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Success Stories
"One of the things that is important about Manhattan International High School is that you have to speak English because there are so many people from other countries who speak other languages."
-Luincys Fernandez, graduate of Manhattan International High School and currently teaching science at Bronx International High School
Luincys Fernandez came to the United States from the Dominican Republic and entered a bilingual program in New York City. She said the following about her experience in junior high school, "In [that] program, I was surrounded by Spanish speakers and I was speaking only Spanish." When she arrived at Manhattan International High School she spoke very little English. She said, "One of the things that is important about Manhattan International High School is that you have to speak English because there are so many people from other countries who speak other languages."
While at Manhattan International, Luincys was involved in student government and became trained as a peer mediator. She describes her internship experience as being central in helping her to determine her career interests. "Being able to attend Bellevue Hospital for my first internship provided me with the opportunity to become a Spanish/English speaking interpreter. I was able to improve not only my English skills but also my Spanish skills. By working as an interpreter in the hospital, I became interested in psychopathology. I was able to meet individual, family and group sessions with patients with different kinds of mental health disease. From this, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in mental health."
Luincys attended Hunter College where she majored in Psychology and minored in Chemistry. She has been on the Dean"s List at Hunter College and has been part of the Minority Biomedical Research (MBRS) Program. After graduating from Hunter College, Luincys started teaching science at Bronx International High School. She is currently at her second year of teaching and is finishing her Master's Degree in Secondary Chemistry Education.
"Looking back at my years at International High School, I observed that I have changed from an unassertive and quiet teenage boy into a confident, responsible, socially active individual and leader."
-Xianrui Eric Li, graduate of International High School at LaGuardia Community College and currently attending Columbia University.
Xianrui Eric was born and raised in Fo-Shan City, Kwangung, China in the southernmost province of China. He arrived in the United States speaking very little English and enrolled at International High School at LaGuardia Community College after being in the country for less than a year. As a new immigrant in the United States he described himself as being "timid and nervous because I could only speak very simple English and I was afraid of speaking it in front of anybody."
At International High School, he took several college classes including advanced math and received college credits while simultaneously working towards his high school diploma. He also became involved in student government and did volunteer outreach within the larger community.
For his internship project, Eric worked with a Human Rights Activist project in order to help undocumented youth learn about ways to gain access to higher education. "This internship helped me believe that I can actually be a part of the mechanism that will make a change in society."
Eric graduated in 2004 and is now in his first year at Columbia University studying Mechanical Engineering. Eric wrote the following in his mastery statement for his graduation portfolio: "Looking back at my years at International High School, I observed that I have changed from an unassertive and quiet teenage boy into a confident, responsible, socially active individual and leader."