IBDP Graduates – Where Are They Now?

Recently we reached out to some of our IBDP graduates to see what they have been up to since getting their Diploma.

From studying biomedical science and finance to managing a radio station and launching university clubs, our recent IB Diploma graduates have been busy building exciting futures and while their paths have taken them in very different directions, they all point to one common foundation: the skills, resilience, and confidence developed during the IB Diploma Programme at Norwood.

A Pathway for Every Student Passion

For all our graduates, their post-school pathways have presented challenges, opportunities, and rich experiences. 2023 graduate Emma Norris has always had a passion for languages, something that was nurtured by the opportunity to study High Level Italian during her time as a Diploma student. After graduation, she began a Bachelor of Languages, majoring in Italian and Spanish Studies, and was awarded a grant-funded study tour to Siena, Italy. Since then, Emma’s journey has taken an exciting turn into media and leadership. “A year [after my study tour] I accepted a part-time position working at Radio Italia Uno, an Italian community radio station… A month into working there as an admin assistant, I was offered the general manager role.” Today, Emma manages presenters, organises sponsors and events, produces advertising, hosts her own radio program, and is preparing for a university exchange to Venice later this year. Brava, Emma!

For 2024 graduate Swettha Senthan, university has been an opportunity to combine academic challenge with leadership. Currently studying a double degree in Actuarial Science and Commerce (Finance) at Monash University, she has embraced opportunities outside the classroom as well, “Alongside my studies, I’ve also gotten involved in student leadership, mentoring, and even started my own club, Women in Business Monash,” she says. “It’s been a busy but rewarding experience.” We know you will be an excellent role model for your peers, and those who benefit from your leadership.

Meanwhile, fellow 2024 graduate Nisha Koch has been pursuing his creative passions. After beginning a Bachelor of Illustration and Animation, he deferred to study a Diploma of Screen and Media at TAFE. Along the way, he was recognised with a University Merit Award for achieving a GPA in the top 15% of students in his academic unit. Not only this, but he has recently closed on his first public exhibition, with great success.

Prepared for the Challenge of University

One thing that united all of our graduates when asked is how well the Diploma Programme prepared them for university life. 2023 graduate Sofia Demond-Iouguina, currently studying Biomedical and Health Sciences at Adelaide University, credits the programme with helping her adapt quickly to tertiary education, “It got me used to a heavy workload so that when I started university everything was a breeze.”

Similarly, Nisha found that the demands of university felt manageable because of the skills he had already developed during the Diploma Programme, “The IBDP helped me to develop my skills in workload management,” he says, “I find it easier to cope with a heavy workload than many of my peers within my degree.”

This sentiment was echoed by our other graduates as well. Since the IB Diploma Programme priorities student agency, and helping them ‘learn how to learn’, these skills give our graduates an advantage in tertiary study. 2024 graduate Harshada Sonduri Pantangi, currently studying a Bachelor of Medical Science at Flinders University, believes the self-directed learning required in the DP has been one of its most lasting benefits, “I fear that the self-study really helped from IB to my current degree as uni is a lot more hands on, and [you are responsible for] understanding the content yourself.” The transition from school to university is a dramatic one, where students are suddenly in a situation that demands much more independence and discipline than high school, but for our Diploma graduates, that shift felt less daunting because it was already part of their academic experience.

Skills for Life Beyond School: Confidence, Resilience and Critical Thinking

All of our graduates reflected on how the academic rigour of the DP continues to benefit them beyond school. While they all remembered how challenging the program was at the time, they also affirmed that those challenges, in a supported and scaffolded classroom environment, have proved to be one of the greatest strengths of the Diploma. For Swettha, the research and communication skills developed through major projects such as the Extended Essay have been particularly valuable, “IB taught me how to think critically, research effectively, and communicate my ideas clearly,” she explains. “When I got to university, a lot of the assignments didn’t feel nearly as intimidating because I’d already survived writing an Extended Essay and multiple IAs. Compared to that, writing a two-page essay is nothing!”

Emma reflects that the programme taught her perseverance during difficult moments, “DP challenged me to my core,” she says. “It taught me to never give up or stop, even when I’m stressed and extremely overwhelmed.” Now balancing university study with the demands of managing a radio station, she continues to draw on the resilience she developed during her IB years, “It helped build my character to be stronger and more resilient.” Emma also credits the programme with encouraging her to embrace opportunities as they arise, such as her experiences overseas.

The Lasting Impact of Community

While most of our conversations centred on how well the IBDP prepared of graduates academically, a subject we kept returning to was how valuable and unique the NIHS Diploma community is. For Nisha, being surrounded by ambitious classmates created an environment that encouraged growth, “During the IBDP I also made many close friends who are very academically competitive, and they have inspired me to push myself and see what I’m capable of.” Swettha agrees that the relationships built during the programme have remained among its most meaningful outcomes, “More than any specific content or facts I learned, what has stayed with me most is the community we built through IBDP… Even now, my graduating class still catches up every now and then, and it’s always nice to see my IB teachers again. It was definitely the people who made it all worth it.” The graduates also reminisced about shared experiences like the IBDP camp, Theory of Knowledge debates, and cultural morning teas.

What’s Next for our Graduates?

Whether they are studying languages, finance, biomedical science, animation, or media, our graduates are proving that the IB Diploma Programme equips students for far more than just academic success. It develops resilience, independence, critical thinking, and confidence to pursue their passions in whatever opportunity is presented.

At Norwood International, our mission is to “inspire a love of learning through authentic experiences that foster creativity, global perspectives, and empower individuals to take action.” We see all of this, and more, in our IBDP graduates, and we couldn’t be prouder of them. We can’t wait to see what their future holds.

If you would like to know more about the IB Diploma Programme at Norwood International High School, please reach out to IBDP Leader Miah Nalpantidis, or our enrolments team.