Eugene International High School

CLASS OF 2008
Kaya Aragon: “My IB experience prepared me very well for the Honors College. I found that I had already read many of the books discussed in my first classes so my transition into college was smoother.  Also the critical reading, writing, and thinking skills I developed in Eugene IHS have been invaluable in my University classes. My sister is currently attending Eugene IHS at Churchill High School and it’s super fun to hear about her classes, teachers, and the books she is reading, and to see how so many things have stayed the same and to compare the differences.  I love Eugene IHS!”

Steven Brantley: “I received an IB diploma and have proudly shared with my colleagues and friends about the IB curriculum and the merits of an internationally focused education. I believe it set me up to be successful in college, and has given me a wider perspective through which to view the world…and though the experience was tedious and at times painful, it has served me well… I am grateful for the knowledge that I gained and the skills that our teachers helped us develop.  I am very proud to tell people that I have an IB diploma, and love the opportunity to explain the program to people who have not heard of it. The more removed I am from my high school experience, the more I appreciate the education I got from EIHS.  I felt truly prepared for college and have continued to apply what I learned to my career.  Having a global perspective and knowledge of other cultures, religions, and doctrines is critical to work effectively with diverse teams, and I am extremely grateful to have gotten such a well rounded education starting in high school...Completing an IB helped prepare me for college and medical school and has given me a unique perspective on the world. I believe that the holistic education I received from EIHS has helped me grow into a good global citizen and prepared me for a career in medicine caring for an extremely diverse patient population.”

Audrey Fancher:  “…As I’ve reflected a lot on how formative IHS was for me, it has really gotten me thinking about how the world needs more great teachers. Here in Portland, I know that the public school system has a lot of needs, and the thought of teaching high school social studies is really starting to excite me… I’ve thought a lot about my time in IHS and how utterly fantastic my education was. In both the teachers and project-based curriculum, I know IHS served me well as a global citizen. I still think of Zapata, Trotsky finger puppets, the Mahabrata, the hero’s journey…and that creepy Yellow Wallpaper poem from time to time 🙂 among so many other things. (Tell the current junior and seniors that all of the writing is worth it—it literally is preparing them for university.) I had so many college classmates who hadn’t written more than 5 pages. Ever. I wrote numerous research 20-pagers without a sweat! Now, I’ve started writing articles for fun! I appreciate the spirit of curiosity that was fostered, the encouragement of critical thinking, and a creative approach to education that seems unique in public schooling these days.”

Jesse Ferreira: “IHS was a wonderful program, and I retained many good friends and acquaintances from the experience.  IB, while more challenging than IHS alone, serves as a more thorough foundation of knowledge.”

Chris Hale: “IHS laid a foundation for a paradigm of thinking that I have found tremendously helpful in both my daily life and on the job.”

Katie Vanderford: “I loved every minute of IHS. It prepared me very well for college and I enjoyed how my IHS classes felt like a close-knit family.”

CLASS OF 2009
Kathryn Adair: “My best memories from Eugene IHS were with teachers or friends. The teachers were always there to be a friend and to have fun. It was interesting and fun to get to know about other countries and different people around the world. IHS has really opened my eyes and helped me to be more ‘culturally sound.’”

Ian Brasted: “At OSU, I decided to switch from majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering to Biochemistry and Biophysics. The credit I received through the IB program was what made graduating in 4 years possible after that switch. This is a rather concrete example of how I benefited from the IB program. More related to IHS as a school, I greatly appreciated the curriculum. Although ‘classic’ SEHS may have offered a few more culturally focused classes, in IHS expanding cultural awareness was a goal.”

Heather Bridgham: “I keep learning things that are review from IHS. International High School exposed me to subject matter most people don’t see until college. Most high school students don’t get to study things like anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, or political science. I hear from students who hated high school and were totally unprepared for the style of learning in college; I am happy to say that neither of those experiences applies to me.”

Margo Faulk: “Writing my medical school essays definitely forced me to consider the role of Eugene IHS in the development of my career goals and life values. IHS is a big part of what inspired my continued search for communities and workplaces that uphold values of lifelong learning, servant-leadership, and appreciating ambiguity and complexity while striving for concrete goals. The IB was a wonderful introduction to college level work, and gave me a definite leg up in many of my courses.  IHS definitely introduced me to poetry, and I’ve been continuing that love affair in an informal way for years now… a huge thanks to all of the English and Spanish literature teachers– you brought so much beauty into my life!  Also a shout out to the History/Geography/Social Studies teachers: you helped form my sense of justice in an unjust world. More importantly, you held up examples of resistance and hope, which inspired me to continue working for something better and always look towards the voices of the marginalized and disenfranchised for solutions. Thank you!…The critical interpretation of American history and the passion of the staff and students for a better world planted seeds which even today inspire me to continue the fight towards social justice. And I still think about the service projects, the incredible sense of camaraderie, and the hilarious moments that came out of that time.”

Olivia Girod: “IHS helped to prepare me in all aspects so much for college. I hear my roommates and friends complaining about having to write a two-page double spaced paper and laugh because I know it would be so easy for me because of what I learned in IHS. I was a full IB diploma recipient and am so glad I went through with it. Although I did not receive as much college credit as I had hoped to receive from taking the tests, it prepared me in so many other ways. Taking the exams is exactly like finals are here. Therefore I know how to begin to prepare in advance by reviewing my notes and studying with others.”

Tanner Harris: “Eugene IHS was all around the best high school educational experience I have ever had. I miss my IHS teachers and all of the classmates and students that were in IHS. It was basically a second family. IHS opened my eyes to the world and removed my cultural bias. The mock conferences, such as the Eurasian conference, were a fun way to learn about countries around the world that you couldn’t learn in a classroom setting. IHS’s curriculum is so much more current and useful than regular high school curriculum. Now that I am in college many of my classmates are shocked by some of the information they are learning, but thanks to IHS I already know about most of the things they are teaching. Some classes were a review for me. I felt so prepared for college, and the different cultures that students are introduced to in college. IHS made me realize that as human beings we need to all work together, no matter your culture or ethnicity, to make the world a better place. I hope someday I will be able to give back to the IHS program.”

