The IB Diploma program is a very intense and hard program to be involved in. There are 16 senior students in the program. With rigorous courses, tests, and significant amounts of college credit opportunities, these students shape their everyday life to fit these exceptions.

According to senior Thomas Kim, the IB Diploma is a very well-known and popular AP program.

“Basically, it’s an internationally recognized AP program where, as a student, you take specific courses to pass an IB exam at the end of the year which grants college credits and prestige as a student because you were able to make it through the IB program,” Kim said.

Senior Nicole Chang is another hard-working student that participates in the IB program.

“You have to take T.O.K., which is like a seventh period, and you have to stay for 3 hours after school on Mondays,” Chang said. “It’s kind of intense and tiring.”

Balancing social life with school work is challenging.

“It’s really difficult,” Chang said. “I feel like you have to pick and choose days that you want to study and days that you get to hang out with your friends and relax.”

On top of all the school work that goes into this program, IB Diploma students are involved in activities outside of school. Kim does volunteer work with some of his friends.

“A majority of it [volunteering] comes from a daycare I used to be a part of,” Kim said. “When I was younger, my parents couldn’t pick me up from school, so I was in an after-school program. Now that I’m older, a couple of my friends and I who were in the program go back so that we can do what older people did for us.”

Chang also does volunteer work.

“I volunteer at a church. They give a lot of community service hours because they have a lot of events,” Chang said. “I watch kids every Sunday and do crafts with them, and then there are events where you do games.”

Senior Ryan Koh decided to join the IB program in order to get into a good college to continue his education. He plans on attending a private college or an Ivy League University.

“For me, it’s just taking the hardest classes at our school so that colleges will notice me,” Koh said.

Koh advises students in the IB program to keep up with classwork.

“If you don’t procrastinate, keeping up with the classes isn’t that hard,” Koh said. “Just work on things progressively and the workload should not build up.”

Senior Maria Munoz is involved in the IB program, yearbook, and many clubs at school. To her, the IB program is a support system for her in the future.

“It looks really good to colleges, especially since I’m poor, so I really need the financial aid,” Munoz said. ”When I’m applying for financial aid, it brings me to the top of the list of students. It shows that I’m a hard worker because I’m doing extra.”

The IB diploma students work hard every day so their work helps lead them to a successful and prosperous future.