IB Student Life

Solenn receiving her award, April 16, 2024, at the Governor’s House from Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Janet Austin, and Rideau Hall Foundation CEO, Teresa Marques.

Semiahmoo IB Diploma Programm student Solenn Sun, has been named the regional winner and one of the national finalists in the Ingenious+ Youth Innovation Challenge 2024 for her innovation—the Vehicle-Mounted Door Opening Warning System. She was inspired by her grandmother’s dooring accident, in which she was knocked down by a suddenly opened car door while riding her bicycle. While the current warning systems on the market are quite expensive, Solenn’s system is low-cost, making it affordable to a broad audience. The system alerts both passengers and approaching cyclists, which will help prevent dooring accidents. Her prototype has been successfully tested, proving its effectiveness in promoting road safety. With lessons from her IB curriculum in mind, Solenn continues to work on further improvements to the system.

Learn more about the Ingenious+ awards and all the regional winners here: https://ingeniousplus.ca/celebrating-the-ingenious-2024-innovation-challenge-regional-winners/

When I first wrote a speech in French titled, “To Infinity and Beyond with Technology,” I had no idea that it would lead me to winning first place in the national finals of the 2024 Concours d’art Oratoire. My French journey began in Grade 5, knowing only the basics like numbers and colors. As I progressed through high school, I began to appreciate not just the beauty of French, but also the perks of being able to communicate in another language. However, it was during my time in the IB program that my fluency truly improved. The contents of the course coupled with the consistency of speaking French day helped me understand nuances that I had never even thought about.

When it came time to choosing a topic for my speech, I knew that I wanted to address a global issue. I ultimately decided to explore the implications of technological advancements, hoping to offer a fresh perspective on how technology is not always detrimental for humans. After countless hours of writing, editing, and rehearsing, I presented my speech at Earl Marriott in April and qualified for the Provincial Finals at SFU, where I met like-minded individuals who not only shared my passion for French but also a deep interest in global challenges. After winning the Provincials in my category, I submitted a video online for the national competition, and eagerly waited for the results.

The moment my name was announced for first place, I was ecstatic! The months of practicing and refining my presentation had finally allowed me to reach this point. Nevertheless, in retrospect, it wasn’t the feeling of first place that stuck with me. Rather, it was the connections that I had formed, and the new knowledge that I had gained, which really attached me to this wonderful opportunity. 

For me, Concours has been an extremely enriching experience, not just for my French knowledge, but also for my general communication abilities and presentation skills. I would highly recommend this competition for anyone who is willing to challenge themselves by exploring something new.

Learn more about the competition and the details of Dhruv’s achievement here: https://on.cpf.ca/en/concours-dart-oratoire/

Semiahmoo Secondary is home to many talented students, but few can claim the title of international chess champion. Meet Andrew Qiu, a Grade 12 partial IB student and passionate chess enthusiast. Along with his twin brother Peter, Andrew has made waves in the chess world since starting out at the tender age of four and now he is poised to take on the world.

Andrew’s list of chess achievements is both long and impressive. After representing Canada at the World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC) in Romania in 2022, he’s slated to don the national colors again at WYCC 2023 this November. Moreover, he represented BC in the British Columbia VS Washington international chess match in 2022 and secured 3rd place at the Canadian High School Team Chess Championship 2023, playing board 1 for Semiahmoo Secondary.

The Qiu twins, beyond being chess players, educate others about the game as volunteers at the White Rock Library’s chess club. Deepening their involvement, together with U18 Chess Champion Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, they founded the Canadian Chess Society. The goal of the organization being to harness growing interest in chess to highlight its cognitive benefits such as enhanced critical thinking and concentration.

For a deeper dive into Andrew and Peter’s incredible journey, read the full article here. We celebrate Andrew’s accomplishments and wish him all the best in his continued journey through the world of competitive chess!

Read below to hear all about Grade 12 IB Diploma student Richard Li’s passion project: The Solar Bike. 

I was inspired by the concept of an electric vehicle that never requires plugging into an outlet. The image of a solar-powered bike ignited my passion, leading to the inception of this project in May 2023. However, to minimize costs most parts were transported from China by sea. Meaning that it was not until July that I actually started construction. What truly invigorates me throughout this journey is the constant stream of challenges and uncertainties. While it can be exceedingly demanding at times, it’s precisely what makes this journey so exhilarating and uniquely mine.

Unlike typical school projects that are carefully planned and structured, the Solar Bike project faced a multitude of obstacles: different connecting ports, stuck bike cranks, faulty hall sensors, and programming errors, just to name a few. However, I made it work and, as of today, it has already gone over 250 km without requiring an outlet.

Production Costs:

• Previously Owned Materials: 1993 Atx 770 bike, nickel strips, wires
• Construction Prices:
  • Reusable tool (Spotwelder, Soldering iron etc): 36$
  • Other Costs (Motor, battery, solar panels, a bunch of other stuff): 252$
• Shipping: 200$

Total: 488$ (Which meant I said goodbye to all my savings)

Specs:

Top speed = 50km/h

Battery capacity: 1.75 hours at 30 km/h (City bylaw speed limit).

Charging

• on a sunny day: 9 hours to full charge
• on a cloudy day: 18 hours to fully charge

This means that while riding, the solar panels provide 20% of the electricity.

At just 19, Semiahmoo IB alumni Karina Zhou has debuted “Kai’s Tea Eggs,” a children’s book that reflects her experiences embracing her Chinese heritage. Originating from her gold-winning entry in an illustration contest, the story follows Kai, a young girl, and a dragon named Ming as they explore Chinese cuisine. The hand-drawn illustrations by Zhou, currently studying animation at the California College of the Arts, enhance the narrative’s charm. Many readers can identify with Kai’s initial reservations about sharing her cultural foods, underscoring the book’s universal appeal. Read the full article about Karine’s accomplishment and her book “Kai’s Tea Eggs” here.

Eric Shao, a Grade 12 IB student from Semiahmoo Secondary, has not only secured a coveted position on Team Canada for the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Tokyo this July but also managed to help his team clinch a bronze medal in the competition. Shao emerged as one of the top five talents from a rigorous training camp at the University of British Columbia, which hosted 15 of the nation’s brightest students. Shao excelled through the challenging selection process, which consisted of four intensive five-hour exams. Once in Tokyo, he competed against global peers in a series of physics challenges. A hearty congratulations to Eric on his commendable achievement! Read the full article here.