The first-hand accounts we have collected below reflect the rich and diverse experiences of IB graduates from around the world—their education, careers, talents, ambitions and commitment to their communities—all the things that make IB graduates valuable world citizens and interesting individuals.
1976—1985 |
Bernd Schmidt-Liermann
School: The Montevideo British Schools, Uruguay
Year of graduation: 1977
“I married my longtime friend and IB schoolmate, Louise Ayling. We have three children, and all of them are currently in the IB Programme.”
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Louise Ayling
School: The Montevideo British Schools, Uruguay
Year of graduation: 1978
“As an artist, I have managed to enhance various techniques through experiences living and working in Uruguay, Argentina, Germany and now Mexico.”
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Gabriella Turek
School: Lycée International de Saint Germain en Laye, France
Year of graduation: 1978
“I am very concerned with the environment, human rights, animal rights, globalization and peace.”
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Claudia Nario
School: Unknown
Year of graduation: Unknown
“1983. Buenos Aires, rainy afternoon. 150 teenagers from different South American countries in a theory of knowledge course. Instead of being taught ‘truths’, we were taught to question them.”
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1986—1995 |
Kevin Cowan
School: Atlantic College, UK
Year of graduation: 1989
“I am an economist with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). I decided to study economics at university mainly because of the IB course in economics I took.”
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Kim Ikonen
School: Kungsholmen Gymnasium, Sweden
Year of graduation: 1990
“Since 1999 I have freelanced as a make-up artist, actress, dancer and writer.”
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Anya Kompare (maiden name Henry)
School: Lincoln Park High School, USA
Year of graduation: 1991
“My life seems to always keep some kind of connection to the IB.”
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Jan-Erik Paul
School: American Community School, UK
Year of graduation: 1991
“IB has undoubtedly influenced the way I run my business. E-creation does business internationally, and just like at school, where I graduated in a class with over 40 nationalities, the ability to understand other cultures is essential.”
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Nils Razmilovic
School: American Community School, UK
Year of graduation: 1991
“My passion is sailing. I now compete in major sailing events, such as the Etchells European Championships on Lake Garda, Italy, in 2002.”
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Annette Truong
School: Prince George Secondary School, Canada
Year of graduation: 1992
“My spare time is packed with many extracurricular activities.”
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Mariana Xanthopoulos
School: St. Mary's International College, Argentina
Year of graduation: 1992
“It has been seven years since I became involved as a support coordinator for the San Maximiliano Kolbe, where seventy young people from underprivileged backgrounds attend practical and artistic workshops.”
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Amir James Rasteh
School: Sir Winston Secondary School, Canada
Year of graduation: 1993
“I sincerely believe that I owe many of my skills to IB.”
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Adam Elend
School: St Petersburg High School, USA
Year of graduation: 1995
“I’m a documentary filmmaker. After graduating in 1998, a fellow film student and I founded E. M. Productions, a production company dedicated to inspiring activism through innovative entertainment.”
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* Adam was also featured in the August 2003 issue [PDF] of IB World magazine. |
Jennifer Lowenstein (maiden name Newberger)
School: San Diego High School, USA
Year of graduation: 1995
“I am a Public Health Analyst in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Global AIDS Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.”
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* Jennifer was also featured in the August 2003 issue [PDF] of IB World magazine. |
1996—2005 |
Sabrina Henze
School: American School of Paris, France
Year of graduation: 1996
“I earned a master's degree in criminology from the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology in England. Studying in Cambridge was a chance of a lifetime.”
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Giovanni Marotta Thorne
School: Newton College, Peru
Year of graduation: 1996
"I am a vendor compliance officer working for ASA Textile Sourcing, where I supervise the certification of factories and insure compliance with the codes of vendor conduct, labor laws, and environmental legislation of Peru."
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Salim Ali Nakhjavani
School: Champlain Regional College, Canada
Year of graduation: 1997
“IB played a fundamental and unforgettable role in my education, in preparation for undergraduate and graduate studies in law, and in my early professional life at the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.”
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Georgiana Cohen
School: Atlantic Community High School, USA
Year of graduation: 1997
“While at Boston.com, I spearheaded our coverage of the 2002 elections and worked on our coverage of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, which is being submitted for Pulitzer consideration.”
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Rebecca Cutri-Kohart
School: Atlantic Community High School, USA
Year of graduation: 1997
“I'm now working as a descent analyst with NASA's Johnson Space Center at the Mission Control Center. Though my passion is everything aerospace, I have a lot of other interests.”
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Violaine Felten
School: International School of Beijing, China
Year of graduation: 1997
“Since graduation, I have met countless IB students from all over the world.”
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Yuvan Beejadhur
School: Le Bocage International School, Mauritius
Year of graduation: 1998
“One memorable trip I had was to the Thailand-Burmese border in 2002.”
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Kristina Bennett
School: Atlanta International School, USA
Year of graduation: 1998
“After attending University in London, England, I fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to Africa.”
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* Kristina was also featured in the August 2003 issue [PDF] of IB World magazine. |
Aisha Topsakal
School: Champlain Regional College, Canada
Year of graduation: 1998
“My continued volunteer work has led to invaluable learning experiences, including positions in community legal clinics and the Montreal-based International Bureau for Children's Rights.”
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Modesta Mahiga
School: Waterford Kamhlaba United World College South Africa, Swaziland
Year of graduation: 1999
“I hope to make a difference in the developing world.”
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Marcie Nolan
School: Brent International School, the Philippines
Year of graduation: 2000
“While studying in the UK, I have met friends from all over the world.”
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Naomi Francis
School: Glenunga International High School, Australia
Year of graduation: 2001
“Life in China is very different, going from a small city like Adelaide to the largest city in the world.”
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Maria Charles
School: Mahindra United World College of India
Year of graduation: 2002
“In the summer before college I travelled around South India on a shoestring budget with friends from high school, a well-deserved break after the IB exams.”
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