Perfect score a ‘dream come true’ for Oakville high school student
Published July 30, 2024 at 4:23 pm
If news that she achieved a “rare” perfect score in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is just a dream, Oakville high school student Elaine Li doesn’t want to wake up.
It’s no dream as the Grade 12 White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) student did exactly that in the world-recognized two-year diploma which provides a challenging curriculum for highly motivated students.
Offered at over 5,000 schools around the world including in Halton Region (at Burlington Central High School, Georgetown District High School, Craig Kielburger Secondary School and WOSS), IP program provides high academic standards in first and second languages, mathematics, humanities and sciences.
Li (pictured below) is just one of eight students from White Oaks to have ever recorded a perfect score.
“When I found out, I was ecstatic and shocked,” said Li, who is attending the University of Waterloo’s Computing and Financial Management program in the fall. “Getting a perfect score of 45 feels so unreal, like a dream that I don’t want to wake from. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and validation, reassuring me that my efforts to continuously improve have not gone to waste.
“Simultaneously, I feel deeply grateful for my parents, teachers and friends who have supported me throughout the program’s ups and downs. Without them, and a bit of luck, I could never have received a perfect score – I have no other words for them than thank you.”
White Oaks principal Derek Graham says the school is proud of what Li has accomplished.
“This remarkable achievement is exceptionally rare, with less than one per cent of students worldwide attaining such distinction,” he said. “We wholeheartedly commend her for the outstanding dedication and unwavering commitment she has demonstrated throughout her time at WOSS, culminating in this extraordinary accomplishment.
“We have no doubt that she will transfer this success into her studies in university in the fall.”
Li, said the IB program in a news release, embodies the spirit of the IBDP.
“Which encourages students to give back to the community while attaining personal growth goals, such as taking risks and being a respectful global citizen,” the program said. “White Oaks IBDP students continue to outperform other IBDP students world-wide, and White Oaks IBDP scores in all subjects continue to be well above the world-wide average.”
Li credits her school with providing her with all the important learning skills to have success in the IB programme and is grateful for all the support she has received.
“All of my teachers were immensely helpful in preparing me to meet the requirements of the IB programme,” she said. “They pointed out what IB examiners were looking for, how to incorporate real-world examples into essays in economics, what literary elements to focus on in literature, how to write complete proofs in math and so much more.
“Another key aspect of the educational experience at WOSS is the atmosphere of learning created by my classmates, whose excellence, dedication and drive always inspire me to aim higher.”
Other WOSS students who have achieved perfect scores include:
2022 – Hala Maarouf, Julia Xu
2021 – Olivia Lau, Heather Li, Harrison Thorpe
2018 – Brian Guo, Hanson Lui, Dasha Metropolitansky
