18 SIS Geckos earn AP Distinctions
Eighteen Saipan International School students who have taken the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program have received scores that earn them college credit and/or advanced placement at university for successful performance on the exams.
According to an SIS news release last Tuesday, it said that Tiana Cabrera, Serin Chung, Huiwon Jeong, Seohee Lee, Tony Li, Yunwoo Nam, Claire Park, Yelin Park, Jesus Sablan, and Yebin Shin have all been named AP Scholars for having earned a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.
Linxi Cai, Sam Culp, Li Sha Lai, Guohao Li, and Jack Linden earned the added distinction of AP Scholar with Honors by averaging at least 3.25 on all AP exams and a 3 or higher on four or more exams.
Finally, Xin Chen and Stephanie Kim and Kexuan Yu were all awarded with the top honor, AP Scholar with Distinction, scoring at least an average of at 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.
Li Sha Lai was also the first SIS student for the class of 2024 to earn the AP International Diploma by passing 5 AP exams, from two world languages (including English), an exam that offers a global perspective, one exam from the STEM fields and one additional exam of choice.
Approximately 22% of the 2 million students taking AP exams worldwide performed at a high enough level to receive an AP Scholar Award.
“Our students have shown incredible resilience and dedication to their studies to maintain such great results during the Yutu recovery and the pandemic,” commented SIS headmaster Dr. Ron Snyder. “I am constantly in awe of our Geckos.”
The AP program offers academically prepared students the chance to take rigorous, university-level courses during their high school years. Last May, 56 SIS AP students took a total of 136 Advanced Placement exams.
SIS continues to offer the largest selection of AP classes in the CNMI which included Language and Composition, Literature and Composition, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Human Geography, Chinese Language and Culture, Biology, Physics, Physics C: Mechanics, Precalculus, Seminar and Research.
SIS is also the first school in Micronesia that was authorized to offer the prestigious AP Capstone Diploma. This innovative program is designed to equip students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. This year SIS recognizes three Capstone Diploma recipients: Linxi Cai, Sam Culp, and Jesus Sablan. Tiana Cabrera and Kexuan Yu earned AP Seminar and Research Certificates.
The AP Capstone is a diploma program from College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. In the two-year course of study, students enhance their critical thinking, collaboration, analysis, evidence-based arguments, writing, presenting, and academic research skills.
AP Capstone Seminar is taught by Kimberlee Church in the 10th or 11th grades, followed by AP Capstone Research in Grade 12.
Angela Taflinger is the current Research teacher, replacing Whit Altizer.
The AP Capstone Program represents two years of hard work and responsibility by the students and staff. Their final research project is a yearlong research project on a topic selected by the student. It culminates in a 4000-to-5000-word academic research paper and a 15-20-minute presentation with an oral defense. (PR)
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