Carrollwood Day School’s class of 2024 completed a major rite of passage for IB students around the world this month. The current sophomores had been working on projects for about a year, and in the 2022 Personal Project Fair they were able to showcase the devotion they had to their projects.

The day started with a short presentation of seven speeches and a musical performance from students. JT F., Ava O., Adele S., Tayshaun B., Aditi K., and Bhuvi R; they spoke about the lessons they received from their projects and the major impact it has had on their lives. These students participated in a wide variety of projects. Each took an aspect of their life and pursued it on a greater level than just having an interest in it. They participated in things like building a baseball bat, organizing a family olympics, sewing blankets for the homeless, learning to become a referee, helping hurt animals living on the streets in India, and volunteering at a hospital. KC L. focused his project on enhancing his piano skills, and he played an advanced piece in the presentation.

After the theater presentations, the sophomores went to the Project Fair in the gym. Here, parents, grandparents, teachers, and students from all grade levels, were able to walk around to discuss each project with an individual 10th grader. Each student got a chance to put their hard work on display.

The Personal Project is something every sophomore is required to complete at CDS, but that does not mean that the process did not have an impact on them. Topics chosen by students are ones they are already passionate about or interested in, so the impact is an enhancement of something they already care about or enjoy. In many cases, students choose a subject that is meaningful to their families, cultures, or communities, which has given them a stronger connection to the things, and people they love.

No matter what project a student chose to pursue, they needed to be invested. The time spent working on the project varied from a few months, to a year, or possibly longer. The passion that students had for their project kept them invested in it to create a powerful, and personal, project that was specific to each and every person.

The passion project is something every sophomore student is highly proud of, and something that some will continue years into the future. Even though students ran into challenges like procrastination and time management, along with outside factors that were out of their control, the class of 2024 has completed another generation of successful Personal Projects at CDS. They did not disappoint with their wide range of interests and topics.