IB-Diploma Program candidates honored

Notre Dame's second largest class of IB Diploma Program candidates was celebrated last night in special ceremony.

Fifty-one International Baccalaureate Diploma Program candidates were honored and introduced last night, April 8, 2019, in a ceremony held in Notre Dame’s media center.

According to IB-DP coordinator Kim Anderson, it was a special way to recognize the dedication and talent of the seniors who are heading into the IB examination period next month and also the NDP juniors in the program who will follow in their footsteps.

"Like the classes that came before them, this group of senior IB-DP candidates were both thoughtful and industrious as they developed and carried out their CAS projects and extended essays," Anderson said. "I am always amazed each year at what our students come up with and then to see all the hard work they put into their endeavors. I am super proud of all of them!" 

It was the second largest group of IB Diploma Program candidates Notre Dame Prep has ever had since first inaugurating the IB program in 2007.

At last night's event, a number of DP candidates had a chance last night to discuss their Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) experiences and projects as well as their extended essays, which included such titles as "Detroit Riot of 1967: What was the primary cause and effect of the 1967 riots in Detroit?" by Bridgette Joslin; and "The Impact of Louise de Bettignies and the Alice Network During World War I: How successful were the contributions of the Alice Network and its leader, Louise de Bettignies, in helping the Allies during World War I?" by Alena Manzor.

Also discussing her extended essay was senior Maria Agoytia, whose topic was "The Impact of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment on America." 

"I wanted to research how the perception of African Americans changed after the Civil War by looking into if the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was the first all-black regiment in the Civil War, and to see if it actually influenced the perception of blacks throughout the U.S. at that time," she said, after last evening's ceremony finished. "The research for this project was at times a tedious but still rewarding process. I had to look at various historical services, some online discovery, but mostly I went to my local public library to find information for my essay. But the main reason I chose this topic is because a while ago I saw a movie about the 54th Massachusetts Regiment and wanted to figure out the influence they had in the U.S. overall."

NDP senior David Mikkola also talked about his EE.

"My extended essay was about Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt and how they established America as a strong economic and political force in the world," he said. "I looked at a lot of different factors from each of their administrations, and how they contributed to the country's newfound position as a global superpower. It was a lot of work, but history is one of my passions, so this topic was something I liked a lot." 

The 2019 International Baccalaureate Diploma Program candidates from Notre Dame Prep: 

Maria Agoytia Roger Alves Arjun Anand Meryl Anderson Nicholas Batschynsky Sarah Belhasen Gabriella Bensten Gabriel Birchmeier Elizabeth Brouns Bryce Caldwell Lauren Carabio Riley Cooper Kevin Cragg Mikaela Crute Ben Decker Lorena Dorantes Jamie Finn

Thomas Frost Evaristo Garcia Reyna Brian Gebara Eliana Gebara Alejandra Gonzalez Austin Greif Andrew Hannoudi Mitchell Housey Cooper Isham Juliet Jacoby Joey Joppich Bridgette Joslin John Kenny Vincent Larsson Natalie Lyijynen Alena Manzor Brianna Manzor

Grace Mersino David Mikkola Farid Okka Kevin Orloski Mariana Ortiz Luna Celia Pagnucco Erin Patterson Araceli Rizzo Payton Rohr Tyler Rowe Ana Sanchez Isaiah Thummel Nolan Weimer Matthew Wiebelhaus Joel Wiegert Matthew Wood Addison Young

READ MORE ABOUT NOTRE DAME'S INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM.

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Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three Notre Dame schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org