Over 140 students from Jumeirah College Dubai took their walk across the stage to accept their certificates at a grand Graduation Ceremony held in the presence of royal guests, school management, teaching staff and families. Special guests included His Highness Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whose son Sheikh Khalifa Bin Saeed Al Maktoum is in the graduating year. Also present was Dino Varkey, Chief Executive Officer of GEMS Education.
Rated as an Outstanding school for nine consecutive years, Jumeirah College Dubai has contributed towards the well-being of the students not just in academics, but also in terms of marking the overall development of each student.
The event included an inaugural speech by Emirati Global Shaper, Omar Al Busaidy, who motivated the students as they prepare themselves for higher studies. Graduated students from Jumeirah College have already received offers from elite universities across UK, Canada, France and Holland such as Imperial College London, University of Glasgow, Durham University, University of Cambridge, UCL, KCL, University of Southern California and Parsons School of Design.
At the ceremony a special award was given in the name of Mohammed Kassim, a former student who sadly died several years ago. Mohammed Kassim was a well-respected student who displayed exceptional values throughout his time at Jumeirah College. The Mohammed Kassim Award was presented to Antoine de Mascarel, who has not only been an exemplary student, but also devoted much of his spare time organising a surf club for Students of Determination.
Principal of Jumeirah College, Mr Simon O'Connor said; “Our Graduation Ceremony is always a wonderful day as it celebrates the culmination of many years of hard work by our students, and the success that they have subsequently achieved. I am extremely proud of our students for what they achieved as they head towards the next goal in their academic lives.”
Some of this year’s graduating students included stars such as Caterina Battiston who represented the UAE in Netball, Irini Van Zijderveld-Paipai who competed at a national level in Fencing, and Rosemary Wooley and Zaid Khan who were presented with Gold International Awards by the HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex earlier this year.
Last year Jumeirah College celebrated outstanding A level results with 13 per cent of results at A* and 43 per cent at either A* or A grade. The school over the years have created an environment where students are stretched and challenged, and have their expectations raised to achieve demanding targets.