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2026 Graduate Highlights

High School Graduates throwing their caps into the air

 

About the Class of 2026

The Class of 2026 reflects the kind of learners and leaders TCIS strives to cultivate. While their university outcomes are impressive – with admissions to respected institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia – their greatest achievement is the growth they demonstrated along the way.

This year's graduates have lived all around the world and will pursue a wide range of fields, including engineering, medicine, business, social sciences, humanities, visual arts, design, and interdisciplinary studies. Their diverse backgrounds, interests, and ambitions reflect a community that values both excellence and individuality.

Throughout the university application process, these students navigated challenges, uncertainty, and setbacks with resilience and maturity. They learned to communicate their stories authentically, advocate for themselves confidently, and pursue pathways that aligned with their passions, strengths, and goals.

This cohort reminds us that success is not defined by prestige alone, but by character, purpose, and personal growth. Supported by a strong partnership between families, teachers, counselors, and administrators, the Class of 2026 leaves TCIS as a group of globally minded, self-aware, and resilient young adults prepared to make a meaningful impact wherever life leads them next.

– From the TCIS Senior Counselor Tribute –
 

 

A graduate in a cap and gown holds a bouquet of flowers while a man adjusts his cap, with a blurred grassy field and stadium lights in the background.
A family poses for a photo with a graduate in the foreground, while another family takes pictures in the background on a grassy field at night.
Two young men embrace in the foreground, with a blurred background of other people and bright lights.

Class of 2026 Valedictorians & Salutatorian

The distinction of Valedictorian and Salutatorian represents the highest levels of academic achievement in the graduating class. These students earned the top cumulative grade point averages among their peers, demonstrating exceptional dedication, perseverance, and passion throughout their years at TCIS.

Each of these four honorees achieved a GPA above 4.7 across the final three semesters leading up to graduation — an extraordinary accomplishment within the rigor of the IB Diploma Programme.

Our Valedictorians and Salutatorian addressed their peers and those in attendance at the 65th Graduation Ceremony, sharing words of insight, reflection, and fond memory. We bid many fond and heartfelt 'Congratulations' to these young ladies and gentleman.

 

 

A young woman with wavy brown hair and a pearl earring smiles gently in a light pink blazer against a plain white background.
Juna Ariyoshi - Valedictorian

UCLA - Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

View her Graduation Address

A young man in a dark suit leans against a white, paneled wall.
Daniel Bae - Valedictorian

UCLA - Computer Science
 

View his Graduation Address

A young woman in a white dress smiles in front of a glass door with a logo.
Elina Nam - Valedictorian

King's College London - Dentistry
 

View her Graduation Address

A young woman in a white dress stands in the foreground with a blurred hallway in the background.
Angela Park - Salutatorian

UCLA - Human Biology and Society
 

View her Graduation Address

 

 

 

A middle-aged Asian man with graying hair and glasses smiles at the camera, wearing a striped shirt against a mottled brown and gray background.

 

 

Dr. Jang-pyo Park - Graduation Speaker

Chosen by the Class of 2026 to speak at this year’s graduation ceremony, Dr. Park teaches the highest-level Biology courses at TCIS. Beyond his brilliance in Biology and steady discipline in the classroom, Dr. Park is deeply respected for the wisdom, faith, and genuine care he brings to his students each day. These qualities were reflected in a graduation message that balanced inspiration with practical advice for the journey ahead.

"One of the biggest misconceptions people have about success is that life is made by one huge decision... but life is built on small repeated choices."

