSEA, provides
excellent opportunities …
[and] has allowed me to
develop valuable skills,
such as teamwork,
leadership, group skills
and a competitive spirit….
I’ve grown up in theatre and
dance my whole life but
certainly, having the
opportunity to direct the High
School Play challenged me and
made me appreciate the art form
even more. The most growth that
I can attribute to IST is
through MUN and Student
Council. It is because of MUN
that I want to study
International Relations at
university.
At [my] previous school (up
to start of Grade 11) I put
grades in front of
learning.
At IST, I’ve seen that it
is really important to
understand [and to use]
constructive feedback to do
even better.
How did you
decide where
and which
universities
to apply to?
[2]
Junwoo has been accepted to
Seoul National University
(Korea) to study chemical /
biological engineering.
Any tips for
ambitious
students who
will be
applying next
year?
RYAN OGG
VYETTE TIYA
JUNWOO JANG
Don't be afraid to aim
high. It’s not true that
the higher you reach, the
harder you fall… push your
hardest for that point
higher or if you don't
understand a concept, spend
that 20 minutes extra
studying for it.
If possible, visit the
university that you’re thinking
about applying to. I did a
college tour over the summer at
the end of Grade 11 and seeing
different schools and getting
the feel for it, either
confirmed some of my interests
or dissuaded me altogether. For
those applying to American
universities, don’t stress
about SATs/ACTs too much. Of
course, do your best and I
would even recommend taking
them twice, but at the end of
the day, it is just one
indicator and who you are is
much more important!
Don’t procrastinate! You
have to keep on top of
deadlines or else it all
goes wrong . . .
AMAR CHOLLERA
JOSEFIN ROSMAN
SHALIN DHOSHI
Amar received offers
from UCLA, UC Berkeley
and USC. Amar has chosen
UCLA (USA) to study
Business Economics based
on UCLA’s reputation for
education quality,
opportunities, social
life, and rankings.
When I began the DP I had not
given college a thought ...
what helped me was to visit
colleges I was interested in.
I had a good estimation of
how I would do in the exam
so I knew which range of
universities I would apply
to [and] I had a very
specific course [in mind].
Amar feels he was
successful due to “selfbelief [and having the]
confidence to apply...
don’t be too focussed on
doing what you think the
universities want. Do
things you truly like.”
One thing that I was very sure
to keep to throughout the
process was my own way of
expressing myself ... being
truly genuine is ...
challenging, yet being as
honest as possible is what is
needed.
"I feel very proud of what I have
accomplished at IST, both
academically and in extra-curricular
activities, and will always look back
fondly at my experiences at this
school."
- Ryan Ogg
How did you
decide where and
which
universities to
apply to?
What do you think
made you
successful in
getting the
offers that you
did?
Josefin obtained admission to
Wesleyan University, Fordham
University and Boston College
(USA) but has opted to take a
gap year since she is
graduating at age 17
[3]
Shalin has been offered a
place to the University of
Warwick (UK) to study
computer and management
sciences.
Since I applied to the UK,
I think that my personal
statement was probably a
very big part of the
application… Of course, I
also think that my grades
helped ... In terms of
attitude, I think that it
is very important to avoid
procrastination.
AMAR CHOLLERA
JOSEFIN ROSMAN
SHALIN DHOSHI
Looking back,
what do you think
you got from IST
that helped make
you successful?
Amar notes the “ability
to be open-minded and
internationally-minded;
opportunities such as
trips; great access to
resources; academically
well-prepared; felt
pushed to limits” as
benefits of studying at
IST.
I have always been a ... hard
worker, but ... I have gotten
slightly better at knowing my
limits when it comes to
pressure to perform as well as
knowing how to avoid breaking
them. I am also better at
standing for my opinions,
challenging others and allowing
myself to be challenged.
I think that there was good
support by teachers so that
our knowledge for the
subjects were solidified
prior to the exam. I also
think it was great to have
finished the syllabus of
all my subjects
sufficiently in advance so
that I had time for
individual studying.
Any tips for
ambitious
students who will
be applying next
year?
Focus on your strengths;
do what you do best. If
you work best when you
do things at the last
minute, then feel OK
about doing that. Be
yourself.
Find what you love and do it,
often! 8 hours of theatre
rehearsal a week did not take
away time from my studying ...
it was what kept me sane, happy
and driven enough to actually
get those 41 predicted
points....
Apply to a large array of
universities so that your
insurance choice is one
that you would enjoy going
to. Also, be ambitious
because you never know with
universities ... and apply
as early as possible to
give time for anything
unexpected.
