Out of 209,607 International Baccalaureate students and 134,167 diploma candidates who sat for the May 2026 IB Exams, the International Baccalaureate Organization awarded 104,369 diplomas worldwide for the May 2026 session. On Friday, October 9, 2026, Latta High School held a presentation ceremony for Janet Fernandez, Brianna Hayes, Clay Lee, and Keira Mitschelen to receive their International Baccalaureate Programme diplomas. These remarkable students received their diplomas by completing two years of a rigorous, demanding international curriculum. Their course of study included six academic classes as well as three additional subjects comprising the core of IB: Theory of Knowledge (a class that challenges students to reflect on the nature of knowledge), Creativity, Activity, and Service (a mandate requiring students to focus beyond academics and to volunteer their time and service to others, as well as challenge themselves by learning new skills), and Extended Essay (an independent, college-level essay of approximately 4,000 words).
Each student dedicates approximately forty hours of work into the creation of their Extended Essay. Janet’s topic was “Society’s Influence on Marriage in Pride and Prejudice”. Brianna’s topic was "The Salem Witch Trials”. Clay’s topic was “The Themes in The Sun Also Rises” and Keira’s topic was “Continuous Discrimination Against Native Americans Throughout History”.
Janet Fernandez is the daughter of Ricardo Fernandez Juarez and Francisca Peralta Cruz. She currently attends the University of South Carolina and is majoring in Biology with hopes of attending graduate school and pursuing a career as a wildlife biologist.
Janet said, “The IB program prepared me for college by teaching me to prioritize certain assignments. The program also helped me learn how I study and work best.”
Janet identified her biggest challenge throughout IB classes as managing time with studying for all the exams while trying to keep my stress at a minimum.
Janet’s biggest piece of advice for current and future IB students is [to] not let your assignments pile up [or] work on all of them at the last minute. Make sure to organize your notes/assignments, as they can be helpful for saving time in the future while studying for exams.
Brianna Hayes is the daughter of Audrey and Micki Hayes. She currently attends the University of South Carolina and is majoring in Social Work with plans of attending law school.
Brianna said, “The IB program prepared me with time management between all of the different classes’ assignments and preparing for exams.”
Brianna’s biggest piece of advice for current and future IB students is to prioritize your assignments by due dates and start studying for papers at least two weeks in advance.
Brianna identified her biggest challenge throughout IB classes was studying for all of the exams at the end of the year.
Clay Lee is the son of Terry Lee and Christal Lee Snipes. He currently attends the University of South Carolina and is majoring in Biology. He plans to attend medical school with hopes of becoming a pediatrician.
Clay said, “The IB program prepared me for college by teaching me time management, perseverance, and study skills.”
Clay’s biggest piece of advice for current and future IB students is “to not wait for the last minute. Study in advance, stay organized, and prioritize the most important assignments that are due first. Most importantly, don’t stress and become overwhelmed about all of the end of the year papers.”
Clay identified his biggest challenge in IB as “preparing to study for all 10 of my end of year papers, which were all in two consecutive weeks.”
Keira Mitschelen is the daughter of Richard and Krystal Bell. She currently attends the University of South Carolina majoring in Exercise Science with plans of a career in occupational therapy and prosthetics.
Keira said, “The IB program taught me how to prioritize tasks, take advantage of opportunities, set goals for myself, realistically manage my time, and reach beyond surface level both on assignments and in real life. Beyond academics, I have also gotten more involved in my community and began to expand my role in society.”
Keira’s biggest piece of advice for current and future IB students is “The IB program can be overwhelming for many students at first. Although it is supposed to foster your independence and strengthen your role as a student, do not forget that there are many resources available to you as well as wonderful teachers who want to see you succeed. Use these resources wisely and try as many things as you can so you can find what works, and doesn’t work, for you.”
Keira identified her biggest challenge in IB as surprisingly not academic. She said, “As an individual with social anxiety, I was pushed past my comfort zone many times. Although it felt overwhelming and there were times I struggled to stay afloat, the program helped me discover what worked for me and taught me to celebrate my accomplishments instead of sulk over my failures.”
These students have definitely learned some important lessons, and we anticipate them and additional program graduates coming back to Latta High School in December 2026 to share their knowledge and experience with the underclassmen who are considering joining the IB Diploma Programme.
Latta High School is very proud of all of our International Baccalaureate Diploma graduates. They join many other Latta High School graduates who distinguished themselves by earning this international recognition. The significant achievements that these students have already accomplished make us all look forward to seeing what they will do in the future. The staff and faculty would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to our graduates for their willingness to share their life experiences and knowledge with their peers. We look forward to many more years of successful stories told by our International Baccalaureate Diploma graduates.
The IB Diploma Programme and Career-Related Programme May 2026 Assessment Session Provisional Statistical Bulletin
https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/dpcp-provisional-statistical-bulletin-may-2026_en.pdf