View Dr. Park's full graduation address

 

University Offers for Admission 2026

The Class of 2026 received a total of $3,168,000 in merit-based scholarships

UCLA logo as a school where TCIS high school graduates are attending
University of California – Los Angeles
UCL University College London logo as a school where TCIS high school graduates are attending
University College London
Stanford university tree and block letter s logo, with the Standford name beside it
Stanford University
University of California–Berkeley
University of California – Berkeley
Washington University Logo as a school where TCIS high school graduates are attending
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Southern California logo as a school where TCIS high school graduates are attending
University of Southern California
UC San Diego logo as a school where TCIS high school graduates are attending
University of California – San Diego
University of Sydney
University of Sydney
University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Toronto
University of Toronto
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purdue University
Purdue University
King's College London
King's College London
Hong_Kong_University_of_Science_and_Technology-Logo
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology logo as a school where TCIS high school graduates are attending
Georgia Institute of Technology

The university entrance offers earned by the Class of 2026 provide another window into who these students have become. With offers for admission from 106 universities and colleges across the USA (73%), Asia/Australia (12%), the UK (10%), Canada (4%), and Europe (1%), this cohort is preparing to step into a global future. Their destinations reflect not only academic achievement, but also the internationally-minded spirit that TCIS seeks to cultivate.

What is perhaps most remarkable is the breadth of their aspirations. Members of the Class of 2026 will pursue studies in engineering, medicine, business, social sciences, humanities, visual arts, design, and emerging interdisciplinary fields. Some will enter large research universities, while others will pursue creative, entrepreneurial, or service-oriented pathways. Together, their choices reflect a class shaped by diverse gifts, interests, and callings.

At TCIS, we do not celebrate university offers simply as names on a list. We celebrate them as opportunities – doors opening to new communities, new ideas, and new possibilities. As these graduates move forward, we are confident they will carry with them not only the knowledge and skills they have gained, but also the character, resilience, and sense of purpose that have defined their time here.

Infographic on where the graduating class of 2026 received offers for university

 


The Class of 2026 leaves TCIS prepared to learn, love, and lead wherever life takes them next, using their opportunities to serve others and create purposeful change in the world. 

– From the TCIS Head of School, The Class of 2026 –

 

 

Arizona State University

Art Center College of Design *

Baylor University *

Boston College

California Institute of the Arts *

Case Western Reserve University*

City University Hong Kong *

Coventry University

Duke Kunshan University

Eindhoven University of Technology

Fudan University

George Mason University – Korea*

George Washington University

Georgia Institute of Technology *

Grinnell College

Handong Global University

Harvey Mudd College

Indiana University

Iowa State University *

Juniata College

King's College London *

Manchester Metropolitan University

Maryland Institute College of Art *

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Michigan State University 

Missouri State University

Monash University *

North Carolina State University

Northeastern University *

Ohio State University

Oklahoma State University

Oregon State University

Otis College of Art and Design *

Pratt Institute *

Queen Mary University of London

Rhode Island School of Design

Ringling College of Art and Design *

Rutgers University *

Savannah College of Art and Design *

School of the Art Institute of Chicago *

School of Visual Arts *

Stanford University

Stony Brook University *

SUNY Korea

Temple University

Texas A&M University *

The Australian National University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong University of Science and Tech *

The New School *

The Pennsylvania State University *

The University of British Columbia *

The University of Edinburgh *

The University of Hong Kong *

The University of Queensland

The University of Sydney

The University of Western Australia

Tsinghua University

University College London (UCL) *

University of Amsterdam *

University of Brighton

University of Bristol

University of California – Berkeley 

University of California – Davis *

University of California – Irvine *

University of California – Los Angeles *

University of California – Merced

University of California – Riverside *

University of California – San Diego *

University of California – Santa Barbara *

University of California – Santa Cruz *

University of Chester

University of Chichester

University of Detroit Mercy

University of East London

University of Exeter

University of Glasgow

University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign *

University of Leeds

University of Manchester *

University of Massachusetts – Amherst *

University of Melbourne

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities *

University of Missouri 

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

University of Richmond

University of Rochester *

University of Sheffield

University of Southampton

University of Southern California *

University of the Arts Singapore

University of Toronto *

University of Virginia 

University of Washington *

University of Wisconsin – Madison *

UNSW Sydney

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University *

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Waseda University

Washington State University 

Washington University in St. Louis

Wheaton College *

Shanghai Jiaotong University

Zhejiang University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCIS Graduating Class of 2026 standing on stage in their caps and gowns, posing for a photo as a complete class