School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt Class of 2011 Graduates

Students are the first to complete the entire 4‐year curriculum

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 18, 2011) – Twenty students from eight Nashville high schools were honored in a ceremony on Sunday, May 15 for completing the four‐year School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt program. These high school seniors are the first cohort to finish the program which began in the fall of 2007, their ninth grade year. They earned seven honors elective credits during both the academic year and summer sessions that immersed them into an interdisciplinary, research‐based curriculum spanning multiple fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Among the graduates, two were Intel Science Talent Search semifinalists and four were Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology semifinalists, among many other accolades earned. This fall, they will each begin the next phase of their education at various four‐year colleges and universities throughout the U.S.

The Commencement Ceremony’s Message to the Graduates was delivered by Katie Cox Johnson, M.D., co‐founder of The Shade Tree Clinic, a Nashville clinic run by Vanderbilt Medical School students and volunteer efforts from faculty of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, providing free healthcare and social services to the public. Graduates were inspired to consider how they can make meaningful and positive contributions to their community at any age, even before beginning their professional careers. Graduates were presented with a black and gold honor cord to be worn during their high school commencement exercises and a diploma recognizing their participation in the four‐year program.

 
School for Science and Math Class of 2011 Graduates:

Hannah Asbell, Hillsboro High School, Rhodes College

DeAndre Baynham, Hillsboro High School, Georgia Institute of Technology

Isaiah Bolden, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, Bowdoin College

Anna Claire Brakefield, Hillsboro High School, University of Alabama

Eric George, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, Vanderbilt University

Aziza Hart, Glencliff High School, Emory University

Rezzan Hekmat, Hume‐Fogg Academic Magnet School, Belmont University

Alan Hererra‐Flores, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, Haverford College

Yi‐Ting Huang, Overton High School, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Cindy Ma, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, Columbia University

Musarrat Maisha, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, Vanderbilt University

Christopher Peek, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, Davidson College

Rita Pfeiffer, Hume‐Fogg Academic Magnet School, Middlebury College

Noel Richards, Hillsboro High School, Shimer College

Katie Roland, Hume‐Fogg Academic Magnet School, Centre College

Kevin Roman, Hunter’s Lane High School, Undecided

Logan Shirley, McGavock High School, Sewanee: The University of the South

Chandelor Simon, Nashville School of the Arts, Trevecca‐Nazarene University

Brittainy Tidwell, Hillsboro High School, Baylor University

Elijah Wilson, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School, University of Memphis

 
The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt is a joint venture between Vanderbilt University and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools under the leadership of Virginia Shepherd, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach. For more information, please visit http://theschool.vanderbilt.edu.