Hillcrest’s alumni International Baccalaureate students laughed and joked with each other Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 as they took a break from college to receive their diplomas and certificates for participating in the prestigious high school program.

“The importance of IB wasn’t the score on our tests, it was interacting with my fellow students that made it worth it,” former IB student president Nicholas Cockrell told the group. “It built a community around all of us.”

The students, who graduated with the class of 2015, were accepted to universities across the country, including Oxford, Brown, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Cornell. Of the 120 students who received a certificate for participating in the program, 56 were awarded full IB Diplomas, and three students reported that they entered college with an average of 46 credits. As of June, the group received $8,949,534 in scholarship offers.

After taking IB courses in six different subject areas, including mathematics, the arts, science and language acquisition; writing an extended essay on a chosen research topic and meeting requirements for involvement in the school through creativity, action and service, the recent graduates celebrated their accomplishment at a graduation ceremony with parents, friends, former Hillcrest Principal Susan Malone, IB Coordinator Brian Bentley, Superintendent Jim Briscoe and Canyons Board of Education members Steve Wrigley, Nancy Tingey, Clareen Arnold and Amber Shill.

 “Remember that this program is a means – not an end – to your education,” Bentley told the audience. “Success in life has very little to do with intelligence.”

 Bentley asked the students to remember three things: to work hard, remain teachable and use their knowledge to help others.

 “Always remember this mantra – ‘It is never a sure thing,’ ” Bentley said. “Be the best you can be.”

The purpose of the IB program is to provide rigorous curriculum and assessments, encourage high academic standards and promote international understanding, according to the program’s web page at Hillcrest. Involvement in IB helps students prepare to be global citizens and have a positive influence on the world, Malone said.

“We are international citizens,” Malone said. “There are challenging things happening. Hopefully (these students) will be the ones who can provide some peace and stability in the international community.”

To learn more information about the IB program, parents, guardians and students who will enter eighth-grade next year can attend one of several upcoming information meetings. The following meetings are scheduled:

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 7-8:15 p.m.
Draper Park Middle, 13133 S. 1300 East

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 7-8:15 p.m.
Mount Jordan Middle, 9351 S. Mountaineer Lane (300 E.)

Thursday, Jan. 14, 7-8:15 p.m.
Albion Middle, 2755 E. Newcastle Dr.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 7-8:15 p.m.
Midvale Middle, 11150 S. 300 East

Saturday, Jan. 30, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (deadline for Early Enrollment )
Hillcrest High, 7350 S. 900 East

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 5-5:50 p.m. (before Incoming Freshman Orientation)
Hillcrest High, 7350 S. 900 East

Questions?  Contact the IB office at Hillcrest High at 801-826-6018.

Click here to see a Facebook photo album of the diploma and certificate ceremony.