MIS ALUMNI
We are proud of our alumni!
It is exciting to see our students taking the knowledge they gained at school, and making the world a better place.
A Story from an Alumni Family
It has often been said that families come to MIS for the Spanish, and stay for the IB.
Our family’s journey from preschool through eighth grade was an enlightening adventure in the open-minded part of the IB profile.
When our twin daughters were in fifth or sixth grade, I witnessed a presentation: the class was divided in half, with each group presenting the arguments for or against the statement which was “the conversion of water and plants into beef is a benefit for the planet and its people”. When the kids had presented their side, they were asked to support the opposing view. I was awe-struck.
Later that year, another epiphany came to our house. One night, I was on the soapbox giving my take on a controversial issue when the twins interrupted me. Dana said “Daddy, you know there’s two sides to every story”. Whitney chimed in “Yeah Daddy, sometimes more than two.”
I saw critical thinking blossoming in my twins, who now are starting college with a solid background in questioning conventional wisdom, seeking truth, and always trying to understand the viewpoints of those with whom they disagree.
Thank You MIS!
Doug Webber
Class of 2016
According to many of the world’s leading psychologists, one of the best ways to improve one’s happiness is to be more grateful. This can be both internal or external, verbalized or not. But the recognition of life’s blessings, no matter how plentiful, is essential to the fostering of a happy mind. My education granted by the Missoula International School is something for which I am eternally grateful.
In November 2020, I completed my first semester at Harvard University. A beacon in American higher education, Harvard’s liberal arts program lived up to its name. My classes were challenging, yet engaging, and as one of the only kids from Montana in the Harvard Class of 2024, my first experience on the East Coast was a memorable one. I joined the rowing team, am in the process of writing for the Harvard Crimson, and have attended meetings from Harvard’s Institute of Politics and Economics in Action, among many other endeavors. I was blown away by the intelligence and experiences of my peers, and was inspired, everyday, to try and better myself as a human being.
I am extremely fortunate to now call Cambridge a second home, and more than anything else, lend this to my experience at MIS. MIS balances socratic and fact-based learning, bridging the difficult gap between fact and that of the subjective. MIS fosters an environment in which creativity thrives, free thinking is encouraged, and students are challenged in all the right ways. Most importantly, MIS prepares its students to take on and better the world. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, my learnings from MIS would be indispensable to my development of critical thinking and communication skills. The values taught at MIS are what made me the man I am today. I was granted an education better than I could have ever asked for, allowing me to excel at Harvard and beyond. For that, I am forever grateful. - Colin
Class of 2016
McKenna graduated from Hellgate High School in 2020. Throughout her time there, in addition to excelling academically, McKenna was very involved in the orchestra program, the Missoula FFA Chapter (selected to serve on the 2020/21 Montana FFA State Officer Team) and was selected as concertmaster for the Missoula Youth Symphony her senior year.
McKenna is attending Montana State University – Bozeman and is majoring in Microbiology & Immunology; she is enrolled in the Honors College and has been awarded a Presidential Scholarship.
Class of 2017
Colton was selected to be the Team Manager for the MCPS FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team. FRC is the most advanced division of FIRST. Most definitely contributing to his selection was his experience on the MIS FLL team. As Team Manager, he leads a team of approximately 30 students and 15 mentors as they work throughout the school year to design, fabricate, and program a robot to compete at an FRC international competition in the spring. Additionally, the team runs as a small business with many other components such as recruitment, fundraising, social media, website, etc.
Class of 2019
What activities are you currently involved with? soccer, swimming, climbing and acting
What is your favorite memory from MIS? Everyone felt like family. That feeling has become my favorite memory.
What are some exciting things that have happened since graduating from MIS? I was the JV soccer co-captain, I'm taking Honors Algebra II (as a freshman!) and learning Arabic. I am also on the varsity swim team.
What do you think you'll be doing in 5-20 years? I will go to college then, medical school. Possibly pursuing biomedical engineering.
- Eden
“I can honestly say that MIS influenced my decision to study abroad in Spain, and I am so excited to use the Spanish skills I acquired at MIS.”
Class of 2013
My time at MIS has continued to affect the way I approach problems, and, more specifically, it has impacted my educational pursuits. Since attending MIS, I have sought out ways to include international perspectives and critical thinking in my education. I completed the IB Diploma Programme at Hellgate High School and, when deciding on a college, I really wanted a small liberal arts college that had a focus on internationalism and discussion-based learning. That is why I chose to attend Macalester, whose pillars of education are internationalism, multiculturalism and service to society. I am thankful for MIS for helping me develop these values.
- Georgia
Class of 2013
I am a member of the Colorado College Refugee Alliance. Through this club, I have the opportunity to tutor refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. This experience to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) has been very meaningful for me. I have enjoyed the cultural exchange, as well as seeing a family learn and adapt to living in the United States.
The approach to learning at MIS instilled in me a drive to pursue my own independent exploration of the world. The freedom I was granted through inquiry-based learning gave me the skills to explore thought-provoking and meaningful questions. Additionally, I learned to celebrate diverse ideas and ways of thinking.
- Ava