At Bonn International School, in Bonn, Germany, I completed my four years of high school. There, I concluded the IB Diploma with higher-level subjects Mathematics A&A, German Lang&Lit, and English B. My standard-level subjects were Economics, Physics, and Chemistry. Additionally, the curriculum required the writing of an Extended Essay, a 4,000-word research paper, and the Theory of Knowledge Exhibition and Essay, exploring "How do we know what we know?"
At times, the IB has been a challenging experience due to the demanding workload to be completed. However, I am grateful for having gone through all of that as I believe that it substantially supported me during my time at university, especially when it came to time management, essays, and research projects.
As mentioned in my introduction, I have developed a keen interest in the fields of marketing and sustainability.
I decided to write my Extended Essay on the subject of "German language and literature," in which I analyzed how companies like Deutsche Bahn, Edeka, and Mercedes-Benz implement social diversity in their advertisements to promote their products. That was the largest project I had undertaken at that time, and I perceived it as very difficult; it certainly was not easy, but it formed the foundation for the research papers that followed. Researching and writing the essay provided me with valuable insight into how verbal, non-verbal, and visual communication strategies can be used in advertisements.
In the Chemistry Internal Assessment (IA), a research paper that included a lab and its analysis, I explored how the exposure of PET water bottles to heat influences the concentration of microplastics in water. Considering that it is not uncommon for people to leave PET water bottles in cars under the sun and drink from them, there might be some health implications.
In terms of extracurricular activities, I was a longtime member of the yearbook as a lead photographer and leader of the whole team.
Secondly, I participated in the Model United Nations. The conference, in which I represented the Holy See, was about legalizing marijuana and whether abortion should be allowed or not. It was a memorable experience, in which I could significantly improve my argumentation and choice of words to present persuasive arguments.
Lastly, I contributed to the organization of the prom committee, which was the first activity in which I actively raised money for a project.
Overall, at Bonn International School I was able to experience memorable high school years. The IB Diploma was filled with challenges that allowed me to grow on a personal and academic level. Especially in researching and writing academic papers, as well as time management, I was able to build a foundation that is coming in handy at university.