Note to Correspondents

United Nations International School to Hold Graduation Ceremony 2 June 2011

 

The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2011 of the United Nations International School (UNIS) will take place at 3 pm on Thursday, 2 June 2011, in the United Nations General Assembly Hall.  Muhtar Kent, President, CEO and Director of the Coca Cola Company, will be the guest speaker.  Mr. Kent is also the son of a former Turkish Consul-General and is married to a UNIS alumna.

The students will leave UNIS for over 75 of the world’s finest universities in eight countries and 17 United States states.  They are equipped with the best secondary level preparation the world has to offer, the prestigious International Baccalaureate.  The 111 graduates represent 43 nationalities with 32 mother tongues spoken; more than half of the students are affiliated with the United Nations community.

Two students will speak on behalf of their Class at the ceremony.  Melissa Fundira, from Rwanda, was elected by her peers to be the student speaker.  Rajko Radovanović, from Serbia, Bolivia and the United States, the 2010 recipient of the U Thant Award, will announce the 2011 honoree.  The U Thant Scholar, named in honor of the third Secretary General of the United Nations, is chosen by the faculty.  This award is the only one given at graduation and recognizes a student in the junior class whose life and contribution to the school embodies the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.  For the first time, Aye Aye Thant, U Thant’s daughter, will present the award.

Music plays an important role at UNIS.  The Senior Wind Ensemble, Tut House Camerata, Tut House Jazz Band, and the Senior Chorus will perform a wide array of works at the ceremony, ranging from the traditional Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar to Oye Como Va by Tito Puente.

UNIS students have had the privilege of daily exposure to a wide range of world cultures through social interaction with peers and instruction from a faculty that represents 31 countries.  The school offers a balanced and rigorous educational program with classes in nine languages and emphasis on community service and the importance of the arts in daily living.  As a result, UNIS students develop values and understanding that prepare them to become true citizens of the world.

About the United Nations International School

Founded in 1947, the United Nations International School is a private, K-12 college preparatory school that emphasizes academic excellence within a caring community.  UNIS promotes appreciation of the diversity of persons and cultures, provides an optimal environment for learning and teaching, and offers a global curriculum that inspires in its students the spirit and ideals of the Charter of the United Nations.  More than 120 countries are represented in the student body of 1,570, which comes from United Nations families and other families seeking an international education for their children.  UNIS is located in New York City, with campuses in Manhattan and Queens.  For more information, please visit www.unis.org, or contact Laura James, tel.: +1 212 584 3112; e-mail: ljames@unis.org.

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For information media • not an official record