Courtney LaFranchi: “As an International Studies/Spanish/Piano Performance major, I have found the IHS experience extremely beneficial. It helped me see situations objectively, especially when dealing with international dilemmas, and while I’ve always prided myself of being a good problem solver, I think IHS helped me hone my skills at delivering solutions to my peers. While in IHS I also earned the IB diploma, and I think more than anything, the benefit there was proving to myself that I could. Now most things seem extremely easy. I have no trouble in most of the areas my peers are struggling. IHS also taught me how to lead and organize in group settings, making most projects simple and efficient where they’re often discombobulated. Altogether, IHS was the best preparation one could ask for before college. I would like to thank Eugene IHS for how comprehensive their preparation was for the real world. Thanks to Eugene IHS, I have had absolutely no trouble with college and I feel that the essay writing and critical thinking skills they exercised were essential components in my success so far. If any of my former teachers read this, I hope you are all doing well.  I think back to some classes from Eugene IHS often, and I remember how well you did with what you had.  It gives me hope for the next generations of students that there are teachers like you in the world – enthusiastic, direct and encouraging. The thing I still find most useful from my IB and IHS experience was the requirement of volunteer work in Spanish. As someone who isn’t a member of the immigrant community personally, the fact that I’ve been dedicated to this work since age 15 (and can prove it through references and on paper) is invaluable. I’m pretty certain it has helped me get every important job and opportunity I’ve ever had. IB definitely helped me with both undergrad and law school, especially given my chosen fields of immigration and international law. I also feel like it helped foster my love for public speaking, which is pretty useful in court…I was very lucky to be in the IB program, and to get the head start I did in college. I also am glad there was an avenue to continue my Spanish learning, as it has become an essential element of what I do. I could never serve my client base without it.”

Kyle Nystrom: “I have great memories of IHS. Fantastic teachers and classmates.”

Annie Pasquinelli: “Eugene IHS was a great springboard for my continued education at Oregon State University, a school I chose in part because of their International Degree program. I’ve always made sure I had a well-rounded education and am continually adding to my experiences as a global citizen. The IB program earned me 45 college credits before I even started, which made room in my schedule for the addition of many degree options that will not only make me extremely marketable in the workplace but also broaden my knowledge of the world outside of the Pacific Northwest.”

Kate Pommert: “I loved attending Eugene IHS. The best part was the teachers, all wonderful human beings who loved teaching and expanding their students’ horizons. Several of my teachers had groups of us students over to their houses for potlucks throughout the years, they really cared about us and were very supportive. I went on one of the teacher led trips to Vietnam with the Kostechka’s in 2008, which was fun and helped spawn my love of travel. I did the IB program and got the full diploma. The IB diploma helped prepare me for college and pushed me to be a better student. Eugene IHS and the IB diploma gave me a great education and made me a more compassionate and open-minded human being.”

Kelsey Rea: “Eugene IHS taught me how to look at the world without colored glasses, how to stretch a topic that seems like it could be covered in a few sentences and expand on it for a full paper, how to research and write solid papers for University, and most importantly, it inspired me to always continue learning even after the formal education is done.”

Jesse Spivack: “I met so many talented youth through IHS, all brilliant in unique ways. IHS kept me on my toes, striving to achieve my best.”

Alex Young: “I just remember most of the Sheldon IHS teachers providing such a great experience for us (Kostechka, Wiebe, Powell, Fitzwater). I liked being a part of the IHS family, and going to that United Nations thing we did with all the other schools where we brought food, dressed up, and voted on world issues [Eurasian Conference].”

Iris Young: “Nearing graduation, I felt so accomplished that I wrote an extended essay that my mentor praised! Looking back at it now, I’ve written better (if shorter), but I can’t describe how much that felt like what I should have finished high school having accomplished. I have since been reminded over and over that I learned how to use information instead of how to retain facts, and that has served me far better than any particular knowledge. The IB curriculum and IHS teaching methods have given me the tools necessary to apply myself to any investigative project and produce not just an answer but a contextualized, well-reasoned explanation. This has especially helped in tutorial (on the topic of multicultural and multireligious tensions in medieval Spain) and philosophy.”

CLASS OF 2010
Benjamin Howorth: “It was one of the most important aspects of my life so far. I would not be who I am today if I had not gone through Eugene IHS. The teachers and staff create the perfect atmosphere for development and a deeper level of thought not provided by the general school system. If every person had the chance to graduate from IHS (especially Eugene IHS) the world would be a much more welcoming place with empathetic, understanding, and kind individuals. Getting the IB diploma was the greatest decision I have ever made. At 19 years old I am one year away from a Bachelors degree in physics while running my own house painting business.  IB shows you that success takes hard work, determination, and a lot of heart and soul.”

Danaan O’Donnell-Davidson: “I loved IHS.”

Hanna Powers: “Eugene IHS and the IB program has prepared me for college in so many ways I do not know where to start.  Eugene IHS teachers always encouraged me to come talk to them with questions or concerns and now I’m not afraid of teachers, but realize they are there because they want to help me learn.  I learned how to do scholarly research and write an extended essay when some of my peers, in their first year of college, didn’t even know how to look up books in the library.  I started college as a sophomore and because of my credits I get to register for classes with people two years older than me. I have never had to waitlist or not take a class because if it being full.  Eugene IHS taught me how to manage my time and how to work on projects without a teacher holding my hand through the process.  One of the most important things I learned was how to take tests, the majority of my grades in school were based on exams. Because of Eugene IHS I know how to study efficiently and I do not stress out on test day like a lot of other students.”

