The following are some of the year's highlights.

As one of the leading international schools in Vietnam, ISHCMC has a rich 28-year history of student achievement. The class of 2022 was no exception, with one student, Seoyeon Hong, achieving a perfect score of 45 points in the IB Diploma.

ISHCMC Director of Admissions and Market Growth Mike Hebert said, “The result puts her in the 99.7^th percentile amongst students studying the IB Diploma Programme globally. That is a true testament to the education that students at ISHCMC are receiving and one that the whole community is proud of”.

Seoyeon Hong, who achieved a perfect score

Another student that has achieved greatness under ISHCMC’s educational environment is Junsoo Chung. He joined ISHCMC in grade 2.

“I arrived at school with no English language. On my first day, a classmate shared a copy of Star Wars with me – that book helped me kickstart my English skills,” Chung recounted.

Chung is one of many recent graduates from ISHCMC’s class of ‘22 and is a shining example of an ISHCMC learner. As the president of the ISHCMC Entrepreneur Society, he has networked with people from different backgrounds and engaged with diverse perspectives.

Having received 42 points in the IB Diploma Programme, scoring a 7 – the highest grade possible – in Biology, Mathematics Analysis and Approaches, and Business Management, he hopes to take what he has learned at ISHCMC and apply it to his further education where he will be attending Boston College. His ultimate goal is to work with an NGO and institutionalise climate education in Southeast Asia.

“I want to make sure every school has a climate curriculum”, he explained.

Junsoo Chung

The IB Diploma Programme also allowed Japanese student, Karen Oda, the opportunity to blossom. Joining in grade 9, Karen found life at ISHCMC to be incredibly rewarding.

“Art was my favourite subject. It allowed me to express not only myself but my individual culture,” she said.

Scoring a total of 30 points means Oda has been given an unconditional offer to the University of Adelaide, which is ranked in the Top 100 universities in the world, to study Nutrition.

As she looked back on her education she said, “I am very grateful that ISHCMC gave me the opportunity to discover my passion.”

Karen Oda

A member of ISHCMC’s swim team and a long-serving house captain, Drew Moreno explained, “There’s always been a culture of care at ISHCMC and I think that’s really important when you move to a new school. The school has changed so much since I arrived 11 years ago but its sense of community has stayed the same.”

Having achieved 37 total points and a 7 in Environmental Systems and Societies, Moreno has accepted an offer to Wheaton College where he will be furthering his passion for environmental sustainability.

“ISHCMC allowed me to discover passions I didn’t think I had and the teachers have always made it really easy to reach out to them”, he said as he reflected on his time at school.

It’s graduates like these that show just how critical it is that education goes beyond the traditional classroom. In an uncertain future the responsibility placed on education is more important than ever. It is the responsibility of schools to equip all learners with the tools they need to navigate life in the 21st century. While learning will always present us with challenges we know that the programmes at ISHCMC offer great opportunities whilst supporting our learners through their learning journeys.

ISHCMC – the first international school in Ho Chi Minh City and the first to offer the full IB curriculum – recognises the important role education plays in allowing students to make choices in often complex and ambiguous environments.

The school utilises the flexibility of the IB programmes to encourage an inclusive, broad, and balanced approach to learning through inquiry, exploration of concepts, principled and caring citizenship, creative problem solving, collaboration, communication, and connectivity.

Through the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme, students like Hong, Chung, Oda, Moreno, and others develop the foundational skills that prepare them for excellence long after they leave school.

The IB programmes provide an education that enables learners to make sense of the world around them resulting in internationally-minded people who are equipped with the skills and dispositions needed for taking responsible action for the future. Furthermore, the education at ISHCMC at all grades crosses disciplinary, cultural, national, and geographical boundaries.

ISHCMC’s head of School Kim Green explained, “Students are encouraged to learn the skills and attitudes necessary to have ownership and take responsibility for their learning and their lives.”

Green went on to say, “Through learning in a collaborative and constructive environment, our students deepen their understanding and create new perspectives that prepare them for life beyond ISHCMC.”

The school wishes luck to every student in the class of 2022 and looks forward to seeing them realise their potential far into the future. As Green says, “Once a Rhino, always a Rhino.”

To learn more about what an ISHCMC education can do for your child, contact admissions@ishcmc.edu.vn