Alcuin School, a leader in Montessori and International Baccalaureate® education, announced today that internationally renowned humanitarian Dr. Waheed Arian will be the keynote speaker at its graduation ceremony on Friday, May 24 at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas. Dr. Arian is the founder of Arian Teleheal, an award-winning telemedicine charity. The organization provides innovative life-saving medical advice, via smartphone, Skype, social media and a variety of other digital technologies, to volunteer specialists and doctors working in areas of conflict and low-resource countries around the world.
“Dr. Arian has been widely recognized for his innovation and humanitarian contributions, which makes him an ideal speaker for our commencement ceremony,” says Walter Sorensen, Alcuin Head of School. “His visionary perspective to make a global impact supports the principles of the IB curriculum at Alcuin. Students who study IB learn critical thinking skills and become internationally-minded people who respect themselves, others, and the world around them.”
Dr. Arian has been praised for overcoming incredible challenges to create his global academy and pioneering telemedicine charity. Having survived the civil war in Afghanistan, Waheed Arian arrived alone in the UK at age 15. He went on to study medicine at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Later, he performed the world’s first augmented reality international telemedicine live consultation using the Microsoft HoloLens in 2017, an untethered headset to help the user solve real-world problems with artificial intelligence. His amazing accomplishment set a vision for the future of international telehealth.
Today, Dr. Arian is known as a global innovator who the UN Global Goals Goalkeepers organization describes as a world thought leader. Dr. Arian’s personal and professional journey makes him uniquely qualified to share how innovative thinking and global mindedness, coupled with the IB Diploma Programme (DP), creates an edge for Alcuin students as they matriculate to the university level.
Studies show that students who participate in IB education are better prepared for college, they perform better when they are there, and they are more likely to graduate (and graduate sooner) than other students. In addition, IB high school graduates are also more likely to enroll in selective institutions.
“We are honored to host Dr. Arian as our commencement speaker as we celebrate our second graduating class,” says Sorensen “This will be a tremendous opportunity for our graduates, parents, faculty and staff, to hear from one of today’s leading international experts, he says. “Dr. Arian will inspire our IB graduates to continue their love of learning and pursue their vision and dreams to make the world a better place.”
The IB offers a significant academic advantage and Alcuin’s Montessori education serves as an excellent transition to the IB curriculum. Although there are more than 1,119,000 IB students enrolled at 3,747 schools in 146 countries, fewer than 10 schools combine the advantages of Montessori and IB in the way the programs are implemented at Alcuin.
At Alcuin School, the IB pedagogy extends the Montessori methods in an age appropriate way. Teachers continue to guide rather than dictate student learning. Choice and responsibility continue. Until Alcuin launched the Upper School in 2014, older students did not have the opportunity to move forward into a program which extended the school’s Montessori and IB at the same level of excellence.
“It has been an amazing year for our seniors, and they have all worked so hard and with so much dedication to achieve their academic goals through the IB programme,” says Sorensen. “These young people are truly inspirational and our faculty and staff have been so proud to have been part of their success.”
Due to the exceptional academic performance of the students, Alcuin’s inaugural graduating class has received an average of $100,000 in scholarships for each student making the collective total over a million dollars. They have also received offers of admission from colleges and universities across the United States. The graduates will be attending a variety of recognized research institutions and premier liberal arts colleges this fall.
About Alcuin School
A vibrant, nurturing, coeducational academic community serving students from toddler to 12th grade, Alcuin School uses the Montessori and International Baccalaureate program methods to foster critical thinking and a lifelong passion for learning. With faculty support, students at Alcuin School are eager to embrace change, question the status quo, and prepare for their future as leaders in a global society. For more information, please visit www.alcuinschool.org.