Jacob Schmid - ISM « Success Stories
As a global school management organization, SABIS® operates Pre-K and K-12 schools in 15 countries on four continents. The schools, which are designed to provide a high-quality education for all students, are found in both the private and public arenas and serve thousands of students worldwide.
The International School of Minnesota (ISM), the first SABIS® school to operate in the U.S., opened its doors in 1985 and now serves 500 students in Pre-K to Grade 12.
This is the story of a SABIS® student who gained a solid foundation at ISM that is helping him realize his professional dreams.
Jacob Schmid began his ISM career in 2000 as a 2nd grade student. Throughout the years, Jacob began not only taking an avid interest in his studies, but ISM’s extracurricular activities as well.
By the time he was in Grade 8 he was landing lead roles in the school’s musicals. He continued to play lead roles until his graduation in June 2011. Additionally, he lent his vocal talent to the show choir and concert choir throughout high school. "My greatest experiences from ISM have been in the school drama and musicals," said Jacob.
With a flourishing passion for music that began at ISM, Jacob embarked on a mission to delve into the field during his free time. He applied and was accepted to the Minneapolis-based MacPhail Center for Music to study through their intensive Prelude Program on Saturdays, which helped strengthen his vocal and performance skills. Additionally, Jacob produced a CD featuring his original music and lyrics, which he often performs at a local coffeehouse where he has become a favorite among audiences.
While Jacob was maintaining his busy schedule of extracurricular activities—which also included his role as editor-in-chief of ISM literary magazine, The Oracle, and involvement in SLO™, the National Honor Society, jazz band, jazz vocal group, drama—he also managed to excel in his studies. In fact, he was regularly recognized by the National Honor Society and also qualified as an AP Scholar with Distinction.
Jacob recognizes that ISM has played a major role in his accomplishments and has helped to shape his future in the music field. He also values the academic foundation ISM provided him as well. "ISM has given me a background of empirical knowledge that will be useful in interdisciplinary research/studies," commented Jacob. He added, "Plus I’ve learned to negotiate in a small group setting and the importance of challenging myself."
Challenging himself has paid off for Jacob. The solid foundation acquired at ISM paved the way to his college acceptance. "I’ve been accepted to New York University Music Technology program, and the strong scientific background here [ISM] coupled with a fantastic performing arts program, along with a lot of individualized attention will help me at college," stated Jacob.
Jacob looks forward to applying the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained at ISM to his future studies at NYU starting in the fall of 2011. In line with his music interests, he plans to work in software development for recording technologies and specifically aspires to contribute to Avid, a production and development company.