Arab International Academy celebrated the graduation of its first class of 15 graduating seniors in a commencement ceremony which was live-streamed to parents, teachers, and friends due to precautionary measures required by the pandemic.
In his remarks, Dr Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of this turning point for the graduates, as it opens the door for them to a bright future of discovery and learning. He shared his warmest congratulations with the graduates and their families, and appreciation to the faculty and staff for all their efforts.
The Arab International Academy was founded in Doha in 2016 with the goal of establishing a high-level private international school that would provide a challenging and well-rounded international educational experience. To achieve that goal, it has drawn on the best of international thinking in curriculum and approaches to 21st-century teaching and learning.
AIA’s superintendent, Mahmoud Amra, shared his pride in this first graduation, an important achievement in the school’s history. Addressing the graduates, he reminded them that “many challenges await you in future but remember that alongside these challenges is the happiness and satisfaction that results from your accomplishments and the excitement of future discoveries of places, people and possibilities.”
He continued to say, “My sincerest hope is that AIA has prepared you well for the next stage of your life, and that we have shaped you into balanced, inquiring, open-minded and principled individuals.”
Highlights of the ceremony included a speech by the Class Valedictorian, May Al Hamdi, who reminded her colleagues of their days at school: “Today we wave farewell to our school and leave behind wonderful memories filled with laughter and childhood adventures. We wave farewell to the schoolyard that was to us our safe haven and look forward to a successful future.”
Class Representative Enis Odeh noted in his remarks that “We learned many lessons at school-- not only those taught in class, but life lessons that will forever be imprinted in our minds and cherished in our hearts.”
Musical performances by AIA middle school students honored the graduates, with the distribution of awards for excellence, the passing of the school flag, and a video prepared by the graduates highlighting personal memories of their time at AIA.
The ceremony concluded with the distribution of certificates of graduation to all AIA graduates by Dr Abdulla Al-Thani, with Amra, and Dalal Hammoudeh, principal of the secondary school, and an official public announcement of the graduation of the first class of students at AIA.
AIA is an International Baccalaureate World School for the Diploma Programme, the Middle Years Programme, and the Primary Years Program. AIA is accredited by Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education and is a member of the Council of International Schools.
