Mackenzie Gagne

Diploma Program

Class of 2017

College/University:

Drury University

B.A. Secondary Education (English & Spanish)

Career Status:

English Teacher at Parkview High School 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB shaped who I am as a life-long learner, taught me skills that prepared me 110% for college and beyond, and encouraged me to use the most of my potential. As a high school teacher now, IB took my levels of thinking and my ideology of how people learn to new heights, and it has helped create amazing things for and with my students. 

Emma (McIntyre) Bailey

Diploma Program

Class of 2011

College/University:

University of Missouri

B.A. in History 

MEd in School Counseling

Career Status:

College & Career Counselor 

Rae (Trampler) Carmichael

Diploma Program

Class of 2009

College/University:

Missouri State University

Bachelor of Social Work

Southeastern University

Master of Social Work & LCSW

Career Status:

Founding Primary School Director at Collegiate Hall Charter School in Tulsa, OK 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

Central’s IB program helped me develop real world skills such as project management, analysis and evaluation skills, communication strategies, and systems thinking. IB provided numerous opportunities to strengthen my time management, collaboration ability, and grit. 

Brynn Tucker

Diploma Program 

Class of 2018

College/University:

Drury University

B.S. Biochemistry

Arkansas College of Health Education

Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Masters in Biomedical Science

Career Status:

Beginning Med School Fall of 2023

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The Central IB program helped prepare me for so many challenges I encountered in my undergraduate career. I was able to build better study habits, begin higher level thinking when approaching material, and greatly improve my essay skills. It helped open up opportunities for scholarships and gaining additional coursework credit which helped me start college as an official sophomore and graduate early! I strongly believe that without the program and how it helped me, I wouldn’t have been as successful with achieving my goals. Not only did it help me academically, but I formed so many meaningful friendships and connections with students and teachers who helped guide and support me along the career journey I wanted to pursue. 

Roxy Kraber

Diploma Program

Class of 2015

College/University:

Drury University:

B.A. in Music & Arts Administration

New York University:

M.A. in Music Business

University of West London: 

MSc in Project Management

Career Status:

Operations Coordinator at The UK Hip Hop Museum and Head of A&R at Cream Collective 

Amanda Morrison

Diploma Program

Class of 2016

College/University:

Temple University

Bachelor of Arts-Global Studies, Strategic Communication

Career Status:

English Teacher in Cartagena, Spain 

Hannah Askew

Diploma Program

Class of 2018

College/University:

Belmont University

Bachelors of Business Administration in Music Business, Minor in Public Relations

Career Status:

Director of Digital Marketing at Evergreen Entertainment

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB helped me finish college on time while having a double major and a minor! I have strong conversational, writing and task management skills because of IB. 

Michael McCoy

Diploma Program 

Class of 2008

College/University:

University of Missouri-Columbia: B.S

Cornell University

Harvard University:

Ph.D.

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The IB program was instrumental in helping me identify long-term career goals that were necessary for navigating a career which required an extended amount of training. The skill sets helped me triage personal, educational, and professional goals which were major drivers of success. 

Tyler Bates

Diploma Program

Class of 2019

College/University:

Missouri State University:

Medical Technology/Clinical Laboratory Sciences w/minor in Spanish

Career Status:

Clinical Laboratory Sciences/ Medical Technology with minor in Spanish

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

My degree requires you to get into a program that serves as your last year of school. It has been compared to a similar difficulty of the first year of med school, and I think that IB really helped me prepare for this. I took HL Chem and it helped me get all my General Chemistry credits out of the way. In my current program, there is so much information that we go through in such a short amount of time so you have to know how to prioritize information and know how to study efficiently. IB helped me develop great test taking skills and also humbled me with many of my HL Chem test scores. In IB you are stressed to your max at times, and I think that helps you tremendously later on in life because you know how to deal with that stress. 

It is also just a good opportunity to mess up early and learn from your basic mistakes that everyone will make at some point. I graduated with 33 credit hours and it gave me time to pursue my minor in Spanish when I otherwise would not have had time. Three years after graduation, it still looks good on my applications to these programs because even though some people still may not know what IB even is, they are typically impressed after you explain it to them. Sometimes you even run into fellow IB Grads like my Program Director who did IB all the way in Colorado (and also understands the struggle of HL Chem). One last thing - I think that going to Central in general, but also doing the IB program exposed me to a lot of diversity and allowed me to experience our world from the perspective of people totally different from me. I met people from all over the world at Central and I think that is very valuable to have because around here most people are not exposed to people much different from them and I think that leads to very like-minded ideology that can be limiting. 

