The American School of Dubai (ASD) community celebrated the Class of 2024 this week with the school’s time-honoured traditions for the graduating seniors. The students were given letters of encouragement and advice from teachers, friends, and family at the Red Envelope Ceremony, and then joined the celebratory senior parade for their last walk down the halls of campus.
This weekend, the ASD Class of 2024 will officially complete their high school journey at the school’s 31st graduation ceremony.
Excellence in academics, arts, athletics, leadership, and service
ASD has also given special recognition to several students who have made outstanding contributions to the school community through the arts, athletics, service, science, business, technology, diplomacy, and international understanding.
Valedictorian
Chisa Ogaki
Salutatorian
Sahil Uberoi
Distinguished Service Award
Sriya Bandyopadhyay
Award for International Understanding
Nour Mousbah
The Bob Ackerman Award for Excellence in Technological Innovation
Chisa Ogaki
The Phil Ridley and Ahne Crawford-Ridley Scholarship
Kidane Pincus
Senior Arts Award
Mengzhen Markland
Tommaso Tricamo
The Dale Haus Waldoch Visual Art Award
Iba Ali
The Sikander Shallwani Senior Business Award
Isah Ansari
The Michelle Pazos Scholarship
Emma Oberholzer
The Megan Garrison Athletic Award
Shahin Tae-Hyun Sheikh
The Mike Ross Athletic Award
Omar Ozalp
High School Scholar Athlete Award
Chisa Ogaki
The Ambassador’s Award for Academic Excellence
To be announced
ASD Lifers
The graduation ceremony will be especially meaningful for 22 senior students who have been students at the American School of Dubai since kindergarten — 13 or 14 years ago. This year’s ASD Lifers are: Talia AbdelKhalek, Iba Ali, Sami Arekat, Jenna Ataya, Lucas Awad, Isabel Berzinji, Mackenzie Cooper, Alia Dasmal, Yasma Douaihy, Fares Fattouh, Rajveer Gehani, Bassel Ghoury, Selena Hussain, Mikael Iqbal, Samer Kayed, Maria Panagiotidi, Sihu Park, Kidane Pincus, Maria Rodriguez-Villanueva, Noah Sawyer, Ramsey Tabbal, and Ege Topkoc.
Chisa Ogaki, Valedictorian
Chisa will be pursuing mechanical engineering at Stanford University
“These past two years at ASD have been an unforgettable experience, and I am grateful to have met such a wonderful group of supportive and driven students. I would like to express my immense gratitude towards my teammates and coaches for the incredible memories at MESAC swim, soccer, and softball. The ASD athletics programme has taught me how to work under pressure, nurtured a competitive spirit, and motivated me to become mentally disciplined. I hope to continue to embody the values I acquired at ASD in college and beyond.”
Sahil Uberoi, Salutatorian
Sahil will be pursuing a degree at Georgetown University with a major in finance
“I am deeply grateful for my time at ASD and would like to thank my family, teachers, and friends for their unwavering support and encouragement. Through my years in high school, I’ve learned about the importance of perseverance, the value of hard work, and the significance of empathy and community. Our shared experiences have taught me resilience, teamwork, and the joy of learning. As I look ahead, I carry these lessons with me, confident that they will guide me in the next chapter of my life.”
