Cordova High IB “pioneers” become program’s first graduating class
Photo caption: Graduating senior Daniel Miliate (left) takes a selfie with IB Diploma Programme classmates Sydney Vang (middle) and Natalya Melnik (right).
In the moments before his graduation day, Cordova High senior Daniel Miliate said he was proud to be among the school’s very first students to graduate from its prestigious and rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.
“We’re like the pioneers,” he said. “We helped pave the way for other students. I’m grateful for the IB program because I get to be close to the people who want the same things.”
VIDEO: Hear testimonials from three of this year’s Cordova High seniors on how the IB Programme prepared them for their future:
Graduating from the IB Programme is a chance for students to show top universities they’re ready the next level of success. Students from this year’s graduating class boast an impressive list of post-high school plans, and many are enrolling in four-year colleges: University of California and California State University schools throughout the state, including Santa Barbara, Merced, Sacramento, the East Bay, Bakersfield, Chico and Monterey, for example.
“I chose the IB Programme because I wanted the challenge, and I also wanted to set myself up for the future,” said Miliate, who will be attending American River College in the fall, with plans to transfer to Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. “Maybe I’ll be a college professor. Maybe I’ll come back to (Cordova High) and teach here. I really wanted to open up doors.”
The IB Programme at Mitchell Middle and Cordova High schools prepares students to make an impact in the world around them through rigorous, hands-on learning. Folsom Cordova’s IB Programme connects classroom learning with the real world – developing well-rounded, independent thinkers ready for the global economy.
Folsom Cordova has two International Baccalaureate programs: the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme. All students in grades 6-10 attending Mitchell Middle and Cordova High schools participate in the MYP Programme, and students who choose to continue their IB studies in grades 11-12 can participate in the challenging Diploma Programme.
The District’s first graduating class from the Diploma Programme had 49 students - 21 of whom received the prestigious, full Diploma, which required students to take more higher-level courses and helped them earn college credit at UC schools.
To learn more about the Folsom Cordova’s IB Programme and how to enroll, visit www.fcusd.org/IB.