About

The International Baccalaureate Program

The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

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  • First All-girls High School in the State

    Modeled after the best educational systems in Europe, the IB program was originally designed in 1968 to meet the educational needs of children of diplomats.  Today, the IB program is offered to any student who wishes to challenge herself academically by pursuing an intensive course of study in six subject areas that leads to the reward of the IB diploma which may provide admission to top colleges and universities around the world. 
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  • A Higheer Degree of Learning

    Unlike other honors curricula, the IB program challenges qualified juniors and seniors who have been recommended by their teachers to take part in a global community of academic excellence with emphasis on critical thinking, creativity and service.  This philosophy fits right into Trinity’s mission of educating the mind and nurturing the spirit of young women. 
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IB Quick Links

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IB Exams

Exams are held in the SMG Athletic Facility. Click here for the 2024 IB Exam Schedule

Please be aware that starting and ending times are approximate. Students will be allowed into the examination room 15 minutes before the start of each exam. Students will be dismissed about twenty minutes after the posted ending time.

    • IB Celebrates 30 Years at Trinity!

Trinity's IB Alumnae Testimonial

Maj Alicia Delia
US Air Force Office, Pentagon
Lewis University (Romeoville, IL)  
Class of '06

Learning, growing, and succeeding in the IB program gave me the confidence to face the myriad of challenges in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment we live in today. Immediately upon graduation and beyond, I have been able to communicate more effectively than my peers and be a driving force for positive change and flexibility in multiple organizations. 



Carina Huerta '20
Associate Quality Engineer  
University of Illinois, Chicago

As a full IB student, IB taught me three important education and life skills. One, IB taught me how to properly manage my time. Between taking rigorous courses, participating in CAS (Creativity, Activity, and Service), and being a leader in my clubs, I found that I could manage my time effectively. This skill has allowed me to excel in college and given me the opportunity to always fit my own interests into my busy schedule. The second skill IB taught me was how to write effectively. Through writing IA's and the Extended Essay, I found that my writing is much stronger than when I first began the program because IB holds you to such a high standard. This allowed me to complete college without having issues writing 20 page engineering lab reports. The last thing IB taught me was how to formulate my own ideas and opinions while expressing them effectively. IB teaches you to be a self-learner in your own interests through IA's, the Extended Essay, CAS, TOK, and class in general; being able to grow in my own interests independently has taught me how to be resilient, how to stand behind my ideas, and how to always be a curious student.


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April Peregrino, Pharm.D '97
First IB Class
Pictured: April in the Marshall Islands, her last country in the South Pacific and her penultimate one of all the countries in the world (United Nations 192 of 193)!

"I was raised by a confident mother in an immigrant two-parent household, and with the environment of Trinity, I became a strong-willed, confident adult.  In university and in the work force, I did not feel less in my gender.  I felt equal because I had the confidence to ask and answer questions and promote productivity and growth at work.  I am utterly grateful to you all and the institution of Trinity.  You recognized the potential, and the potential is still growing!  The confidence Trinity instilled in me allowed me to travel in countries whose governments may have been unstable, which may been in active conflict, which may have had different norms and dress for women.  With grace and patience, I have seen the good and the bad.  I am about to be one of the very few women who have visited every country in the world (at estimation, it’s currently around 40 women in the world), and I sincerely doubt my wanderlust would have taken me this far if I had attended a co-ed school." 
 
 
 
 

Jacqueline Ivey-Brown, MD, FACP '97
First IB Class
Chief Medical Office Advocate HealthClinical Associate Professor of  University of Illinois Chicago
 
"I credit IB for providing me with the academic rigor that I needed to see at a pivotal time in my life. As a young teen, my confidence was not high. I was unsure of myself and my capabilities in so many aspects of my life. Successfully completing each year at Trinity, as an IB student, demonstrated to me that I was able to do “hard things.” The academic confidence that I gained in high school served me well as I walked into the collegiate arena, knowing that I could successfully complete any course I chose. 
 