"When I began the DP … it did not occur to me that I could study outside of Sweden or that I could be
applying within the next two years.... I was at least certain that I wanted to study in an English speaking
country if I would study abroad. I started off by looking at college rankings within different fields of study
and researched some of the higher ranked schools in order to establish what exactly I was looking for in a
college. I also made use of the college search in Naviance and got a few colleges from there. "
- Josefin Rosman
How did you decide where
and which universities
to apply to?
SHREEYEN LAKHANI
OUMOU MCARA
YASH KANABAR
Ever since a young age, I
always know where I
wanted to go. Moreover,
as I wanted to study
Information Management
for Business (IMB), I had
always wanted to attend
university in London. It
is the business hub
within London, and it
makes the ideal place for
me to study, as I will be
able to gain valuable
experiences.
I've never lived in
Scotland ... since I
have spent my life
growing up in Tanzania
[so it was easy to
decide to study in
Scotland].
Most of my university
choices were based on the
course offerings and I did
a bit of research
beforehand to see which
universities excelled in
which area of study...
Location too was quite an
important factor as I
wanted to be not too far
from family and so the UK,
Canada and USA were the
three best choices.
Oumou has been offered a
place to the University
of Aberdeen [UK] to
study Social
Anthropology and
Geography. Oumou has
requested to defer
admission until 2016.
Shreeyen has been offered
a place to University
College London (UK) to
study information
management for business. [4]
Yash has been accepted to
the University of Toronto
(Canada) to study finance
and economics.
SHREEYEN LAKHANI
OUMOU MCARA
YASH KANABAR
What do you think made
you successful in
getting the offers that
you did?
I believe what made me
successful was the effort
I had put into studying
and working hard....
Moreover, ... I had put a
lot of effort into my
personal statement, and
constantly checked with
Mr. Lenoue for
improvements.
I think being brought up
in a school of great
diversity and in a
family from opposite
cultural backgrounds
really benefitted me
with applying to
schools. The
universities were able
to see how involved I am
with the local and
international
communities within
Tanzania and Scotland.
Partly, what made my
offers successful were the
choices I made according
to what I thought would be
appropriate for my
capacity but mostly, by
crafting a clear and
honest profile for each
university, it was what I
thought made my offers
even more successful.
Looking back, what do
you think you got from
IST that helped make you
successful?
One of the most important
things that I have
attained from IST that
has helped me become
successful is the
importance of diversity.
Growing up in a school
surrounded by various
cultures has helped me
think in a different
mindset, a mindset where
I am more open minded.
This has helped me not
only in my studies, but
also helped me grow as a
person.
IST gave me the element
of being accepting and
respectful of different
types of people, being
able to engage with new
people, and to build
strong relationships
with those that surround
me. All elements that I
think have helped me to
become a successful
student and person.
IST, overall, has helped
me tremendously as it has
etched beneficial
qualities within me in
terms of academics and
social life. The three
stage program, which is
the IB, has been quite the
journey, and it has
trained me to deal with
some of the everyday
stresses of work and
balancing my life
academically and socially.
Moreover, some of the
friends I have made in the
past 13 years, have shared
with me some priceless
memories which I will
never forget, and hence,
have made high school
worth it.
Any tips for ambitious
students who will be
applying next year?
One of the most important
tips that I can not
stress more is to NOT
procrastinate at all.
Another thing I have
learned is not to
overstress yourself, and
not to work too hard;
always try to find a
balance between your
social life and school
work, it really helps.
Another tip would be to
manage time wisely and as
efficiently as possible.
Work hard every day and
try to enjoy it. Staying
positive is key to
studies, nerves,
friendships, and
university offers too.
Also, aim high because
you never know when you
can pull out that magic
trick ... to the top.
Do your research properly
and ask many questions.
The teachers and
counselors are there to
help you and they have
mastered this process. In
my opinion, I think the
counselors have helped me
tremendously in choosing
the universities and
easing me through the
application process. But
also, have frequent
conversations with your
parents in order to keep
them in the loop of what’s
going on and to acquire
their input on any
problems you face. They
too are experienced.
"In five years time I will hopefully be finishing up my Anthropology course at University of Aberdeen and
moving on to or looking for work that involves working with different (rural) cultures around the world or
at least studying them. My ultimate dream would be to work/study in Australia with the Aborigines or in
New Zealand with the Maoris!"
