On December 18, Fridley High School hosted its 15th Annual Extended Essay Silver Platter Celebration in the FHS Media Center. This special event brought together families, School Board Director Sara Jones, district staff, FHS administration, and selected teachers to celebrate the achievements of our IB students. The ceremony honored current 12th-grade IB Diploma candidates, the Class of 2024 IB Diploma recipients, and introduced the Extended Essays of the Class of 2025 IB Diploma candidates.

IB Coordinator Katie Sneider provided an overview of the Extended Essay, a key component of the IB Diploma Programme. This 4,000-word, externally assessed research paper encourages students to engage in independent study on a topic of their choice. The process develops high-level research, writing, and critical thinking skills while fostering intellectual discovery and creativity. Each student works closely with a supervisor who guides them through three mandatory reflection sessions, including a concluding viva voce interview.

The celebration also recognized the six outstanding graduates of the Class of 2024 who earned their IB Diplomas. To achieve this distinction, students must accumulate a minimum of 24 points across exams, extended essays, and Theory of Knowledge assessments, in addition to completing Creativity-Action-Service (CAS) projects. Congratulations to:

• Ethan Andler, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
• Palak Bhakta, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
• Kazma Bright, Hamilton College
• Emily Duba, North Dakota State University
• Hannah Hoogheem, Iowa State University
• Sophia Jensen, St. Olaf College

The Class of 2025 IB Diploma candidates presented their extended essays to their supervisors, showcasing their research and intellectual engagement:

• Deqa Ahmed to Ms. Mandi Burian: How do advertising strategies help the success of businesses with known unethical practices?
• Ethan Canseco-Voigt to Ms. Siena Olson: How do both traditional and non-traditional musical elements in TOOL’s "Lateralus" interact to convey its themes of spirituality and mathematics?
• Kency Cristobal Ochoa to Mr. Dan Terebayza: How are Mariano Osorio’s poems and Eminem’s rap music used to portray the issue of domestic violence?
• Nathan Gonzalez to Mr. Dan Terebayza: To what extent can the topic of African American racial oppression be explored through the lens of the horror genre?
• Amina Negash to Mr. Jeren Anderson: To what extent has Western representation and understanding of Sharia Law affected Western policies and politics?

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 IB Diploma recipients for their remarkable accomplishments, and best wishes to the Class of 2025 as they continue their IB journey!