Embedded Files
Click here to see what the Diploma class of 2017 has to say about the benefits of challenging the full diploma.
Wayne Central Graduates who have earned the IB Diploma
Sir Ken Robinson, a well respected educational guru, clip links the International Baccalaureate to really raising standards while encouraging creativity, self-sufficiency and initiative.
TESTIMONIALS
TESTIMONIALS
"My name is Anna Biuso and I graduated from Wayne with my IB diploma in 2013. My freshman year I studied Intelligence at Mercyhurst University before transferring to SUNY Geneseo my sophomore year. At Geneseo, I majored in International Relations and minored in French.
The purpose of IB, to me, was to reach a higher level of understanding. Understanding is not equivalent to the concept of intelligence. You can pursue an IB diploma without being what our education system would deem as "smart." What IB taught me was strategies in how to understand, including critical thinking and the confidence to defend how I understand the world.
I did receive college credit for IB, but the most beneficial aspect was the skills aforementioned. Because of IB, I excelled my freshman year, receiving 4.0s both semesters before deciding to transfer to Geneseo. The internationalism and passion for learning associated with IB reverberated in my decisions thereafter. To name a few, I studied abroad for a semester in South Africa, backpacked through Western Europe, taught politics, gender, religion, and human rights courses at a summer program at Yale University, worked in Geneseo's Study Abroad Office, and became a leader in multiple Geneseo organizations such as Amnesty International and TEDx.
My next step will be to study at the University of Sussex in England for my Master in International Education and Development. My goal is to work in education policy."
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"The International Baccalaureate program at Wayne is excellent, and the IB teachers there are even more so and have gone above and beyond for their level of commitment. IB taught me how to have a cultured opinion and to properly articulate that in the professional world. For my particular case after high school, I needed a few years to resolve some issues with myself before deciding to officially go into college. During my time out of school, the program allowed me to formulate educated decisions on real life events such as the past 2016 election. IB is great for helping to adjust in a college lifestyle, but it is not a substitute for deciding what you want to do with life. Despite my time out of school, there is a large gap between myself and other first year students in my university who were not IB students; the program has really trained me to have an attitude that is appropriate for higher education. All and all, as a person who has spent a few years out of school and is now going to university, I thoroughly recommend the program not only to those who are college-bound, but to anyone interested in broadening their outlook on life. The IB program has much more to offer to students than the prospect of college credits—it teaches you perspective. "
Daniel Dempsey- Class of 2013
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"The IB program was, without question, the best experience of my 13 years at Wayne. IB gave me the tools to think critically, and be open minded and self-disciplined. The IB program follows me everywhere; whenever I look at the news, write an essay, or have discussions with my friends, the skills that I gained from IB are always present. This program –– unlike any other pre-college program –– is not focused on tests and memorization, but is rather focused on teaching students how to think.
I am currently in my senior year at Cornell University. IB was essential in both helping me get into Cornell, and helping me thrive there. My freshman year at Cornell was made significantly easier by the immense preparation, rigor, and guidance that the IB teachers provided. Now, as I am applying to law school and looking towards a career as a corporate attorney, I can truly say that IB had a major impact on my desire to enter the field of law. In-class discussions, close analysis of texts, and endless questioning are foundations of legal education –– and they are the foundations of IB as well.
For the student who wishes to truly understand the world and themselves (and have a nice bump on their college application), IB is the program for you."
Michael Glanzel- Class of 2014
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Hi Mr. VanAllen,
I just wanted to elaborate on what I briefly mentioned to you in the hall while I was at the school a couple weeks ago. I was originally intending on writing this email after my first semester of college but I got a bit sidetracked...
