IB diploma prepares Lunz for the future
Kylie Saari — Staff WriterArticle Photos
FAIRMONT - Krissy Lunz is not afraid of a challenge, and what she starts, she finishes.
It was these characteristics that helped her become one of the few students in recent years to complete the requirements for the International Baccalaureate - or IB - diploma at Fairmont High School.
For two years, Lunz pushed herself to excel beyond the already rigorous curriculum offered to all students at the school.
As a candidate for the IB diploma, she was required to follow a course of study prescribed by the International Baccalaureate program, including higher level class work, an extended essay, 150 hours of community service, and six extra tests.
Lunz said she learned about the IB program in the fall of her junior year, and her parents encouraged her to follow through.
"My parents definitely encouraged me to do this, especially my dad," she said. "When I was first trying to decide if I wanted to do this or not, he was like, 'You should definitely do this. It will help you get accepted into college and prepare you a lot.'"
The preparation began right after signing on to the program. She began to take the extra coursework and completed two of the six required tests. It was also during this time that she began the community service portion of the diploma.
Referred to as CAS, which stands for Creativity, Action and Service, this requirement asks students to go out in their community and volunteer in many different areas.
Lunz volunteered in areas of the community where she is already active.
"I (volunteered) with track and cross country, which I am already in. I was a captain," she said. "For (service), I am involved in 4-H as a camp counselor. For the arts, I haven't done a whole lot with that, but I painted a wall out at the fair and little stuff like that."
Another portion of the diploma program designed for outside the classroom is the extended essay, a 4,000-word or longer piece designed to both give students a deeper understanding of the topic they choose, and also prepare them for the papers they will have to write in college.
Lunz wrote under the category of Peace and Conflict Studies, and her topic addressed the troubles in Northern Ireland.
"That 4,000-word essay, it really helped me learn to write essays in general because everything seems a lot shorter after that one," she laughed.
Lunz was able to complete her essay in the summer before her senior year, and with the balance of the coursework woven into her regular classload, she needed only to complete her volunteering and the four remaining tests, which were given in May.
The criteria for the IB diploma are so demanding that few students even attempt it each year, and even fewer pass with a high enough score to earn it. And although earning the diploma is the prize at the end of the race, it isn't the only reason for running, according to Mark Hernes, coordinator for the IB program at Fairmont High School.
Hernes explains that the IB curriculum teaches students to be more focused and more international in thinking, and it encourages thinking and problem solving over the cataloging of facts.
The IB classes are available for any student to take, even if they don't plan to test.
"We have tons of kids that take the class and don't test," Hernes said.
For those who what to try for some of the tests, but not for the full program, the high school also offers an IB honors program in which students must pass three tests and complete 75 hours in the CAS portion. For each student who passes at least one test, a certificate of completion is awarded.
According to Hernes, IB courses are sometimes accepted by colleges for credit.
Lunz admitted the course work and studying weren't always fun.
"There are some parts where I was like, 'I don't know if I want to do this,'" she said, "but there is nice support. Everyone is kind of in it together who have to do the tests. I have been to study groups where we helped each other out and that was really fun."
For Lunz, her college dreams have come through. She is planning to attend Carlton College in Northfield, a small-town school close to the Twin Cities with a reputation for academic excellence.
"I chose to do this because I wanted to prepare for college," Lunz said. "I definitely feel it was worth it."
