The mind of the teenager transitions, develops and transforms every single second. One-one thousand, two-one thousand three-one thousand. 63,072,000 seconds, 4,000 words; so much time and so many letters. Senior IB students have spent the past two years of  high school writing and researching for their extended essays.

Viva Voce is a night precisely for these writers to be commemorated. IB coordinator Sherilyn Green and other staff will coordinate, design and conceive plans for this celebration. 

“I noticed when [my children] got to college, they were not as prepared as what they needed to be,” Green said. “They had a hard time doing research papers and getting everything done. So when I heard about how IB prepares students to think on their own and to manage their time and make them more prepared for that university step, I really felt like this was what I needed to do.”

Senior Maggie Mcelmurry’s essay topics focused on feminism portrayed in movies and novels.  A common theme in essays was to tie in two different elements of a subject. 

“I think this topic was important to cover because when people write research papers, they’re typically about science or math,” Mcelmurry said. “I just thought it was interesting to look at an area of culture that isn’t necessarily as analytically researched.”

The extended essay is one of the many requirements set in order for students to get their IB diploma. Students were allowed to choose any topic of their choice, most of them based on a student’s interests or beliefs. 

“The fact that students have gotten through this; that in itself, is such a milestone,” Green said. “I’m excited to put my own little spin on Viva Voce and my own little things that the students might not be expecting just to show them how proud I am.”