ISC-Khalifa City Student is the Youngest U.A.E. Resident to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro

Date: Thursday, April 20, 2017

On January 9, 2017, Gian Miguel Augusto, a Grade 8 student at the International School of Choueifat ─ Khalifa City, became the youngest U.A.E. resident to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Gian, along with his family, started their trek up the mountain on January 4, 2017. It took them five days to reach the summit and two days to go back down.  Gian climbed 5,895 meters over a period of 30 hours and described the undertaking as “tough.” “On our last day, we started our climb at midnight. We woke up in a minus 20-degree Celsius temperature and were advised to wear multiple layers of clothing,” said Gian. This 13-year-old did not give up despite the exhaustion he experienced due to long hours of walking, rock climbing, altitude sickness, and extremely cold temperatures.

“I learned not to give up. There are a lot of moments when you feel like you just want to give up.  You tell yourself that you’ve almost reached the top and just want to leave, but, there are times where you know that if you try hard enough, you can push yourself a bit further, and you can beat your limit,” Gian said.

Gian’s dedication grew through his active participation in the SABIS Student Life Organization^® (SLO^®) at school. He is considered a confident, dedicated team leader who sets a high standard for his peers. Through his participation in SLO^®, his personality became stronger and he learned new skills that would help him during his quest to Mt. Kilimanjaro. “I’ve learned to handle pressure and manage my time wisely thanks to the educational system at ISC-Khalifa City and the high expectations set by my teachers,” he said.

Gian shared his experience with hundreds of students at ISC-Khalifa City during weekly Advising lessons. He encouraged students not to give up in pursuit of their goals.

Gian’s accomplishment was mentioned in a local newspaper in the Philippines, his native country. To read the full article, click here http://sab.is/P76SFF.