The 5th Commencement Exercises of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme of Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) was held last June 4, 2011, with Dr. Melva Diamante, President of Southville Foreign University (SFU), as the keynote speaker. Dr. Genevieve Ledesma-Tan, SISC Chief Executive Mentor, Dr. Marl Ferenal, SISC President and Ms. Marie Ann Mirando, IB Coordinator, graced the event.

Leading the IB graduates of Batch 2011 were the awardees for Scholastic Excellence namely Thae Hoon An (Gold Medal), Eun Seo (Gold Medal), You Kyum Kim (Gold Medal), Son Yong Kim (Silver Medal) and Dong Yeop Lee (Silver Medal). Merit Certificates, Subject Excellence Awards, Outstanding Extended Essays, and Loyalty Awards were also given to exceptional students.

Highlighting the event were the conferment of diplomas and the speech of Thae Hoon An, Valedictorian of IB Class of 2011. In his valedictory address, Thae Hoon shared how the IB Diploma Programme raised its graduates’ capabilities to greater heights.

“IB Diploma Programme not only gave us firm conviction towards our goals, but also made us become knowledgeable and rightful citizens of the world. The curriculum and assessments including Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge that required painstaking researches made us excel in academics. Furthermore, Creativity, Action and Service made us become mature and aware of social and global issues and develop a habit of contributing our efforts to society and the world.”

He also commended the school’s relentless efforts to achieve excellence. “Southville has come a long way in its 21 years of existence. Southville enjoyed remarkable success as it developed from a single storey building to a School of the Future. Southville’s culture of excellence will continue as it continues to abide by this saying all the time: Students are the most important people in a school; they are the reason for a school’s existence.”

The program concluded with the recitation of the Southville Pledge and Alumni Oath. Ms. Sarah Atienza and Mr. Melchor Española were the masters of ceremony.