Jackson Thomas: “I have only been in college for a few weeks so far, so I don’t know if I have gotten the ‘Full Experience’ yet, but I can tell that I owe all of you a great deal of thanks. For four years you lectured, discussed and gave homework to my classmates and I, with the justification that all of it would prepare us for college. As we wrote down the assignment we all groaned and expressed our doubts. After being taught by all of you, I recognize that assigning the work is not what provided you all the satisfaction and pleasure of being a teacher. Instead, it was the idea that through all of this work, we truly were becoming well educated adults who were prepared for college. But you already know all this. The reason I’m writing this letter is to make sure that all of you realize that what you are doing is awesome and it works. I’m not saying that college is easy, nor am I saying that the work that you assigned me was more difficult. It wasn’t the rigorous assignments, long study sessions or long papers that have made my college transition so easy (not that they hurt). As to what exactly it is, I don’t really know for sure. But whatever it may be, at least in my case, it worked. In all of my classes, I feel like one of the most prepared and confident students in the class. My professors are explaining concepts, strategies and skills to my classmates that I’ve been confident with for years, thanks to all of you. As I type my homework assignments, I feel like an expert, and I am always extremely confident with what I turn in. If you ever assign a paper or some kind of assignment, and your students begin to grumble and groan and you have a moment of doubt as to if you’re truly achieving your goals, know this: You can be sure that if they really take what you are providing them to heart, your students will have the ability to face the world head-on and come out ahead. I know I can’t speak for all of my classmates, but I will say that all of you together have had a huge impact on who I am today. The International High School program will always have a very special place in my heart. I suspect that a lot of you go without thanks far too often. So thank you. All of you. I hope that some day I can find some way to help all of you as much as you have all helped me.”

Nathan Wilson: “I just went through U of O orientation, and all my doubts about my choice to follow the path of the coveted full IB diploma have been shed. I’m starting college with 80 credits, just 10 short of starting as a junior. Furthermore, I received a letter in the mail today from the U of O informing me that just based on my receipt of the IB Diploma I have been awarded a $2000/year Dean’s Scholarship, which renews automatically every year without any sort of application. Thank you for all of your hard work to organize the IB program through our schools. It is probably the most powerful asset that students have access to through public schools.”

CLASS OF 2011
Bryan Beals: “IHS prepared me to keep an incredibly open mind in dealing with people, places and challenges. To treat everyone as equals and understand that their experience differs from mine, shaping the way that they view the world. This does not make one right, wrong, good or bad, just different, and that is what makes the world a wonderful place. My IB experience set me up so well at OSU that I was able to graduate in 4 years with 3 degrees and a minor because I was able to take the courses I truly cared about and wanted to grow in while avoiding some of the unnecessary ‘core requirements.’”

Aaron Honn: “IHS cultivated in me a commitment to study, live, and work in as many countries and cultures as I could over the past decade. It instilled in me a perspective that places value on cultural diversity and humility. It gave me language competencies that served me as I traveled and opened doors for international scholarship and employment opportunities. It also taught me to expand the canon of voices that I read, watch, and listen to, broadening the scope of media that I consume. It taught me to think critically, be socially conscious, and ascribe beauty and meaning to everything. It also gave me an enduring appreciation for Amy Duncan’s infectious laugh and the tedium of MLA format.”

Alvaro Garay-Romero: “The opportunity to give back to my community was the most memorable memories: helping the elderly celebrate valentines, cleaning the dirty ditch from school, and giving food and clothes to the homeless during Thanksgiving. Those days always remind me how important giving back either small or big is.”

Courtney Martin: “I decided to go to Western Oregon to pursue a Dance degree. Because of IB testing I went in as a sophomore and was placed on an accelerated track to finish in 9 terms…. My senior capstone for Dance (which was really not that much harder than the senior paper for IHS) was a historical analysis of the roles of physical education, women, and dance at Oregon State Normal School. IHS gave me the skills to make this project a breeze.”

Lydia Pomeroy-Hale: “Attending an all-women’s college, I inevitably have peers who hail from all-girl’s high schools with the traditional ‘upper class privilege’ that comes with the territory.  In describing my background, I am asked what schools I attended before, and surprise is often a response I get when others learn that I had an entirely public education.  I have had the privilege of growing up in a community where language immersion, an IB education, and the term ‘global citizen’ is not only readily available, but considered a necessity.  IB had me prepared to be a competitive and versatile student in college, and I know I will continue to use the skills I gained in high school in the future. Eugene IHS gave us a great opportunity to grow both academically and personally. I found I was able to perform well under academic pressure in college, and make connections across concepts and subjects. The IB has been integral in my ability to truly appreciate both my past and current projects. I think there is a certain skill developed in this program that encompasses both critical thinking and empathy towards other lenses.”

