“Students, today is filled with many often conflicting emotions like no other last day of school in our lifetimes. Excitement, relief, anxiety, sadness, they all might play a part, but overwhelmingly, today is a joyous day. We are here to celebrate the successes you have accomplished this year, your contribution to ISKL, and of course, your growth.”
These were some of the wise words spoken by ISKL’s High School Principal Jeff Farrington during the Grade 9 – 11 Awards Ceremony held on June 4, 2021, where outstanding students were recognized in a virtual event.
Parents, faculty, and students from the ISKL community tuned in to watch the live broadcast, where they were first treated to a fantastic performance of the Malaysian national anthem, “Negaraku.” The anthem was sung by Class of 2021 students Sophie Wagner, Francisca (Frany) Ortola Villanueva, Esther Tan, and Bianca Prameswari.
Jeff continued, “And even in this year, such a difficult year, or maybe because of this year, you maintain a culture of empathy, care, and connectedness. When we were on campus, even while in masks and physically distanced, you engaged wholeheartedly and energetically in athletics and activities. Furthermore, it might have been easy to give up on service, to throw your hands in the air. But you continued to support our community’s partnerships and even found new ways to engage during a pandemic. “
Jeff also continued to speak of how the quality of ISKL is defined by relationships forged in the community and the positive, caring interactions cultivated by the students. He continued, “It is our pleasure today to present you with the awards that you work so very hard to earn this year, and we wish to recognize and appreciate the dedication and effort you have demonstrated, both academically and outside class time.”
Following is a list of all the proud recipients, along with comments from their teachers!
The Robert B. Gaw Citizenship Award, for Grade 9, awarded to Estee T. (’24)
“It would seem as though this award was created with Estee in mind as she possesses grit, empathy, generosity, leadership, a desire to be engaged in her community, and an international perspective and appreciation for what it means to be a global citizen.” ~ Jennifer Pettus, High School Learning Resource Teacher
“Estee completes each day with such integrity it’s hard not to notice her desire to develop and grow in the purest form. She is brave enough to ask difficult questions and diligent enough to find the answers. She is a leader in the way she goes about her education in a meaningful and personalized way. Estee is a silent and humble leader and will step in and take charge when need be.” ~ Erik Custer, High School Health/Physical Education Teacher
About the Award: The Robert B. Gaw Citizenship Award is intended for students from Grade 9 through to Grade 12 who demonstrate exemplary citizenship and is given to one student at each grade level. The award, sponsored by the PTA, is named in honor of Robert B. Gaw, who served as Headmaster at ISKL from 1970-1978.
The Robert B. Gaw Citizenship Award, for Grade 10, awarded to Georgia L. (’23)
“Kindness is not just something to be done, but it is a way of being. Navigating the classroom dynamics with a welcoming grace, connecting with the loud characters in the back with the same ease as having a quiet word with the students trapped in quarantine on Zoom. Georgia is happy to work with anyone in the class and is a teacher’s dream when it comes to group work, keeping everyone on task to ensure that everyone is involved.
Our award winner walks the talk by having authentic ambition, creativity and caring in her execution. Fearless, she will step up while others look down, embracing a new challenge as a way to connect and experience the possibility of ISKL.” ~ Shaun McElroy, High School Counselor
About the Award: The Robert B. Gaw Citizenship Award is intended for students from Grade 9 through to Grade 12 who demonstrate exemplary citizenship and is given to one student at each grade level. The award, sponsored by the PTA, is named in honor of Robert B. Gaw, who served as Headmaster at ISKL from 1970-1978.
The Robert B. Gaw Citizenship Award, for Grade 11, awarded to Prabhjyot P. (’22)
“Prab is a young man, who across all facets of school life, has shown tremendous growth in meeting the criteria for this award. He has flourished in his junior year, despite all the challenges that we have faced. In short, he loves working with people, is respectful and helpful, and just flat out loves to learn.
