Columbia International College

At Columbia, we are committed to delivering academic success. Thousands of graduates have been able to achieve their dreams of entering the world’s top universities. On July 21, the July Class of 2010 was added to these ranks. On this day, jubilant graduates, proud parents and dedicated school staff celebrated student success at a Graduation Ceremony in the Ainsliewood Gym.

As has become tradition, the Graduation Ceremony opened with the national anthem led by Dr. Newman’s choir. This was followed by an address from Mr. Rambarran and the presentation of diplomas.

One of Graduation Day’s highlights was the Keynote Address which was delivered by Columbia’s Executive Director, Mr. Clement Chan.

Passion and Conviction Set the Tone

In his address, Mr. Chan talked about the strides Columbia had made in educational innovation. He also talked about the passion and dedication of the school staff who had nurtured the graduates into hardworking, responsible young adults. The address ended on a high note with Mr. Chan saying “[the staff at Columbia] enjoy seeing our students maximizing their potential to a level higher than they can imagine. Graduates, we love you and we would like to see you all excel at university and beyond.”

The tone set by Mr. Chan became a thread that ran through the Valedictory address and Vote of Thanks. In Xu, Mu’s passion-filled Valedictory Address, she called Columbia a mini UN and recounted the important lessons she had learned during her time at the school. Her speech was constantly met with laughter and loud cheers. She also thanked Columbia for making her dreams of going to a top university come true.

Ryan Arsenna then took to stage and gave a speech that brought everyone in the room to tears. Arsenna’s emotion was tangible as he stood at the Podium. He talked about the sacrifices his father had made to provide him a world-class education at Columbia and he thanked school staff for their hard work and dedication. His address met with a standing ovation and thunderous applause.

Achieving Excellence

In a showing of excellence, a number of students received scholarships and awards at the Graduation Ceremony:

We, at Columbia, are proud of our graduates’ achievement and celebrate their success. We wish the entire Graduating Class of July 2010 continued success in the future.