- Oumou McAra
[5]
WELCOME TO FIVE NEW MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2017
Each year, IST awards five full tuition, two-year scholarships to Tanzanian students who have demonstrated academic achievement and financial
need. The scholarship programme has been successful and valued as a means for students to gain access to educational opportunities that would
otherwise be difficult to reach or, in many cases, would be simply inaccessible. A former IST teacher recently contacted us to let us know about her
conversation with two IST scholars who are now studying computer engineering at a university in the United States. She wrote, "Two years in to
their Computer Engineering Degrees ... [and] they have been offered a 4 month internship by IBM in Tanzania. They called to tell me, as only they
could, how grateful they are for the education IST provided and how it has opened up a world of opportunities for them, that they could previously
only have dreamed about. They suggested, that even without the University Scholarship they received, the opportunity IST provided was still a life
changing experience and one which placed them in a much better position to be successful and help others."
For the 2015-16 school year, we are honoured to welcome the following new IST Scholars who will join the Class of 2017 as they begin the Diploma
Programme in August.
NAME
PREVIOUS SCHOOL
ASPIRATIONS
Jeremiah Furia
Uru Seminary Secondary
School, Moshi
“In my university studies in
the future, I hope to take
medicine related degree
courses ... to become a
doctor.”
Julieth Masirori
St. Mary Goreti Secondary
School, Moshi
"In the future by way of
university study/work I hope
to do electrical engineering
and ... architecture…. I also
intend on building my own
construction company, one
that will include many
professionals,
working together to bring
development to my country."
Megha Sharma
Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary
School, Dar es Salaam
“For as long as I can
remember, I’ve always wanted
to become a doctor and
practice surgery at a
renowned European
university.”
Philip Mabula
St. Joseph's Millennium
Secondary School, Dar es
Salaam
“My possible major currently
is pursuing Architectural
Engineering in top
universities such as Cornell
and Harvard.”
Zahra Fazal
Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary
School, Dar es Salaam
“My academic aspiration is to
become a doctor and serve
humanity.”
[6]
WHAT FORBES
IS TALKING
ABOUT
At the end of the PYP Exhibition, Grade 5
teacher Mr Ian Marsh showed his students
an article from the Forbes website: “10
Skills Employers Most Want In 2015
Graduates”. The article’s writer no doubt
had in mind graduates rather older than our
Grade 5 students but the class were struck
nevertheless by how many of skills they had
However if I didn’t do it in the holiday I
using the software Adobe After Effects. I
demonstrated during the Final Exhibition
would have a very hard time when I came
had created a choose-your-own-adventure
process.
back to school. I also did extra work to get
story on a program on the internet called
ahead of the others. My work paid off and I
inklewriter, as well. I can also create
Mr Marsh then asked the students, as a
had an easier time than my peers. I
infographics, which is helpful because it can
reflective piece, to think about someone
managed to conquer these problems by
easily convey a message using pictures.”
they would like to work for and then write a
making sensible, achievable decisions.”
job application detailing some of the skills
Luyando
they had shown.
Ananya
As Mr Marsh said, “What the students have
“I would like to be an art teacher because I
work as a team is very important in a large
am very passionate about art and I believe
business like Nike. I have shown this by
that children should get opportunities to do
working with my team to put together a
art.”
report about our topic. I helped my co-
written is actually a really good read: I think
I'd employ them.”
Here are a few excerpts from those
reflections:
Holly
“Most importantly I believe the ability to
workers by giving them information and tips
“Art is a tool that can allow children to calm
to make our report better. We also worked
down and express their emotions; for
well as a team by coming up with a good
example, if they are angry, they may be
action plan and presenting it to the younger
tempted to hurt someone or something that
students at IST. “
“We put our personal interests aside and
may be annoying them. With art, they can
focused on what was best for the group.”
express their emotions, and let other people
“If I was to work for Nike, I would be able to
see what they are thinking.”
co-operate with my co-workers and manage
“I decided to work through the holidays. I
to get tasks done on time.”
knew there was work to be done and could
“I created a time-lapse video of my group’s
have easily left it and enjoyed my holiday.
action. I have also created a 2D animation,
Martina
“During the final exhibition I showed the
ability to make decisions and problem
solve.”
“Sometimes in my group we had little
disagreements and sometimes we all had
different ideas that we wanted to do. So we
had to find a way to include all our ideas. I
gave my ideas and opinions and a few times
I tried to solve problem by coming up with a
totally different idea or I tried to combine
different ideas. We had to make decisions
and some decisions were hard to make but I
The students met with Martin Hall,
IST Director, for a mock interview.
took them anyway and made it work.”
[7]
GRADUATION CEREMONY CLASS OF 2015:
IN PICTURES
International
School of
Tanganyika
P.O. Box 2651
Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania
[8]
www.istafrica.com