Halle (Shirk) Renfro: “Beyond the friendships that have lasted far past those first years of high school which I cherish daily, and the degree to which my academic experiences prepared me to a standard well beyond my peers for any college experience I have met, there is one story in particular I should tell. My life has taken an undeniably international spin since first signing up for IHS, a path which I think I can firmly attribute to the program and the people around me who truly made me believe I was capable of anything. In October of 2014 I found myself at a Monkey Temple in Bali with the crew of my ship, S/Y Argo, climbing up thousands of stairs to attend a Hindu fire dance play. We had no idea what was in store for us. I sat down in a throng of people crowded around an amphitheater and waited for the play to begin. We were all trying to decipher the programs we had been handed at the gate of the temple. They had attempted (through wonderfully broken translation) to transcribe the play for the evening. It was a classic Hindu epic and as I read, suddenly it hit me – I KNEW THIS PLAY. From the deep recesses of my brain where I had filed away a million things I’d learned and was certain I’d never use, came forth the vivid memory of Jenelle Youngblood’s Values and Beliefs Class and the story of Hanuman the Monkey God. Sure enough, a fire breathing man in a white monkey costume came blasting through the crowd warding off the evil spirits and rescuing the princess from the jealous wizard King. I couldn’t believe it – firstly that I remembered the play, and secondly that I would chance to find myself somewhere in life where this knowledge would be genuinely useful. But there I was, quietly explaining the plot of the Hindi play to all my shipmates. I’m pretty sure they thought I was at least a little crazy for knowing what was going on, and I was definitely questioning just why and how I got to be sitting where I was sitting. But that’s just it – that’s the path that IHS can send you on if you let it, if you embrace it fully and tuck away all the obscure little bits of knowledge you think you’ll ‘never’ need in life. I don’t know for sure where I’ll be next, but I know I owe a debt of gratitude to the teachers that opened up the whole world to me in high school. I’ll never be able to thank them enough for that. The best I can do is go into my own classroom in Korea and try to do the same for my students while I have them. There’s a world of possibilities, sometimes it’s a Hindu fire dance, sometimes it’s a research report in college, sometimes it’s understanding complex cultural and political struggles, and sometimes it’s just checking your own culture at the door and embracing something new. IHS gave me the courage and the tools to do all of that and more. I honestly don’t know where I’d be, or who I’d be today without it. Thank you again for all your effort. Sometimes I try to explain to people I’ve just met what IHS and the IB program are, but there are never enough words to sum up how those classes changed my world view and brought everything a little closer to home. My home is the world, thank you IHS… Eugene IHS set me on a path that allowed me to think beyond myself, to see beyond my neighborhood, and to believe that I was capable of living beyond the borders of the US. The skills I learned in those classes are what have prepared me to live in South Korea, and to apply to become a Political Officer with the US Foreign Service. The freedom to explore the world from different perspectives, to question, and to experience different cultures all in the safety of our classroom is what I value the most from IHS. When I first arrived at South Eugene High School, the office staff asked me if I’d like to join IHS. They said, “it’s a little extra writing and a little extra history.” It is so, so much more. Thank you to all the teachers who work so hard for all their students. As a teacher now myself, I know it’s hard work!”

CLASS OF 2012
Alison Honn: “My IHS experience pushed me to view the world bigger than myself; Eugene, Oregon; and even the United States. I don’t think I realized it at graduation, but it really did give me much more of a global perspective. I was a partial IB recipient – and it’s biggest advantage was putting me ahead in college. All my IB classes transferred as college credit putting me almost a whole year ahead. I was able to graduate early and then move to Haiti to live…Eugene IHS prepared me more than I knew at the time for what my life would have planned. Sometimes I wish I had paid more attention to what my teachers were talking about because I believe some of that information would be very valuable now, living and working in another country. The longer I am out of IHS and working in the real world, the more I am appreciative of all the experience IHS gave me. Being able to see the world – and understand it and how to interpret cultures and such – has made such a difference for me while transitioning to live full time in a third world country….I strongly believe my faith and my experience in IHS, pushed me to travel internationally, which eventually resulted in me living abroad. My education in IHS pushed me to think larger, look larger and live larger, larger than myself. My experience with IB allowed me to be ‘ahead’ when I graduated high school which ultimately allowed me to graduate college earlier and travel sooner!…I completed the French Immersion program as well and between IHS and FI, I feel like I was well prepared for working abroad!”

Summer Lowery: “I am a firm advocate for IHS because I believe that without the experience, I would not have been as prepared for college as I was. The IHS program really helped me develop my writing skills, which was useful for both college and the workforce. Also, taking all of the IB courses really saved me money since they were applied towards my degree at the University of Oregon. Also, looking back, I realized IHS gave me a lot of experiences that students in other programs do not receive. These include the Eurasian Conference, the novels we read, the African Conference, TOA, etc.”

Taylor Maher: “I have never had an easier time writing an 8 page paper in my entire life: thank you, Mrs. Schabtach!  As much as I rolled my eyes at Values and Beliefs, I don’t believe I could have done without it.  My first roommate was a Muslim Hijabi girl from Bangladesh who couldn’t believe she didn’t have to explain her entire religion and culture to me.  I have since been learning the Bangla language.  Thanks go to Mrs. Curtis for that.  Overall, every aspect of IHS has helped me realize the extreme importance of putting pride and passion into everything I do in school and work.  It has also allowed me to go into things with an open mind and I so appreciate that ability.”

Elizabeth Maynard: “One of my biggest regrets from high school is that I didn’t really get to know my teachers. All teachers, but in particular those in IHS, are dynamic, smart, influential people, and as I become more and more adult myself, I realize that I probably would have gotten along with them as people. I will always be grateful to my teachers for their unswerving effort to bring the light of truth and reason into the lives of others. I have always been of the opinion that one of the best skills to have is the ability to ‘get something’ out of anything, and IHS was a rich farmland of opportunity to be harvested, in my experience.”

Christina Morrison: “IHS required me to think outside my limited perspective, heightened my ability to think critically, and taught me how to string a few words together along the way. Every teacher I had in IHS were individualistic spirits, and it made class and learning a genuinely excellent time. I have been successful academically in college and in no way would I be in the position to do that without IHS and the IB program.”

Ben Taube: “IHS and IB prepared me for the rigor and critical thinking I experience in college…IHS made me a better thinker and a better writer. The skills I gained in IHS provided a foundation for college that served me very well. I really appreciate the global perspective that IHS gave me compared to a traditional American education. IB gave me a lot of transfer credits for college which allowed me to take more interesting elective courses instead of general education courses.”

