Four students from Willow Canyon High School in Surprise have received awards from Cambridge Assessment International Education, part of the University of Cambridge, to acknowledge their outstanding performance on Cambridge coursework and examinations.

Johanna Delgado received the Top in Country (USA) award for having the highest score in the United States of America for English.
Jacob Treat, Kennedy Ochs, and Paul Petersen earned a Scholar Award of Merit, which honors those who have passed at least three exams with a score of B or higher on the Cambridge IGCSE exams.

The Cambridge Awards celebrate the success of students taking Cambridge examinations around the world. More than a million students study Cambridge International programs in more than 160 countries.

This year, Willow Canyon had 45 sophomores take 69 Cambridge exams, and current juniors have passed 313 tests in the course of two school years. Of the current juniors, 23 qualify for the Grand Canyon Diploma, 22 have earned Scholar awards and 11 have earned Merit awards.

“At Willow Canyon, we are focused on having a ‘Winning Culture’ each and every day. These awards recognize the amazing talent, dedication and commitment of our students and staff towards this goal,” said Principal Dr. Adam Schwartz. “What an honor to have students excelling at such a high level both nationally and internationally.”

Willow Canyon has seen success in student passing rates, with the majority of Cambridge students going on to take International Baccalaureate and/or Advanced Placement courses and graduating in the top ranks of their class.

“Our Cambridge program is a perfect foundation for our IB and AP students, whether they are working towards a full IB Diploma or just taking certain IB classes,” said Wendy Goetchius, Willow Canyon’s Cambridge coordinator.
Mark Cavone, Cambridge International Regional Director, North America said: “It is extremely rewarding to congratulate Cambridge students and teachers at Willow Canyon High School who have worked so hard to achieve tremendous success in Cambridge courses and examinations. The results reflect the enormous talent in Dysart Schools, not only amongst students, but also within the teaching profession. Students from Dysart Schools have a bright future ahead of them, and I wish them every success in the future”

The Willow Canyon High School Cambridge Program began in 2012, and it is the only high school in the Dysart Unified School District offering Cambridge courses. Each year more than 200 students at the school are enrolled in Cambridge classes.