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New Pasadena Private Day and International Boarding School Graduates First Senior Class

53 seniors from across the globe to receive diplomas at EF Academy’s inaugural commencement

Published on Saturday, May 18, 2024 | 5:56 am
 

A milestone will be reached on Saturday at EF Academy, a private Pasadena day and boarding school with a decidedly international flair. In operation for just two years, the school, founded by globaleducation giant EF Education First, will graduate its first-ever senior class. 

The school plans to honor the first graduates in its history with a commencement exercise at 10 a.m. in the school’s gymnasium. The flags of the graduates’ home countries will be flown across the stage.

“It’s going to be so beautiful,”  said Dr. Sally Mingarelli, Head of the school. 

EF Academy first made news in Pasadena in 2019 when its parent company acquired the sprawling and at the time somewhat shabby 16-acre campus occupied William Carey International University in north central Pasadena, on Howard Street. 

The campus’s ambitious rebuild/makeover, envisioned as a vibrant state-of-the-art hub for international learning, was slated to open in September 2020. The global pandemic forced a two-year delay.

The school has grown from 120 students in its inaugural year to 220 this year, with 53 seniors set to receive their diplomas on Saturday.

“We’re so confident in these graduates,” said Mingarelli. “We’re so proud of what they’ve accomplished. We’re so certain that they’re going to do great things in their next environments.”

The school follows a competency-based learning (CBL) model, where everything tracks back to an agreed-upon set of skills students need for success in college and beyond. Students provide evidence of skill mastery to their teachers, fostering growth-oriented conversations.

EF Academy Pasadena offers an in-common foundational experience in 9th and 10th grades, with personalized pathways emerging in 11th and 12th grades.

“Across our 53 seniors, no two seniors are taking the same six classes,” Mingarelli noted, highlighting the school’s promise of personalized learning.

The globally diverse student body represents over 30 nationalities from five continents, with countries including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, and several European nations. The school has also seen growth in local enrollment, with 29 day students this year compared to five in its first year.

Mingarelli expressed pride in the school’s co-curricular achievements, including winning the “Rookie of the Year” award in the First Robotics competition and fielding eight varsity sports teams in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). With 42% of students participating in varsity athletics, the school anticipates further growth and depth in its sports programs.

Approximately 75% of the graduating seniors will continue their studies in the United States, with others venturing to universities in Canada, the Netherlands, and beyond. The matriculation list includes prestigious institutions such as New York University, Boston University, Purdue University, and the University of Southern California.

“I think you can hear in my voice the joy and the pride from year two,” Mingarelli reflected. “We’re reflecting so much on what is the promise of our school, and we’re seeing that promise reflected back in our 53 graduates.”

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