contributed photos

Above leftt, a young Elizabeth Larson plays her violin for an audience in 2000. Larson has been playing the violin since she was 3 years old. Above right, Larson, now a sophomore at St. John’s Preparatory School, still plays the violin. She plans to pursue a degree in theater or music when she goes to college.

Starting in the fall, St. John’s Preparatory School will be the first central Minnesota school to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The program is designed as an academically challenging and balanced program of education to prepare students for successes at the university level.

It is a two-year program for students in their junior and senior years.

Participants will study in six different academic areas: language, second language, mathematics, science, individuals and society, and the arts. The program also has three core requirements to enhance the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge. The three core requirements include an extended 4,000-word essay, theory of knowledge and creativity, action and service.

“The program has been around for over 40 years, but it seems like it is a new thing in this area,” said Jennine Klosterman, director of admissions at St. John’s Prep. “We are the only Catholic and boarding school in the state to offer it.”

Elizabeth Larson, a St. Joseph resident and sophomore at St. John’s Prep, is enrolled in the IB program for the fall. She is the daughter of Deb Stumvoll and Dr. Keith Larson.

“The program caught my attention because the teachers really stressed how colleges look favorably at students with an IB diploma,” she said. “I thought it was interesting because it is a very challenging course load and it would be a good way to challenge myself academically.”

Klosterman said students with an IB diploma have higher acceptance rates to college than students who do not.

“What is really unique about this program is these academic standards are accepted throughout the world,” she said. “Colleges and universities recognize students who have this diploma and they really encourage those students to come to their school.”

Larson said she was interested in the program because of the recognition and the preparation for college she’ll receive through it as well.

“I think the fact it is very accelerated, with a lot more projects, papers and work in general, will help me learn to balance the amount of coursework like I’ll have to do when I start college,” she said.

Even though Larson is enrolled in the program, she will still take classes with friends who are not enrolled in the program. Some of the requirements of the IB program overlap with general St. John’s Prep requirements. Larson said her enrollment was individually motivated.

“It was more of an individual decision to enroll in the program to better prepare myself for college,” she said.
Throughout high school, Larson has been involved in Knowledge Bowl and theater. She plans to pursue a music or theater degree when she starts college.

“My parents brought me up with music,” she said. “I started playing violin when I was 3. Music has been a part of my life for my entire life.”

Even though Larson is not positive which colleges are on her radar after graduation, she has big goals for the future and she feels this program will give her the tools she needs to accomplish them.