Mieke Vrijmoet: “Two years into college now and I’m still discovering the interests and perspectives seeded deep in me from my time in EIHS. I came to college ready to approach questions and knowledge from all disciplines with a discerning and considerate eye. Projects class especially prepared me to jump into the independent projects and passions that define my Bennington education. I primarily study natural sciences now, but I’m continuously connecting the natural world with the social, political, and geographic arenas science is situated in, especially environmental science. And I can’t quite shake the passion for foreign language IHS endowed in me, so I’m now in my third year of studying Chinese. I feel so lucky to have been a part of such a comprehensive and socially conscious education, and to have found a place to continue that at Bennington… Bennington College is very much in the vain of many of the educational practices and interests of Eugene IHS. Bennington has an intense focus on Public Action and critical inquiry to change the world, making it the perfect follow up to a EIHS education. Plus, I think when I graduated from Eugene IHS, it was hard for me to see beyond the scope of the focus of the IB program offered (i.e., very social science focused) and being at a liberal arts college helped me connect that with my deeper interests in natural sciences

Allison Wonn: “I never fully appreciated all that Eugene IHS had given me until I stepped into my first college lecture.  I learned very quickly just how prepared I was to be in that type of environment, and how comfortable I was with that transition into higher education.  I will never forget the great relationships I formed with my teachers and classmates, and will always thank the program for developing and cultivating within me a genuine interest in the acquisition of knowledge. One of my fondest memories of Eugene IHS was the Eurasian Conference (India).  I absolutely loved the fact that we, as young students, had the opportunity to engage in a ‘mock UN’ environment, in which we were tested and asked to consider the complexities that surround foreign affairs and policies. However, my biggest takeaway was not acknowledging how complicated and difficult it can be to forge relationships with other nations – instead, I realized just how similar all of these nations are, and I think this idea is at the very essence of what an IHS education strives to achieve.”

CLASS OF 2013
Zach Bigley: “IHS prepared me well for college. All the writing seemed like a lot during the time, but now that I am in college, writing short papers (2-5 pages) is easy. It also taught me how to work well with groups. There are many college kids who will be in a group who do not know how to work at all. In my personal job, the public speaking skills and comfortability that I learned in IHS really helped. I don’t think I would be as good of a broadcaster/journalist if it had not been for IHS.”

Shyam Das-Toke: “IHS and the IB program shifted my paradigm on what it means to be a global citizen. They taught me to think more critically about issues and events, and made me a more well-rounded student. This greatly helped me excel in college and become a more empathetic person. Also, I love how IHS teachers created such a very enjoyable environment for learning. Their enthusiasm for the material has stayed with me since then.”

Ivan Faulhaber: “I recall the conferences being a very exciting and fun experience. I found IHS to be a very useful program for my life after high school and am grateful I was placed in the program. Hopefully it can continue creating future leaders of our community and country!”

Kristen Hutchinson: “My time in Eugene IHS had a big influence on my desire to work abroad and give back after graduating college. IHS gave me a global mindset. I’m grateful for that and the amazing and passionate teachers.”

Zoe Oldham:  “My IB experiences have helped me to relate to the small population of IB diploma receivers at Rice. On top of that, I feel much more prepared to write long research papers because of the Extended Essay. I continue to discover ways in which being a part of IHS has prepared me for college as I get into higher level classes.”

Shellby (Connelly) Turner:  “I did not take the IB tests. IB and IHS curricula have ultimately prepared me for the rigor of college and beyond. I was prepared because I had this experience. It has helped me through many courses. The preparation of essays and projects and a fast-paced learning environment. It has prepared me for the information we learned in the Theory of Knowledge in Psychology. Detailed and analytical thinking from all courses has transferred into the information I received in microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and college statistics. The detail we learned from our social studies and literature transferred over seamlessly with the use of a rich vocabulary we learned to already have read the material for the college courses. Ultimately it taught me in-depth information about other cultures, their beliefs, and pleasantries. This has become useful when interacting with others. I have shared my global knowledge with those who have not had the ability to be enriched in that aspect. IHS has really set us aside from the average person. We have a wide variety of knowledge that everyone should have access to, and moving from West to East I have learned that is not common. I am very thankful for my IHS experience. I may have struggled in high school, as a good proportion of people do. The information I learned has stuck regardless. I can say every one of my IHS teachers gave the best classes and showed ultimate levels of empathy and passion in their courses and towards their students.”

CLASS OF 2014
Rachel Bakke: “My experience in Eugene IHS was critical to my self-discovery and perception of the world. IHS taught me to look at all issues with a critical lens and to be open-minded and accepting of those who are different from me. The holistic approach to education that IHS has is reflected in my everyday life and I am forever grateful to have been part of such a program. Furthermore, taking part in the IB program truly prepared me for the rigors of higher education. My writing, reading, and analyzing skills were well-established when I began attending the University of Puget Sound and I have been building on those skills ever since.”

Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy: “I cherished my IHS experience and valued the community that was built because of it. I think the IB experience was what pushed me to pursue three separate majors in college. The IB program reinforced an ambition in me to achieve more.”

Hanna Hostick: “My IB was AMAZINGLY helpful. I had over a year’s worth of credits transfer and got to skip all the boring and monotonous general ed’s and focus on the classes that interested me and counted towards my majors. It probably wouldn’t have been as easy to double major without all those credits from IB. I loved the community of IHS and the global-mindedness fit me perfectly. I went on exchange for a year during high school and I still love exploring new places and meeting people from all over the world.”

Mitchell Klotter:  “Eugene IHS was great preparation for college courses.”

Rachel Bakke: “IHS was like a family to me; the teachers, students, and classes made me happy to come to school. While IB was very challenging, it was also very rewarding and gave me a sense of accomplishment when I graduated with my IB diploma.”

David Cornwell: “South Eugene IHS helped me to understand the variety of people present in the world. It is my belief that understanding, or at least attempting to understand individual perspectives is the key to effective leadership.”

