The annual IB Extended Essay and CAS Celebration featured the work of NDA’s 25 diploma candidates.  

A gathering of candidates, parents, staff and students viewed displays of the candidates’ service projects, learned about their extended essays and heard words of praise from IB coordinator Matt Schultz and IB teacher Chris Gray.

The April 11 celebration took place in the NDA library.

Diploma candidates take the most rigorous curriculum at NDA.  They must choose two years of IB courses from six subject groups, take the class Theory of Knowledge, complete CAS hours (creativity, activity, service) and write a research paper called the Extended Essay on a subject of their choice.

Many students take IB courses but only a few (25 this year) take the diploma route.

Recognized at the celebration were Bianca Ayala Mercado, Austin Boex, Emily Briski, Camille Broullire, Audrey Burnell, Lachlan Chambers, Lindsey Cortes, Luci Cuene, Giacomo D’Alessandro, Diana Daraei, Eva Delaney, Hannah Fergus, Zita Lulloff, Erin McNerney, Sylvia Peterson, Isadora Popkey, Bea Rayel, Isabella Ricci, Jair Rincon-Simon, Jessica Sack, Grace Schuh, Alexandria Schweiner, Reese Van Pay, Julia Vogel and Laetitia Zankoul. 

Diploma candidates attending the celebration received a bound copy of their extended essay and their white IB cords to wear at graduation.