Central celebrates diversity and gives its students an understanding of its importance, where I feel that the country as a whole, at times, seems to be forgetting why our diversity makes us better. Sometimes I forget how much of a valuable experience I received from IB because of all the stress and anxiety it caused me. But when I think back on my time here, I never fail to think of all the things I gained from my experience. 

Taylor Fairbank

Diploma Program

Class of 2010

College/University:

University of Illinois

Lund University

Career Status:

Director of Growth at Distribute Aid

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

I have a checkered history with success, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.  Since completing IB and graduating from Central I have:

1. Studied 4 years of computer science at the University of Illinois... then dropped out with 3 gen-ed classes left.

2. Founded a tech startup in California, raised a 6 figure seed round... then flamed out two years later and lost everyone's money.

3. Hopped the pond to Belgrade, Serbia, built what may be the world's largest international mutual aid supply chain... then realized that I can't really afford to live in the US when I moved back.

Honestly? You can end up anywhere.  How you get there is what counts. I'm forever grateful how IB at Central prepared me for my journey:

• Theory of Knowledge helped me realize that I didn't need to get the best grades in College as long as I remained a lifelong learner.

• An international program at the most diverse school in Springfield gave me confidence navigating different cultures around the world.

• The difficult tests and long hours studying built up my work ethic, and taught me that I will succeed when I apply myself.

• The amazing teachers I had and friends I made at Central gave me the confidence to take the next steps in my journey, since I knew they'd have my back.

To any current students who end up reading this: Here's to discovering your path.  May Central shine bright upon it. 

Madison McBurnie

Diploma Program

Class of 2011

College/University:

Evangel University:

BS in Biology

Logan University:

Doctorate of Chiropractic

Career Status:

Sports Medicine Chiropractic Physician

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

Central’s IB program prepared me to enter competitive and rigorous programs after graduation, giving me critical thinking skills and tools to rise to any challenge or hard material in my coursework. It set a firm foundation that allowed me to succeed in undergrad and even in my postgraduate degree.

Savannah Rush

Diploma Program 

Class of 2014

College/University:

Washington University in St. Louis (undergrad), Harvard University (grad school) 

BS Systems and Electrical Engineering from WashU, MBA from Harvard Business School 

Career Status:

Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The way that seemingly unrelated subjects and learnings were integrated to inform certain topics was crucial to developing my understanding of complex systems. At this point in my career, there are no longer any "easy answers"--critical thinking is crucial. I'm thankful that I began to develop these skills in the IB program. 

Kristen Lawson

Diploma Program

Class of 2018

College/University:

Truman State University 

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Master of Arts in Education

Career Status:

8th Grade Math Teacher at Jarrett Middle School

Tori (Reaves) Mercado

Diploma Program

Class of 2017

College/University:

Drury University

Bachelor of Arts, Strategic Communications & Master of Arts, Integrated Marketing Communication 

Career Status:

Public Policy Analyst, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce 

Loni Helm

Diploma Program

Class of 2019

College/University:

Webster University 

BA in Drama and Playwrighting, BA in Philosophy, Leadership Certificate 

Career Status:

Lead Carrier Operations Representative at Werner Enterprises 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

More than anything I think the IB program gave me the ability to learn quickly and perform under pressure. I felt extremely prepared going into college, particularly for completing readings and written assignments. It was definitely tough in the moment, but I am very grateful I chose to do IB! 

Lillian Hilmes

Individual IB Course Student

Class of 2018

College/University:

Missouri State University

BFA Theatre Design/Tech

Career Status:

Electrics Apprentice at The Julliard School

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB gave me the chance to tackle a college level curriculum and work load while still in high school. This made my transition in college seamless, giving me a chance to focus on my classwork as well as starting a career in theatre. 

Dylan Lyon

Diploma Program

Class of 2014

College/University:

Drury University

BBA in Accounting

Career Status:

Senior Consultant II at FORVIS

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

Drury and Central have a great relationship and I received over 30 credits for the full diploma. To sit for the CPA exam you need 150 credit hours, most people seek their masters degree but I was able to sit for the exam in 4 years thanks to all of those credits. 

Tori Burris

Diploma Program

Class of 2014

College/University:

The University of Tulsa

B.S.B.A

Vienna University of Economics and Business

MBA

Career Status:

Manager, Strategic Initiatives at Tulsa Innovation Labs 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB gave me an opportunity to build and refine my critical thinking muscles before college, which meant in the flurry of that transition I had less "new" to focus on.

The foundation I built during my time in the IB program allowed me to start my career with more confidence speaking up in rooms with more senior/experienced professional peers.

