Note to Correspondents

United Nations International School to Hold Graduation Ceremony

 

in General Assembly Hall 31 May

 

United States Ambassador Susan Rice to Address Class of 2012

The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2012 of the United Nations International School (UNIS) will take place at 4 pm on Thursday, 31 May 2012, in the United Nations General Assembly Hall.  Susan Rice, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, will be the guest speaker.

The students will leave UNIS for over 75 of the world’s finest universities in fourteen countries and 15 United States states.  They are equipped with the best secondary level preparation the world has to offer, the prestigious International Baccalaureate.  The 117 graduates represent 37 nationalities with 42 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.  Allison Gadsden, from the United States, was elected by her peers to be the student speaker.  Sarah Bernstein, from the United States, the 2011 recipient of the U Thant Award, will announce the 2012 honouree.  The U Thant Scholar, named in honour 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 United Nations Charter.

Music plays an important role at UNIS.  The Senior Wind Ensemble and the Tutorial House Jazz Ensemble will perform a wide array of works at the ceremony, ranging from the traditional Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar to Sing Sing Sing by Duke Ellington.

UNIS high school 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.

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 United Nations Charter.  More than 120 countries are represented in the student body of 1570, 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