As a student at Shaker Heights High School, Ian Bartimole
considered himself a math and science person who also had
an interest in theater. But something happened in his senior
year that changed his academic trajectory.
“Going into the IB Diploma Program, I was sort of apprehensive about taking
more history courses,” says Ian. “But when I took the IB Asian History course, I
fell in love with the material and the curriculum. I very much benefited from the
reading and research we did with primary sources, and it became an area of interest
for me at college.”
Ian also credits the Theory of Knowledge course with opening his mind to new
ways of thinking and learning. Says Ian, “We were asking questions about how we
learn and how we know things, and it caused me to ask myself what I liked and
didn’t like about different aspects of education. I learned that I really like it when
my courses are able to intersect and there are common topics that run like threads
through them. I also enjoy being able to interact one-on-one with my teachers.”
This self-discovery process ultimately influenced his decision to attend a
small liberal arts college, Earlham College in Indiana, where he intends to major in
philosophy. “The exposure to a new approach, a new way of thinking, was very helpful
in my growth,” says Ian.
In the course of pursuing the IB Diploma, Ian also learned that he enjoys working
with younger students. As part of his community service requirement, he worked as a
basketball coach for a team of second-graders. The experience inspired him to become a
counselor at Shaker’s sixth-grade camp last spring, where he plans to return this year.
For Ian, “The most rewarding part of the IB Diploma Program was looking
back after finishing the program and seeing what we had accomplished: all of the
courses, the 16-page research paper, and the 150 hours of
community service.”
That having been said, he advises other potential IB
Diploma candidates, “If you are doing all of the work solely
for the diploma, for the piece of paper that tells you ‘you
did it,’ then it’s not worth the effort. However, if you truly
want to learn and are willing to work hard, and want to
push yourself to see what you can accomplish, then the
program is entirely worth the effort.”
SHAKER LIFE | SPRING 2014 47
A Philosophical
Approach
“The most rewarding part of
the IB Diploma Program was
looking back after finishing
the program and seeing what
we had accomplished...”