CALIFORNIA IB STUDENT OF THE YEAR St. Mary’s Alumna Kristen Walker ‘11 received our state’s highest IB honor this past spring. Awarded California IB Student of the Year, Kristen exemplifies all that is IB. This former St. Mary’s ASB President and Legacy Award winner continues to be a principled and caring leader, retaining inquiry at the core of everything she pursues. Summer Intern Maddie Burchill ‘10 had the opportunity to catch up with Kristen and learn more. When did you graduate from St. Mary’s? I graduated from St. Mary’s in 2011 after spending almost 9 ½ years as a Falcon. I really feel that I developed my genuine love of learning while attending St. Mary’s, where I had the pleasure of having strong mentors who have helped shape me to become the person I am today. Where did you go to High School? I attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School, which was a perfect transition from St. Mary’s. At SMCHS I was able to grow academically, participate in many leadership and extra-curricular activities, and strengthen my faith and service to the community. Did you complete a high school IB program? Yes, I received the International Baccalaureate Full Diploma after successful completion of this academically rigorous twoyear program. The program is designed to bring a global mindset to motivated learners. It has components such as the Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) Project, the Extended Essay on a particular IB subject, and the Theory of Knowledge essay and presentation. It was definitely a challenging and rigorous program, yet was one of my favorite memories of high school. All of the students in this program were like one family, supporting and encouraging each other through the whole process. It was difficult, but in the end, it was so worth it.
How did St. Mary’s prepare you for the IB Diploma Programme? St. Mary’s gave me a strong educational foundation so that I was able to succeed academically in high school. Having prior International Baccalaureate knowledge definitely gave me a sense of confidence in myself that I could approach and solve new challenges. At St. Mary’s, teachers always stressed the importance of learning and incorporating the IB Learner Profiles into our schoolwork, and this integration has lead me to emulate these exact Learner Profiles throughout my high school years. The St. Mary’s IB Programme gave me a solid foundation of the IB philosophy and the type of thinking that is involved in this type of global learning. SMCHS expanded on my previous knowledge and took the program to the next higher level. Tell us about your recent IB award? I was honored to receive the IB Student of the Year Award from the California Association of IB World Schools and the IB Worthy Student Award from SMCHS. I could not be more grateful for the recognition from my IB counselor and teachers who see the hard work, diligence, and potential in me. Where are you going to college this fall? I will be attending Washington University in St. Louis as an Annika Rodriguez Scholar. This has been my “dream school” for the past couple of years, and to actually be going still feels like a dream. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me in college and beyond!
What do you plan to study? I plan to major in Global Health and the Environment and minor in both Biology and Psychology. In addition, I will be on the pre-medical track, and my goal is to attend medical school after graduation. Over the next four years as a student, I will be studying at a place where my passions for medical service and academic success will flourish. I currently work for Dr. Yolanda P. Gomez, volunteer at UC Irvine Medical Center, and intern at a Biomedical Engineering Lab at UC Irvine so I would like to continue to pursue medically oriented opportunities in college, as well as extend my experience into medical service on a global scale. My goal is to dedicate myself to helping others for the betterment of their health and general well being. How do you anticipate an IB education will continue to assist you in your studies? I definitely think that it is important to be a well-rounded student that is always inquiring about the world around oneself. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to receive an International Baccalaureate education. This particular educational rigor and approach is something that transcends the classroom. I really believe that it is applicable to my future endeavors in medicine because it has instilled in me genuine IB Learner Profile qualities, including a passion for service and a love for learning. ST. MARY’S SUMMER 2015 NEWSLETTER