Solan Megerssa: “IHS, and especially IB, provides all the rigor you would expect from a specialized curriculum. However, the thing that sets IHS apart, and what I consider my most valuable experience, is the sense of community it fosters. In IHS you’re not just part of a school, you’re part of a family. As an IB diploma holder and a student at MIT, I can say that IB really prepared me for juggling all the different aspects of academics; from social studies to the sciences.”

Laura Phillips: “It was amazing! The professors created such a wonderful space for me to learn and grow, even though I was an awkward homeschooler. I remember my French, Literature and Ethics classes the most fondly. I did not do full IB, but the program really prepared me for an international mindset very well.”

Lienne VanWinkle: “Eugene IHS was a very fun, interactive, and useful program. I didn’t realize how much so till now that I am in college. The workload and expectations have made my transition to college a breeze. I miss the group work, close social interaction, and broad way of thinking that IHS offers. I was an IB certificate candidate and my IB test scores have allowed me to take sophomore level classes. I love IHS and what it stands for; global thinking and awareness. I miss it dearly and greatly encourage all to be a part of this amazing program.”

CLASS OF 2015
Kai Burley: “College was a cinch after IHS. The extended essay and other papers (especially in Lit and TOK) prepared me for the kinds of film theory and analysis I did in my degree. The opportunities to create art and video projects for classes also helped inform some of the directions I decided to go in and out of school. Plus IHS was just so much fun!…I graduated in three years with zero debt and found a relevant job (in TV) within 6 months. I attribute a lot of that to IHS and the value of the IB diploma.”

Delpha Xiao Carpenter: “I am now a religious studies major and so I really appreciate that I was able to take Values and Beliefs as well as Theory of Knowledge! My academic interests
are religion and international human rights so I am honestly able to use all the knowledge from IHS in my college work. Also I wrote my IB EE on the Cambodian genocide and that paper helped me get my summer fellowship in Cambodia! I was an IB candidate so it’s also just exciting in college meeting other IB alumni and talking about our experiences.”

Isabella Cuevas: “Hands down the most beneficial program I could’ve possibly done in high school to prepare me for the workload I’d have to be taking in college. I was an IB candidate and the scores from my exams served me well as I didn’t have to take 10 credits worth of classes which has now allowed me to have an easy senior year. I’m grateful for the worldliness of the teachers at IHS and the broad international scope and perspectives I was provided. I feel that I do know more about the world than many of my peers and am conscientious about history, current events, and a wide range of topics and places. My education from IHS has served me well being an international relations major! Much of what I learned in IB econ was repeated in my international political economy class and I surprisingly, after 4 years of no economics classes, remembered everything. Thank you Donn Osterlund!…IB was the best way to prepare for college and beyond! It taught me how to work hard, write long, eloquent, essays and how to do research! It served me immensely my first years in college. I graduated college magna cum laude and can honestly say that IB was instrumental in that. Also! Now that I’m in law school, I can attest to the Theory of Knowledge class being absolutely crucial! It taught me how to think in abstracts and understand philosophical ideas, and even logic that has helped me a bit in college, but even more so now in law school when having to read legal theories.”

Sarah Dzubay: “I have such fond memories of my time in IHS– doing the hustle in class in the days leading up to IB testing, watching Bollywood movies at the end of a unit, and having a community of familiar faces that you spent time with each day over the course of four years. I appreciate to this day the exposure to cultures, religions, and history from across the world (vs. just the US or Western Europe). While I completed the full IB, my scores unfortunately didn't get me a whole lot of college credit (still a point of personal bitterness and competition between me and Greg!), but I am certain having that show of commitment to academic achievement was helpful in getting into the college of my choice.”

Sera Gearhart: “IB served me even more than my Bachelor’s degree 🙂 The skills you learn to multitask, learn quickly and ask questions will help you in your future career.”

Sean Higgins: “I don’t remember high school in the best light…However, my time at Eugene IHS was much different, and fostered a greater sense of comradery and community with my fellow students. I felt more connected with my classmates in the IB programme, knowing that we were all hard at work trying to achieve our goals of obtaining either an IB Certificate or a full IB Diploma.”

Syrus Jin: “Nothing in school can completely prepare for the rigors of higher education, but Eugene IHS and the IB curriculum came close. In Eugene IHS, you’re prepared through an education in global history and worldviews to approach the world with a distinct contextual understanding. It makes a difference after high school as you encounter more topics and issues than anyone could possibly hope to extensively master. As an IB candidate, the heavy emphasis on essay-writing really did pay off in the end. Whether in college, sitting for an exam, getting a certification, or responding to a crisis in a workday, there is always a place for the skill of thinking critically, drafting a message, and having the capacity to deliver a written piece of work under pressure. The IHS and IB curriculum were important in exposing me to strains of thought and experiences in a way that de-centers the United States, which was valuable in improving my personal perspective, but also in forming the basis for my later research in academia since. In a moment where the U.S. begins to occupy less of a predominant role in the world, it is ever more vital for students to understand the world in its own terms. As far as experiences, I specifically recall that Mrs Joanne Heidel, Melodee Soczek, and Jocelyn Harley were excellent teachers and provided wonderful classroom instruction. I especially remember Joanne Heidel repeatedly running us through the methodology for writing the IB history essay, which was excellent exposure to the key components of any piece of argumentative writing I undertook. The payoff of going into college being comfortable with writing and tackling difficult-to-parse topics has been invaluable.”

Cathlyn Medina: “I received the IB Diploma and it has served me incredibly well. Some of the credits earned have allowed me to place out of introductory classes at my university and it has helped me become much more of a well rounded person…the IB experience, specifically the IB diploma, truly helped me prepare for the rigor of college. I felt that I had a much better handle on the work load than most freshmen did…IHS was absolutely my favorite part of high school, from the teachers, to the students, to the curriculum, it was all incredible! Additionally, being an IB candidate set me up very well for the rigor of college. If you are thinking about being an IB candidate, I encourage you to do it!!”

