I’m not going to deny the many sleepless nights I faced in high school because of the IB Program, but I wouldn’t take back those all-nighters for anything. As I reflect back on my IB education, I am" filled with gratitude for the experience I had. The IB Program provided me with college credit, scholarships and a prestigious diploma, but that’s not what first comes to mind when I look back on those years. The IB Program taught me the importance of having an intercultural understanding and respect. I learned to view situations and conflicts from all different perspectives and not just my own. Throughout my time at Rhodes College, I have continued to practice what IB has taught me by exploring different beliefs and faith traditions. I am a Religious Studies major with a focus on Interfaith, so I have done a lot of research on the discrimination of certain religions and the best way to combat this prejudice. During my Junior year, I studied abroad in Bologna, Italy to conduct a research project on homeless Islamic immigrants and the discrimination that they face. If I had not experienced IB in high school, I would have never had the courage or desire to go across the world to study this topic. The IB Program opened my mind to a world of problems bigger than my own. It showed me that it does not matter who has the highest IQ or the best test score. The smartest people are the ones who are constantly working to relate to people who are different than themselves and who realize the needs of our world. The students who come out of the IB Program are these people. “
Rhodes College ‘17
Anna Grace graduated Rhodes College in May 2017 with a major in Religious Studies. She's headed to Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue a Masters in Divinity with a calling toward ministry in the Presbyterian Church.