Shenzhen Victoria Park Academy (VPA) warmly congratulates our sister school - Hong Kong Victoria Shanghai Academy (VSA) - on the remarkable achievements of their Class of 2023 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations!
The cohort achieved a 100% pass rate and an average mean score of 37.4 to date. They also have over 400 offers from universities around the world, including top institutions such as Stanford University, Pomona College, UCLA, and USC, University of Oxford, Durham University, Imperial College, and UCL, UBC and the University of Toronto, and both medical schools in Hong Kong.
Many media outlets, including HK01, The Standard, Sundaykiss, and other renowned platforms, have rushed to report on VSA's outstanding achievements this year. VSA’s Head of Academy Dr. Maggie Koong says of this year’s IB graduates, “This school year has been an exciting new start as we resume normalcy after the past 3 years of challenging circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the obstacles of the last few years, our Class of 2023 persevered and demonstrated resilience, dedication and hard work. They have shown us that with a positive attitude and a growth mindset, we can overcome any challenges that come our way.
Looking at high scorers, we have students who aspire to bring excellence and dedication to their studies and practice of medicine in Hong Kong, future biomedical engineers and genetic scientists, Fine Arts and Game Design students, and legal scholars.
VSA celebrates the diverse talents and interests of all its students and could not be prouder of their achievements. It fills me with great pride to see the graduates of our Class of 2023 taking on ambitious and meaningful paths for their future. Most of these graduates have been a part of the VSA family for over a decade, and I feel privileged and honored to witness their continuous growth into bilingual learners who are passionate, healthy, accomplished, and engaged with the global community.”
Angus Leung, who scored a near-perfect point of 44, will study medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Crediting VSA for helping him “to go above and beyond, pushing him to become the best version of himself”, he chose to study medicine in Hong Kong because “CUHK’s medical school is ranked among the best in the world and I also want to do my part in alleviating the dire manpower shortage in public healthcare.”
Imogene Ji, also scoring 44 points and heading to the University of Hong Kong to study medicine, is someone who once transferred from a local school to VSA. One of the biggest differences, she says, is transitioning from rote learning to a project-based study mode. Ji is thankful to VSA for “instilling a passion for helping people, enabling me to challenge myself to learn beyond the classroom.”
Ainsley Ternes, achieving 43 points, will embark on a law degree at the University of Oxford. She offers words of wisdom to students currently going through the IB program: “IB is often described as a marathon. Every time you fall back down is a chance for you to work your way towards your goals. This is how you are going to ultimately succeed.”
VPA, like VSA, also places great emphasis on the whole development of our students. Whether it's academics, sports, arts, or social expression, we encourage them to pursue their passions, be true to themselves, challenge themselves, and strive for excellence.
Our VPA students will undoubtedly follow in the footsteps of these senior students, moving from VPA to the world, becoming bilingual learners with a strong sense of Chinese culture and an international perspective.