Clara Riordan: “IHS gave me a more worldly view, and the confidence to think critically about the way I live, and how other cultures live. IHS played a huge part in where I am today.”

CLASS OF 2016
Giovanni Brigola: “I really enjoyed the worldly perspective that IHS gave me. As a young adult it helped me to see the world through a different perspective and made me want to travel.  I want to continue to experience new cultures, people, and food across the globe and learn about each places history along the way.”

Lida Ford: “I mostly wanted to reach out to thank the wonderful teachers at Churchill for getting me where I am today – especially Kuzma and Heidel. I definitely wasn’t the easiest student to have, and I am thankful for all the support I received from IHS staff – you all are the only reason I graduated and why I am currently perusing a career in high school education.”

Austin Marie Page: “Still enjoying the friendships made during IHS. Made lifelong friends.”

Samara Schuman: “Studying abroad in high school through NSLI-Y shaped the course of my life. As an extra credit assignment I went to the IHS study abroad fair. After finding out about the state department government program, I applied and studied in Xiamen, China in 2015. I later wrote my EE focused on US-China relations, which led directly into my undergraduate studies. Study abroad! It changes your life and you can do it for free.”

CLASS OF 2017
Megan Chan: “I was a full IB candidate. IB really helped me in terms of my critical thinking skills as well as my essay writing skills. I took a class in college that had me write an essay every single week, two pages, single spaced. A lot of my classmates struggled and though it was hard work, I was a really strong writer because of IB. My favorite class was Theory of Knowledge. It really broadened my mind in terms of everything, religion, politics, movies, my hobbies. I honestly think Theory of Knowledge should be a required class for everyone in high school. There is so much going on in the world, it is so important to know why we think the way we do and if we should question our ways of thinking. It really helped me with having in depth discussions and conversations with my family and friends. On a personal note, I also made a life-long best friend during my time in IHS who I’m still extremely close with now. I really believe that IB/IHS helped me in life and I still talk about it with pride in front of my friends, family, and coworkers.”

Sophia Dossin: “I’m not going to lie – IB was not easy. But once you graduate and you tell people in college that you did IB, you get serious respect. It’s well known for being challenging, and the fact that you’re doing it now will really make you stand out. IB also did wonders for my work ethic. Even though my university is pretty infamous for rigor, my academic transition into college went pretty smoothly. IB taught me how to put my nose to the grind-stone when I’m struggling. It’s hard to overstate how many times my IB experience has saved my GPA. Most important of all, IB gave me a wonderful knowledge foundation. In every single class I’ve taken, I got an easy start because the first few weeks, we’d cover things I learned through IB. It’s so well-rounded and thorough, and though it may be challenging, you are doing yourself a huge favor. Stick with it, kiddos. You definitely won’t regret it.”

Liam Elliott: “My IB experience has kept me open minded with respect to international issues. I have pursued a liberal arts education through my undergraduate coursework. Additionally, my IB Biology course has been directly applicable in my career...I learned so much from the IB courses and really enjoyed learning with a small cohort of classmates that became good friends. The challenging coursework prepared me well with study habits that were necessary in college.”

Kolbe Logan: “I loved it with all my heart. Entirely because of my incredible teachers. Looking at YOU Hulings, Heidel, Kuzma, Michelle Renee, Hubata-Vacek, Dearinger, Duncan, and Saraceno.”

John Musgrove: “IB made me much more prepared for college and gave me many college credits going in. IHS taught me to always be aware of global impact and have a global perspective.”

Katy Novak: “…the experience was still great….I say stick it out all 4 years. You build a sense of community with the peers that are in your class, and it’s nice to have solid friends for 4 years.”

Austin Page: “Spanish Immersion plus IHS prepared me for University.”

Felix Tyson: “I feel a deep gratitude to the history and literature classes of Eugene IHS. They are so many logs on the bonfire that light up the world before my eyes….IHS advanced its mission with me, especially through the work of three of my teachers. In my freshman classes with her, Deon Saraceno taught me to value diversity and act with compassion, in large part by her example. By connecting her civic values to shared history and institutions, Joanne Heidel taught me to act with responsibility and integrity. Through our discussions on art and literature, Christine Pettingill taught me to value ambiguity and discovery.”

CLASS OF 2018
Alex Saveau: “I definitely remember Kuzma’s wacky fonts. Also, the IHS assemblies were the best. In terms of IB candidacy, I’m a sophomore with junior standing, so that’s 2 years of
out-of-state tuition saved right there.”

Emma Wadsworth: “I appreciated the community of IHS the most. I always felt safe and at home during my times in IHS. I would go back and do it again without a doubt.”

CLASS OF 2019
Valentina Cervantes-Frank: “The full IB diploma allowed me to transfer over 30 credits right off the bat. I credit IB in improving my writing and helping me organize and manage my time in college.”

Chase Dean:  “Global perspective.”

India Gerhardt: “I think Eugene IHS was a really great program that was a nice precursor to university level education. I did the full IB and gained the diploma, and I think this was very beneficial because it gave me credits for 4 or 5 classes in college. This means that after the end of my first term in college I already had Sophomore standing, even though I was only a first year student. I am now a second year student and after this first term I will have Junior standing from the credits I gained from passing some IB tests. I also really appreciated how open the IHS classrooms were when having in class discussions because it felt like everyone’s voice was able to be heard and their interpretation was valid, much like discussions in college classes are.”

Savannah Miller-Berg: “Eugene IHS has taught me how creatively think and approach situations from multiple angles. It taught me how determination and hard work truly pays off and showed me the power of a strong support system.”   

CLASS OF 2020
Natalie Elstone: “Some of my most memorable moments from high school come from Eugene IHS. I loved the community it cultivated, specifically the close bonds you form with your fellow classmates when learning such rigorous material (as well as being with them every day!). IHS taught me the importance of seeing the world and recognizing what all the other cultures and communities in our world have to offer.”

