International Baccalaureate Diplomas awarded to Westchester Academy for International Studies grads

Printed in the Memorial News of Houston Chronicle

"Eleven recent May graduates of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) have earned the highly esteemed and internationally recognized IB Diploma.

WAIS, an award-winning district charter secondary school in Spring Branch ISD, offers the IB Diploma Programme (DP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the IB Career-related Certificate. The IB Career-related Certificate was authorized in June.

In addition to the IB, both Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) and AP courses are offered at WAIS. The combined middle and high school campus is located at 901 Yorkchester.

To earn the IB Diploma, students devote their junior and senior years to fulfilling program requirements in English, a foreign language, math, science, history or social studies, and fine arts, as well as a Theory of Knowledge course.

Students also write a lengthy research paper and fulfill other class activities, including traditional community service projects.

Two IB Diploma recipients this year earned the Spanish Bilingual Diploma. They are May graduates Yansi Arevalo and Eliza Quintana.

IB Diploma recipient Helen Scott earned the highest score to date among WAIS graduates (38 out of a possible 45 points).

WAIS graduate and IB Diploma recipient Adam Kassir is now the fourth family member in a row to earn the IB Diploma while at Westchester Academy. He will be the fourth in his family to enroll at Rice University, too.

His brother, Elias, graduated from Rice University in May. Elias will soon attend Baylor Medical School. His sister, Iman, a 2011 graduate of WAIS, is studying to be a nurse practitioner.

David Kassir, a 2013 graduate, is a kinesiology major at Rice. Adam is interested in pursuing a major in bioengineering. His mother, Patricia Kassir, teaches at the Bendwood School.

IB Diploma graduates at WAIS and known college/university choices and intended majors include:

·       Yansi Arevalo, Texas State University at San Marcos, finance and accounting (Spanish Bilingual Diploma)

·       Emmanuelle Henriet, undecided university in France, international relations and law

·       Connor June, Texas A&M University in College Station, chemical engineering

·       Adam Kassir, Rice University, bioengineering interest

·       Khanhtran (Anna) Levu, University of Houston

·       Rachel Loving, University of Texas at Austin, biomedical interest

·       Alyssa Nguyen, University of Houston, biochemistry

·       David Pham, Rice University, chemical and biomolecular engineering

·       Eliza Quintana, St. Edward’s University in Austin, Spanish Bilingual Diploma

·       Jacob Saenz, St. Edward’s University in Austin

·       Helen Scott, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas

Valerie Harelson has served as IB Program Coordinator at WAIS for many years. The district charter secondary campus is led by Jennifer Collier."

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