As Mendham wraps up the 2025 school year, the school community takes time to honor the commitment and hard work of its IB students in their annual IB Awards Ceremony, an event that highlights the incoming Class of 2027’s introduction to IB and celebrates the achievements of the graduated Class of 2025 and their teachers. 

Beginning the proceedings were IB coordinators Ms. Pereira and Ms. Shartner, each thanking those who made the gathering possible and introducing Mendham’s principal and introductory speaker, Ms. Meager, who said: “This morning is about recognizing the work, the growth, and the continued journey of our IB community. It’s a celebration of what our graduates carry with them and what our current students are actively becoming. I hope the stories you hear this morning inspire, reassure, and remind you of the value of this challenge and that strength comes from meeting it. ” She then turned the floor over to Isabella Haddock and David Kryvich, who administered the IB Learner Profile awards, a form of recognition given to the teachers by students that best embody the traits that compose an IB participant. The awards were presented as follows: Mr. Quinn received the Inquirer Award, Mr. Heditsch the Knowledgeable Award, Mr. Kappel the Thinker Award. Madame Bilong the Communicator Award, Mr. Dowler the Principled Award, Mr. Kattoura the Open-minded Award, Mrs. Columbro the Caring Award, Ms. Castro-Alvarez, a now three time winner of the Risk-taker Award, Mr. Robbins the Balanced Award, and finally Mr. Abdelaziz for the Reflective Award. 

Ms. Pereira then inducted participating members of the Class of 2027 officially into the IB Programme by distributing blue lanyards adorned with “West Morris IB” as tokens of their future efforts as they progress through their junior and senior years. The names of the members of the graduated Class of 2025 Career Programme were announced by Mrs. Schartner, who presented them with certificates displaying their achievements. Subsequently, Ms. Meagre presented diplomas to the alumni of the IB Diploma Programme as well, before briefly honoring the career of Ms. Castro-Alvarez upon her retirement. 

Mendham alumni joined in the celebration when several spoke about the impact of the program on their lives as the graduated Class of 2025 was invited onto the stage in a live Q&A session. One audience member asked: “How well prepared did the IB programme make you for college?” Several students responded; the general consensus was that it had set them apart from their peers. “In regards to writing, Mendham prepares you very, very, well,” one student said. Another said, “I learned how to study, and now I am getting great grades out of it.” 

Time management and the transition between high school and college were frequently asked about. One student said specifically that asking for help had become more of a challenge, and advised students to learn to adapt to bigger class sizes and to the absence of the structure provided by high school and one’s parents. Following an initial collective sigh when AI was brought up, students shared that their college experiences had been similar in their usages of artificial intelligence, with many having to sign honor codes upon their arrival on campus. Overall, the session left students feeling more assured in their IB involvement and allowed alumni to reconnect with their high school teachers and the current student body. 

Thus concludes Mendham’s annual IB ceremony; a perfect way to celebrate the 2025 school year as the Mendham High faculty and students are released to their winter breaks. Congratulations to the graduated Class of 2025, and good luck to the Classes of 2026 and 2027!