Annabelle Peoples:  “It [Eugene IHS] helped me be prepared for the way college is scheduled and runs. I was better prepared to do research, time management skills, talk to professors, and complete assignments.”

Camille Sampley: “Since my first day of college I have been extremely thankful for IHS and IB. It has prepared me so well in ways I would have never even imagined. My time in IHS taught me to be a critical thinker, and this has helped me enjoy my honors classes and think beyond just simple ideas. I feel that taking IB classes has developed my time management skills and made me become an even harder worker. So far, the first semester in college has been easier (for the most part) than IB and IHS!! This is because I came into college feeling prepared and ready to work hard again. And with all my IB credits, I technically started college as a sophomore! Everything about IHS, from the academics to CAS and to my teachers, has given me so much. I now have some weird need to wake up early on a Saturday morning to volunteer. I wonder where that need to volunteer came from? Also, the papers such as the EE and other essays I wrote in IHS made it possible for me to be able to bust out a 4-page paper at 2am the night before it’s due and still somehow find time to sleep. The speed at which I can interpret poems now is impressive to even myself. Must have been all of that Robert Frost. I feel so thankful to every single one of my IHS teachers because they have prepared me so well for college and honestly for life in general. I feel so appreciative for all my experiences in IHS. I can tell that IHS and IB have had such a big impact on me because I still feel so connected to the IHS community 600+ miles away. I really miss the IHS family!! …Turning to my senior year of college, I find myself immensely grateful for my IHS education. The perspective of the world I developed in IHS and IB has left a lasting impact on me. I see the world in a different way than many of my peers. IB and IHS hold such a big space in my heart, and well, in my brain too! Even a whole bachelor’s degree later, the education I received remains highly relevant to me. I am studying to become a teacher and I can see the influence of the IHS and IB curriculum on the lessons I produce and the way in which I teach. (I am big on the poster making!) Last year I studied abroad in France and it was an incredible experience. I would have not pursued such an experience had it not been for the perspective IHS gave me that opened so many doors for me. While in France, I had the opportunity to give presentations about the United States to a local high school. The greatest thing was that this French school happened to be a fellow IB school. I got to talking with the high school students in their IB program and we connected and bonded over the similarities in our IB courses even though they were on the other side of the globe! They were in classes like Theory of Knowledge and IB Global Literature. It was really fascinating to have such a connection on the other side of the world! I feel incredibly fortunate to have grown up in IHS and in the IB program. I will be a better teacher because of the education I received in IHS and IB. I hope to spread the perspectives, knowledge, and love I received as a student in IHS to my future students.”

Tristan Sampley: “IHS, and specifically IB, is a great experience that prepares you well for the rigor and expectations of university studies. I personally benefitted from all the writing experience. This alone has set me far apart from my peers in STEM fields and given me unique opportunities. When I think back to IHS, I think about how tight-knit we all were and the many funny moments that led to. I am often reminded of things we studied, from Szymborska's poetry to statistics in IB Math Studies, whenever they come up in my college classes. I appreciate that my time in IHS was filled with unserious and not rigidly academic moments; those are the memories I think of the most.”

CLASS OF 2021
Mazie McNamara: “My university awarded me 45 credits for completing the IB diploma.”

CLASS OF 2022
Brede Gaston: “Without IHS I do not believe I would be at the place I am today. It has prepared me for my life in my undergraduate work in numerous ways and contributed to my continued passionate framework for international studies.”   

Ari Taubenfeld: “IB was definitely a helpful experience in terms of getting more comfortable with different writing skills. While I am a STEM student and don’t have to write as much as my other peers in humanities focused courses, when I do have to write essays, I feel comfortable writing in different styles and different lengths. The EE process really helped with that and so did the IB test timed writings. Talking to other IB students has also been fun since we all seem to connect on the same level about certain classes like TOK, but it’s also enjoyable to share our different and really unique experiences like IHS as a whole. I think it’s something I undervalued while at Churchill, but I'm glad to have had as an academic and social experience.”

 

Emma Truscott: “Did save me some credits, built on note taking experiences.”

 

Nick Van Wyk: “I constantly think back to IHS and the positive impact it had on me while I was in high school.”
 

CLASS OF 2023
Allison Erickson: “I really enjoyed being in IHS and IB. I liked staying with relatively the same class all four years so that everyone knew each other. The CAS group project pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and do a project that helped others, and now continues to help others as I do it every year now! Beyond that, being in IB definitely helped credit-wise, and I am on track to graduate a year early (and save a lot of money) because of my IB credits.”

Ella Van Wyk: “IB gave me essential and valuable time management skills in order to prepare for college. I’m finding that it is not too much harder in college than doing full IB.”

Dori Vaughan: “I don’t think I can even express how beneficial IB and IHS have been to my education and my growth as a person. As a current Global Studies and foreign language major, the way that I learned in IHS really prepared me for the internationally focused learning environment I’m enjoying right now. Also, I almost get a sense of deja vu when I read through syllabi as I register for courses and I find that many of the materials studied in introductory college courses are things I’ve already encountered in IB. Every single freshman lit class in the Honors College that looked interesting to me for this winter includes at least one text that I read in IB. IB also really helped prepare me for the type of assignments and testing environments that would be present in a college setting which I’m super grateful for as I watch other students in my hall struggle to learn how to write research papers for the first time. Not to mention how amazing the teaching staff is in IHS. I can honestly say that I developed a personal connection with every single teacher I had in IHS and those relationships helped me tremendously as I navigated adolescence and worked towards my IB diploma. I find myself genuinely missing so many teachers from IHS now that I’ve graduated…Having researched all local offerings I can truly say that I believe that IHS is the highest quality education available to students in the Eugene-Springfield area. It’s certainly rigorous, but the quality of the curriculum and teaching staff is in my opinion unrivaled.”