Congratulations to Valentina Garcia Muñoz! Valentina was selected by the WRHS IB staff as the 2026 IB Citizen Scholarship recipient. Valentina is not only a talented and hardworking scholar, but she also actively finds ways to lift people up and improve her communities. The award is well-deserved. 

Profile of Valentina’s IB Work

Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) Project: Valentina, through her Smiles Delivered project, collected new and gently used toys from the Topeka community through donation boxes and delivered them to children in underserved communities as well as to children with disabilities in Pachuca, Mexico, in partnership with the nonprofit organization Teletón. 

Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition Topic: Does our knowledge depend on our interactions with other knowers? Valentina explored this question by reflecting on the Mangyongdae Revolutionary Institute of North Korea, the 1927 Fifth Solvay International Conference in Belgium, and her grandmother’s rice recipe.

TOK Essay: To what extent do you agree that doubt is central to the pursuit of knowledge? Valentina argued that doubt is essential in the beginning stages of the pursuit of knowledge; however, it must be limited when it hinders our potential understanding or when it harms cultural interpretations. 

Extended Essay Topic: How do musical decisions across three historical stages– evangelization, independence, and imperialism– reflect the evolving role of music in shaping identity and resistance in Latin America? 

Valentina’s College Plans: Valentina plans to study medicine at Universidad de Guadalajara.