Medellin Bilingual Student Wins Cambridge University’s ‘Top in the World’ Award — for English
Medellin eleventh-grade student Veronica Escobar Mesa won Cambridge University’s “Top in the World” award for English proficiency in the “International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)” examinations recently.
Escobar — a student at Medellin’s Colegio Marymount all-girls’ school (one of the top bilingual prep-schools in metro Medellin) – received the award in an August 23 presentation, featuring Cambridge Latin America regional director Richard Gilby, Cambridge business development director Russel Hammond, Marymount rector Catalina Guzman and the British Council.
Colegio Marymount spokesperson Catalina Upegui explained to Medellin Herald that the school’s English-language curriculum content varies by grade level, but averages about 65% throughout the school day.
Asked to elaborate on the significance of the “Top in the World” award, Cambridge spokesperson Caroline Gavine told Medellin Herald that “this refers to the learner who has gained the highest standard mark in the world for a single subject. There may be other learners in the world, or even in the same country, who scored exactly the same mark. Since their achievement is equal, they will receive equal recognition and will also be awarded the Cambridge ‘Top in the World’ award for that subject.”
In a recent presentation, Cambridge regional director Gilby added that Cambridge’s fastest-growth educational-certification area is Colombia, thanks mainly to Cambridge’s association with the British Council.
The Council “works hard to develop schools wholly committed to the Cambridge approach from Cambridge primary through to Cambridge international AS&A levels,” Gilby explained.
