Orland Park Resident Inducted Into St. Laurence IB Program

ORLAND PARK, IL — Orland Park's Anna Perez, a student from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, was recently inducted into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at St. Laurence High School. Perez was among a small pool of just 20 inductees that were selected from 60 candidates for the program’s inaugural class, according to a news release from the school.

According to the school, St. Laurence is one of just three Catholic IB World Schools in Illinois, and is the only one in the Southland area. The school achieved this status after an extensive candidacy phase that lasted nearly two years and involved several evaluations of the school’s curriculum, teachers, facilities and more, the school said.

The school says that its program provides many benefits for those who are enrolled.

"DP students become more attractive candidates to colleges in the admissions process because they are choosing the most rigorous academic path available. On top of that, DP students enroll in and graduate from four-year institutions at much higher rates than the national average," the release states.

"They also may receive credit or advanced standing by scoring well on IB exams," the release states. Additionally, students learn to do coursework that models a college experience in development of thinking, communication, self-management, social, and research skills while still in high school, which can make the transition to college easier."

Located in Burbank, the school calls St. Laurence High School a "transformative Catholic environment that develops courageous leaders, centered on God and driven by academics and athletics."

As the first STEM-accredited high school in Illinois, the school says St. Laurence provides a dynamic curriculum built around project-based learning in a team-driven environment, rooted in the essential elements of an Edmund Rice Christian Brother Education.

"By teaching the whole student and empowering them to serve causes they believe in, St. Laurence prepares young men and women for extraordinary success in college and beyond," the release states.

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