If I pause and look back to 1993, when I walked in through the doors of Trinity as a bright but shy girl, I realize my future could have taken a different turn. If I was not supported and academically pushed by the faculty, I would not have attained the confidence and skills needed to walk the same path that led me to who I am today. For that reason, I will always remain in debt to Trinity, my Alma Mater."
 
 
 

Monica Krcmarik Edwards '02  MD, MPH, FACP
St. Marys in Riverside 
Marquette University
Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine 
Associate Professor Department of Medicine
Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine

"The IB program was absolutely incredible and set me up for my future academic success. It was rigorous, but what it really taught me was to be an independent learner. I was totally overprepared when I went to college. All my initial science and math classes were effectively repeats since I had already learned much of the material. Truly, I would not be the successful physician and medical educator I am without the foundation of the IB program."

Katie Hazen '14
St. Luke School, River Forest
Smith College
Boston Law School

"My IB education prepared me to be a student of the world and taught me to think critically. After receiving an IB Diploma, I interned in the Obama White House, studied abroad in Switzerland while interning for the International Organization for Migration (now part of the UN), worked in New York politics, including for then-Governor Andrew Cuomo during the height of COVID as a member of the infamous "PowerPoint team," and joined a team of progressive political consultants working to make the city and state better for all New Yorkers on a variety of different issues. The IB program prepared me for all these jobs, especially my last one which required carrying a deep knowledge of a variety of different topics, whether I was working on anti-sexual harassment/abuse legislation, an Attorney General campaign, a workers' rights bill, or an educational campaign on dangers of PFAs (often all at once) -- in addition to being able to write well enough for national publications on these issues. Both the writing and studying skills I gained from my IB education have served me well in law school so far.

I think most importantly, the IB program prepared me early to expect challenge and not back down. Life -- whether it's academics, career, friends, dating or family -- will throw challenges. I wish I had understood at the time that the greatest lesson from the IB program is that "doing well" is not about always getting the right answer, but about being able to adjust to difficulties, ask for help and always remember that just about nothing is as hard as IB Bio. "
 

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Kristin Trusco '00
Sacred Heart School, Melrose Park
Elmhurst University
Graphic Designer for ADA Agency at the American Dental Association
 
"IB prepared me in ways that I truly don't think I could have received anywhere else. Sure, it helped me bypass some classes in college. It helped condition me with how to balance demanding projects and homework. It helped train me in time management. It challenged me to see both sides of any issue and directly encouraged me to support differing viewpoints with fact-based research. But aside from the academics, the IB program gave me confidence that continued to develop immediately following graduation. Studying at an all-girls high school coupled with accelerated and advanced classes encouraged me to interact with my community and coworkers with a confidence I carry daily. I am so deeply proud of my education, my experience with my mentors, and the connections I made throughout my entire journey."

 

Kate Perschke '17
University of Illinois, Chicago
Loyola University Masters

"IB has helped me in every aspect of my life - from who I am as a person, to my coursework in undergrad and grad school, and to who I am in my current role at a major tech company. It has given me a competitive edge in candidate pools and has made me a more considerate and strategic thinker. My colleagues from around the world find me different than most Americans - and I tell them it's because of Trinity High School and IB!"

Trinity's Unique IB Program

"When I reflect on the past four years I spent at Trinity High School, no words can begin to express the amount of gratitude I feel for attending a wonderful institution. The journey I began freshman year has been long and difficult, but it is very rewarding. Trinity’s rigorous IB curriculum has not only tested my academic abilities, but it has also challenged me mentally and physically. I faced many hardships due to the amount of workload I needed to complete, but those challenges have only provided me with vital skills I can use in the next chapter of my life. I am more than thankful to my teachers for always inspiring me to be more resilient and ambitious. Without them, I would not be the successful student I am today, and I certainly would not have discovered my passion for leadership, teamwork, and volunteering."
Kimberly Verseles, Case Western Reserve University
Bridgeport Catholic Academy

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Rose Crnkovich

    Rose Crnkovich 

    English Teacher, IB Coordinator

Trinity High School

7574 Division Street
River Forest, Illinois 60305
708-771-8383