Izah Azahari
The International School Brunei celebrated the achievements of its May 2022 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma students in an award ceremony on Wednesday.
Nineteen students were qualified for the 2022 ISB Board of Directors Achievement awards.
Chairman of the ISB Board of Directors Dato Seri Paduka Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa attended the event.
ISB Executive Principal Dr Stephen Kendall-Jones, in his welcoming speech, highlighted the achievements of the IB students who have outdone themselves by performing above expectation or setting school records with their high IB points.
The chairman said, “The ISB Board of Directors understood that success for each individual student may look different, whether it is obtaining top IB Diploma programme results, or achieving substantial academic improvement and personal progress. This is the spirit in which these awards are granted. We are honoured to have such excellent individuals be a part of our ISB alumni and we wish them success in their future.”
For reaching the top echelon of IB results, the Class of 2022 graduates received Excellence awards in Bronze, Silver, and Gold categories – overall points between 37 and 45 – and for achieving substantial performance improvement throughout their IB studies, graduates were awarded a special Achievement award.
Three students – Nur Natalia Affiqah binti Zainal Abidin, Soo Jun Shan and Goh Li Wei – received the Gold award for achieving between 43 and 45 points overall.
Meanwhile, four students – Wong Jia Ho, Nur Amylia binti Hasnal, Max Ege Pritchard and Dayangku Siti Nur Hafizah binti Pengiran Hassan – received the Silver award for achieving between 40 and 42 points overall.
While nine students – Kwang Wei Hang, Adam Syafiee Haji Muhd Nirwan, Jonathan Dwi Fung-Killen, Lim Bei En, Verena Ling Sing Ing, Siti Sarah binti ‘Abdul Azim @ Siti Sarah Baylosis, Nur Syasya Afiqah binti Haji Kula, Amanda Mila Chiang May Li and Mia Mate Fyfe – received the Bronze award for achieving between 37 and 39 points.
In the Precious Grace Solaybar Eclipse, Nurul Amirah Farwizah Haji Mohd Sufri, Siti Nor Hazirah Abdul Hamid, Noor Liyana Binti Mohd Shah, Zachary Dino Haji Haliluddin, and Finn Alexander Nagorcka were also awarded achievement awards for performing at least five points higher than their individually set IB baseline.
Guest speaker Vanessa Murphy, an ISB Class of 2008 alumna, who graduated with a perfect IB points of 45, spoke of her experience with the IB Diploma programme and how it had helped to prepare her for her future success.
“ISB holds some of my fondest memories and some of my formative experiences, (ISB) gave me a sense of curiosity about global issues and also the self-confidence to pursue those ambitions,” said Vanessa.
“In my current role, the skills and values that ISB and the IB taught me are really put into practice every day.”
Dr Stephen Kendall-Jones added, “After completing her IBDP at ISB, Vanessa studied at Yale University, graduating Summa Cum Laude, going onto a Master of Law in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Geneva. She works for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva as a Legal Advisor. Such is the power of an IB education.”
The concluded with closing remarks from Nur Natalia Affiqah, Soo Jun Shan and Dayangku Siti Nur Hafizah, who represented the Class of 2022 Year 13 graduates in thanking ISB, the Board of Directors, the Ministry of Education, teachers and parents for their endless support and motivation across their two-year IB journey.
In an interview with Gold award recipient Nur Natalia Affiqah, she shared that she received an offer to pursue a Bachelor (Hons) in Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland in Australia, and having been awarded with the ISB Board of Directors Scholarship has taught her to always value her educational journey.
“I would not be here and be given this opportunity if it were not for that. So, I think being able to really appreciate what you have and make the most of what ISB has to offer,” she added, further noting the support from her parents, family, friends and teachers.
Achieving a perfect 45 points, a first for ISB after 14 years, Nur Natalia Affiqah expressed that it is a surreal feeling.
“I’ve never doubted and I’m proud of myself, and I know everyone is as well,” she added.