Lainie Adams (Cotner)

Diploma Class

2001

College/University:

University of Arkansas

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Harding University

Master’s in Educational Leadership

University of Arkansas - Little Rock

Masters of Education in Gifted & Talented in progress

Career Status: 

K-12 Gifted & Talented Program Coordinator at Arkansas Arts Academy, Rogers, AR 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The IB program helped me graduate early with my bachelors degree due to the credits I received from IB scores. It has also been a valuable tool as my current job is in the area of gifted and talented education, and my personal experiences have been a tremendous asset. 

Katie Kring

Diploma Class

2000

College/University:

University of Michigan (undergrad) 

NYU (MFA)

Career Status:

I own my own business (Pickwick & Cherry), am a professional composer, and teach at MSU

Molly Waxman

Diploma Program

Class of 2009

College/University:

University of Wisconsin-Madison: B.S. Biology

 University of Missouri- Kansas City: BSN

Career Status:

Emergency room RN at University of Kansas health system

Peter Sharpe

Diploma Program

Class of 2014

College/University:

Washington University (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering) 

MIT (M.S. + PhD in Aeronautics/Astronautics) 

Career Status:

Aircraft Design (independent consulting) 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

Taking HL Math and Science courses at Central was instrumental in giving me a head-start for my engineering degree in college. The IB program had teachers, like Mrs. Hadden in HL Math, who went above and beyond to tailor lessons to their students' interests and offer extracurricular activities. IB also provided numerous opportunities through the Extended Essay and IAs for students to fully delve into a personal passion project—take advantage of it.

Additionally, if any sleep-deprived current IB students are reading this, know that college offers more control over your schedule and a better work-life balance than IB. If you're struggling with sleep deprivation, as I did, it gets better in college.

Despite its demanding workload, IB was an enjoyable experience, offered truly excellent quality teachers, and was exactly what I needed for my personal growth at that time. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a rewarding and intellectually stimulating challenge.

Tricia Swartz

Diploma Program

Class of 2015

College/University:

University of Missouri

Bachelor's' in Political Science

Career Status:

Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB taught me how to write and speak effectively, and I learned how to analyze and explain the impacts that changes in history or policy have on other people. 

Jessica Arrazola

Diploma Program

Class of 2007

College/University:

Creighton University: BS

Emory University: MPH

Georgia Southern University: DrPH

Career Status:

Director of Educational Strategy at the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

Bria Hardin-Boyer

Individual IB Course Student

Class of 2014

College/University: BA

Spelman College: MA

Columbia University: MBA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Career Status:

MIT MBA Dean's Fellow

John Cantrell

Diploma Program

Class of 2013

College/University:

Drury University

Accounting and Management

Career Status:

Service Delivery Manager at Clearwater Analytics

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

Central IB allowed me to focus on the paths I wanted to in college by coming in as a freshman with needed credits and the right study habits already ingrained. In my career, my lifetime learner attitude, problem solving mindset, and global perspective is a direct result of my education at Central. It has helped me to excel in all aspects of my educational and professional life.

Erin Couch Garcia 

Diploma Program

Class of 2014

College/University:

University of Missouri-Columbia:

Bachelors in Social Work, Masters in Social Work- Policy and Public Administration  

University of Missouri- Kansas City 

Masters in Business Administration

Career Status:

Employed as a sales manager with Altria Distribution Co. 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The IB program helped me through college and my career by emphasizing asking questions. The inquiring mind has helped me update procedures at work, complete projects in class and just overall be a better learner in all aspects. 

Mary (Boyer) Anglum

Diploma Program

Class of 2019

College/University:

University of Missouri

BS in Agriculture, Certificate of Equine Science and Management 

Career Status:

Multiple Line Agent for American National Insurance 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

I was able to graduate from MU in 3 years with my bachelors because of all my credits from IB. Also I met my now husband in my IB classes :) 

Lindsey Penland

Diploma Program

Class of 2018

College/University:

Park University

B.S. In Chemistry

University of Kansas

Working towards PhD in Chemistry

Career Status:

Graduate Student/Graduate Research Assistant

Laura E. Adkins

Diploma Program

Class of 2012

College/University:

NYU

B.A. in Economics and Minor in Hebrew and Judaic Studies 

Career Status:

Opinion editor at the Forward

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB taught me how to think critically with both the emotional and rational sides of my brain — not with rote memorisation, but through deep learning. My teachers each cared passionately about the specifics of their curriculum, and I didn’t truly realise how fortunate we were until I got to a big research university, left to absorb, process, and sink or swim on my own.

Lindsay Prince

Diploma Program

Class of 2019

College/University:

University of Missouri 

Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry 

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine from SLU (2027)

Career Status:

Medical Student

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The IB program really helped me have a leg up on my classmates in terms of study habits especially freshman year of undergrad. I also thought having already had the experience of studying years worth of material for my IB exams was very helpful when it came time to review for my MCAT. I still use some of the study techniques I learned in IB Chem to study for med school, so it definitely does prepare you for higher education. 