Prab can observe, analyze, evaluate everything that’s going on in the room. Then, reflect and ask great questions. You’re able to do all of this while working with other students and with such a relaxed, calm demeanor. The learning mindset he has is inspiring, where he includes and empathizes with all, and helps make us all better.” ~ Shane Graham, High School Science/ IB Chemistry Teacher
About the Award: The Robert B. Gaw Citizenship Award is intended for students from Grade 9 through to Grade 12 who demonstrate exemplary citizenship and is given to one student at each grade level. The award, sponsored by the PTA, is named in honor of Robert B. Gaw, who served as Headmaster at ISKL from 1970-1978.
The Harvard Book Prize Award, Grade 11, awarded to HongJu L. (’22)
“HongJu is a consummate academic and an inspired learner. She displays a tremendous enthusiasm to develop her skills and knowledge to their fullest potential in every subject. She combines a love of science with a passion for music while exploring the elegance of the Chinese language and the rich intricacies of history.
HongJu always sees a challenge to herself across the board and a very impressive spectrum of activities to pursue her interests and passions.
Hongju seems to include people; she has a wide periphery, she sees the room, she sees people.
She’s a very bright student and even a brighter human being. In sum, HongJu is a gifted outstanding polymath who embodies all the highest quality which ISKL seeks to foster in each of our students.” ~ Rami Madani, Head of School
About the Award: The award is presented by The Harvard Alumni Association to the outstanding student (highest GPA) in the next-to-graduating class who “displays excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other fields.” All three of the shortlisted candidates were interviewed by the Harvard Club Malaysia, and a winner was selected.
EARCOS Global Citizen Award awarded to Amelie T. (’22)
“She is so thoughtful and considerate about people around her and takes it to a higher level of action. I think that’s one of the most remarkable things about her.” ~ Jo Tilton, High School Art Teacher
“At her core, Amelie is a person of conscience, creativity, and engagement who believes in making a difference and working towards a better present and future. I have the greatest confidence that she will continue to promote international understanding and be a fabulous model of global citizenship moving forward.” ~ Richard Martin, High School Social Studies/IB History/AP US History Teacher
About the Award: This award is presented to a student who embraces the qualities of a global citizen. This student is a proud representative of his/her nation while respectful of the diversity of other nations, have an open mind, is well informed, aware, and empathetic, concerned and caring for others, encouraging a sense of community, and strongly committed to engagement and action to make the world a better place. Finally, this student is able to interact and communicate effectively with people from all walks of life while having a sense of collective responsibility for all who inhabit the globe.
Rensselaer Medal Award/Scholarship, awarded to Lydia L. (’22)
“Lydia is almost always first to volunteer to show solutions for a challenging question, ask me about a topic in Advanced Mathematics that I haven’t seen since I had hair, or show me Maxwell’s equation for electromagnetic fields and asking, “Aren’t they beautiful?” – while the student next to her rolled her eyes and shook her head. And yes, I do agree that Maxwell’s equations are beautiful.
However, I believe that your ability to recognize not only the utility of Mathematics and the Physical Sciences but also their power and beauty tells me something about your passion for these subjects and how it could lead to your future success in wherever way it may lead you.” ~ Stephen Sweet, High School Science/IB Chemistry Teacher
About the Award: The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York State is a leading U.S. college well known for Engineering. The Rensselaer Medal, awarded by ISKL, is for academic excellence in math and science and given to a junior who:
- Ranks in the top 10% of their class.
- Demonstrates potential for success in a rigorous academic setting.
- Excels in HL1 / advanced math and sciences
- Exhibits significant interest and involvement in extracurricular activities.
Medal winners who enroll at RPI receive a scholarship of US$15,000 per year to a total of US$60,000.
The ceremony ended with the annual ISKL tradition with a shout out and goodbye.
Congratulations again to all the recipients of the Grade 9 – 11 Awards. We continue to be inspired and proud of your achievements and hard work!
