The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme held its Annual Pinning Ceremony on Nov. 30 to celebrate the classes of 2024 and 2025. Juniors and seniors received pins to commemorate their participation in the two-year international education program.

“The pinning ceremony honors upperclassmen who have chosen to take on a very challenging program, both those who have completed more than a year of the program and those who are still at the onset of their journey,” the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator, Harold Ott, explained. “It is an opportunity to celebrate the ambition of IB students with their loved ones in attendance to support them.”

Ott chose the theme of the event, ‘Building Bridges’ to commemorate the interdisciplinary nature of the IB program. The thought process behind the theme came from his trip to Pigeon Key, a small island in the Florida Keys.

“The island played a pivotal role in the building of the Seven Mile Bridge, which was one of the most ambitious projects of its day, and it seemed like an apt metaphor for the endeavors of IB students where they have to build bridges in their minds and also make connections between cultures and disciplines and so on,” Ott said.

Parents, teachers, and administrators, among other supportive audience members, gathered in the Miller Campus to celebrate the students’ achievements. The event commenced with a speech from senior Ivan Pankov. Pankov discussed the IB program’s impact as a whole, as well as his personal journey as a student in the program.

“It was a great opportunity to share an appreciation for what the IB program has done for us as lifelong learners,” Pankov said.

Following the juniors’ initiation, Ott recited each of the IB seniors’ Extended Essay topics as they walked across the stage to receive their silver lapel pin badges.

“Overall, it was a really great event, but I especially appreciated that they announced our Extended Essays,” senior Nicolas Perez said. “My Extended Essay is on the role that Purdue Pharma Distribution of OxyContin played in the US Opioid Crisis, and I have worked really hard on it so far, so it was nice that it was spotlighted.”

Not only were students enthusiastic, but their parents were also overjoyed to see their respective children getting recognized for their academic accomplishments.

“It was wonderful to hear about all the great projects that the students are working on,” Adriana Martinez said.