By Julian Edwards
Secondary Principal

On May 28th 2012, 86 individuals with immense talent and character graduated from NIST before an audience of incredibly proud teachers, family and friends. Below are the words I shared with our community on this exuberant day of celebration and reflection.

NIST is a one-off. No other school shares our name–we are unique.

Our NISTies, too, are unique. They are heading off to study not only traditional courses: law, engineering, medicine, computer science, biochemistry, neuroscience; but also areas such as technology and arts, political studies, fashion, graphics, psychology and art history. Their diversity as learners is mirrored by the richness of directions they will take.

It also makes me proud to know that at least one of our graduates will be studying education and adding to the wealth of talent in our profession.

Each graduating class is very much like a graduating student. It has its own strengths, weaknesses, personality and character. It would be wrong to compare classes because each is what it is and will become what it will become. Only time will truly tell who they will become in life…but the clues are there already.

This class is described by its teachers as joyful, fun, resourceful and imaginative. They are seen as a group containing “Silent Achievers”. Although at times the louder and more physical students might seem like the leaders of the year group, there are many silent achievers whose qualities make this a year group that is astute and knowledgeable. Multitalented students, in particular with sports, but also service minded. They represent a new wave of student leadership in the school.

We recognise, as seems to be increasingly the case in Bangkok, that the year was not smooth. They had a challenging time with the flood but they made it through an emotional time and many contributed superbly to organizing and supporting relief efforts.

Collectively you have taken on the Diploma Years and have grappled with: the backward bending supply curve of labour, Eutrophication, chiasmus, rising & falling limbs and their effect on discharge, prolepsis, Inward Substitution Industrialization, analepsis, the Marshall Lerner condition, and my favourite—the knower’s perspective.

In addition to your academic pursuits, you have also grappled with self-knowledge, ambition, failure, success, friendship and responsibility. You have learned more in two years than many learn in a lifetime and now you get to put it all into practice in the real world!

I sum up my introduction with the words of one of your teachers.

You are happy, supportive, you make me laugh, you are eager, enthusiastic, and delightfully ironic…
You are the Graduating Class of 2012!