Allie Reaves

Diploma Program

Class of 2018

College/University:

Baylor University

B.S. in Public Health

Trinity University

Masters of Healthcare Administration

Career Status:

Administrative resident at Ascension Seton hospital system in Austin, TX

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

The IB program taught me to ask good questions and always lead with curiosity. 

Aly Hinkle

Diploma Program

Class of 2014

College/University:

University of Missouri-Columbia 

B.S. Animal Science

Career Status:

Equine Veterinary Technician

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

I was grateful for my IB experience in college because it made writing essays so much easier! And because to the many dual credit science/math courses, I was able to take more classes I was passionate about. In my career, it’s allowed me to adopt a mindset of pushing through, consideration for different learning styles, and looking at information from multiple angles.

Marissa (Beth Banks) Hardin

Diploma Program

Class of 2015

College/University:

Truman State University 

BA Biology 

University of Nebraska Medical Center

MPH Health Promotion

Career Status:

ASPPH Fellow at the CDC 

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB gave me the confidence and skills to explore various fields and careers until I arrived at my new position at the CDC! We did not just learn how to memorize and regurgitate information; we were encouraged to critically analyze existing systems and empowered to make change.

Carter D. Jameson 

Diploma Program

Class of 2013

College/University:

The University of Tulsa

BA in Music, BS in Mathematic

North Carolina State University

MS in Applied Mathematics, PhD in Applied Mathematics

Career Status:

Computer Science R&D at Sandia National Laboratories 

Michaela Scott 

Diploma Program

Class of 2015

College/University:

Missouri State University 

B.S. Spanish Education

M.S. English Teaching and Literacy Education

Career Status:

4th grade teacher at Nahed Chapman New American Academy in Saint Louis, Missouri

Career Status:

Central’s IB program fostered within me a love and appreciation for new languages and cultures. I felt supported in my endeavors to become a global citizen by my excellent foreign language teachers and feel that my HL Spanish course set me up for success. Since graduating, I have studied foreign languages in college, received a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Spain, earned my masters degree in English Teaching, and begun my teaching career of emergent multilingual students in Saint Louis.

Gabbie Hoffmeister

Diploma Program

Class of 2011

College/University:

Missouri State University

B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology

Career Status:

Safety Engineer at Rauch North America, Inc.

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

When I went through IB, my plan was to go to a big-shot school, and make myself a big-shot career, and make a lot of money.

That didn't happen. I made a lot of mistakes in life, and I threw away a lot of the benefits that I'd earned through the program--things like scholarships, free college credits, things that, ten years later, I wish I'd taken better advantage of.

I never threw away what I learned.

I learned the value of hard work. I learned that success takes time, and it's often slow, incremental time. Success comes in a slow, boring way, and one day, you look back and say, "holy moly, look how far I've come!"

I learned a wide array of applicable career skills. Sure, I have a valuable degree and post-collegiate professional training, but when COVID hit, people didn't really need my documented skill set; yet, I was able to leverage the broad and general education I'd received in IB to help out in ways I hadn't expected. 

I learned about diversity. There're a lot of people in the world, with a lot of ways of seeing things, and a lot of right ways to do things. My current job has 500 employees from 26 nations, only about half of whom are from the US. Had I not gone through the IB program, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to exercise that muscle.

Finally, and really, the two equally most valuable skills I have in my professional life, I learned critical thinking and how to research. As a safety professional, there are WAY too many statutes, regulations, codes, rules, standards, and best practices to memorize. In IB, I learned how to sift through information, taking notes as to where I found it, so I could return later if I needed to. I cannot stress how important this skill is. No one knows everything, but the person who knows how to find the answer or figure out the answer is absolutely priceless in ANY career path, from overseeing the installation of hundred-million dollar machines at Intel to waitressing at a Waffle House (both of which I did in the same year). 

If you're considering doing the IB diploma, trust me: it sucks when you're doing it, but all high school sucks when you're doing it. When you look back at yourself ten years from now, you'll be glad you did it. You'll be surprised at what you discover about yourself, what you find you enjoy that you didn't think you would.

And if you're considering putting your kids through IB, and you're still reading this, put it down and go enroll them. They will not get a better secondary education. AP is nothing compared to IB.

Aneva Jefferson

Diploma Program

Class of 2016

College/University:

UMKC

BA in Psychology, minor in Spanish

Vanderbilt University, M.Ed in Community Development and Action

Career Status:

Full-time nanny, full-spectrum doula

How did Central's IB Program help prepare you for college/career?

IB gave me critical thinking skills and the tools to communicate my thoughts and ideas effectively.