In my first semester at Cornell, I took a junior-level history class about the British Empire. I was struck by how much of the same experience it was as high school IB history in a variety of ways. While I did leave high school with an appreciation of IB, it took the Cornell experience for me to realize just how much IB history actually influenced and built up my ability to analyze and gain meaning from information rather than just memorizing and regurgitating facts. When I look back on high school, IB history is one of two classes I took that I recognize made the biggest difference in my cognitive skills. This is due to the fact that the crux of IB history was analyzing and debating information rather than just memorizing it. Classes that teach formulaic or procedural content are still important for building specific skills, but they don't usually contribute to the all important skill of analyzing information in the way IB history did. Having that skill is all too important in today's world where people are bombarded with useless information daily. The other class I think of similarly was AP stats (surprisingly), since it also taught us to be critical of information but in an algorithmic way.
In fact it's the analyzing and critical thinking that was so much a part of my first college history class (and two English classes I took) that immedately singled out IB and your class in my mind. College history was certainly not just "read the textbook and come back for a multiple choice test". It was more like listen to a professor spill facts for 15 minutes, his analysis of what happened and why for 45 minutes, then pack up, go to a different classroom and everyone discuss the topic and the primary-source book we read that week for 60 minutes.
I didn't do the IB diploma and so I can't speak to the entire program, but history in particular I can say is an important area to have this kind of teaching since history isn't a rigorous science. It's an exercise in piecing together and analyzing the past in a way that can frame understanding of the present, which is highly important. So I have to thank the IB history program but also your teaching in particular.
On a sadder note that practical-minded students might be disappointed to hear, I did not get any credit at Cornell for IB, despite getting a 5. Apparently they require a 6 for IB, but only a 4 for AP - definitely not an equivalent level of difficulty. Weirdly, I did get a class worth of credits for my AP score, since I got a 4. Since I didn't even take the class, we can safely say that IB also offers an AP-level understanding of facts and timelines, but with the critical thinking skills as a bonus. Hopefully you've forgiven me for the time I left class to study with the AP class right before the AP test.
Sincerely,
~ Ray Beck - Class of 2014
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Mr. Van Allen
I also want to let you know how I am doing and how IB has affected my college career as far as I can see. The first semester definitely showed me how the rigor of the program and the encouragement of an open-minded thinking put me ahead of many of my peers, especially at a university where the people are more known for being political and business wonks over our actual mascot, the eagle. IB also taught me to be proud of being a wonk, a studious or hardworking person, because my intelligence is the most valuable tool I can have.
This semester I am continuing Chinese, which is much different than Spanish with Ms. Marlowe! Nevertheless, IB has encouraged the proper work ethic to make Chinese much more approachable than some of my peers. I am also taking a required class for my major, Cross Cultural Communications. This class is very similar to the concepts that we learn in TOK as well as the principles of IB. It teaches you how to learn from interactions with other cultures, encourages us to question how we know things in communication and to appreciate our differences. I am also taking a university required writing class about cultural narratives. We watch many TEDTalks in this class! Our first major project that spanned the first half of the semester was based off of Chimamanda Adichie's "Danger of a Single Story." I wrote my paper on how the US media used "patriotic" and anti-Muslim news frames to create a single story about 9/11 that encouraged an overwhelming fear of terrorism and Muslims more so than any other nation!
At risk of sounding pretentious, I am studying International Relations at a private institution that is #11 in the country for the field. I am in the largest school, the School of International Service, at AU and I am doing amazingly well in all of my classes. I am consistently participating and contributing in my small discussion classes much more confidently than many of my peers who paid thousands of dollars to attend prep schools, boarding schools, charter schools, and private schools.
I hope this testimony offers you a bit of propaganda for the programme! I honestly think that I would not be at AU or pursuing such a professional summer job if I wasn't constantly encouraged by you and IB throughout high school. And if you share this with your students I would like you to encourage them to reach out to schools that may be too expensive at face value, may be too far away or they don't think they'll be able to succeed or even be accepted to. In my experience thus far, I have never felt as if I don't belong here because most of my tuition is paid by scholarships and grants, because I went to public school, or because I am not in Ontario anymore. Stepping out of my comfort zone was the best thing I've done.
Best,
Olivia Emery - Class of 2017
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