Unlike past years, every sophomore is required to complete the IBMYP Personal Project this year. The personal project has to reflect one of the “IB Areas of Interaction.”

Although some students complete the project solely to fulfill the IBMYP requirement, junior Yeni Montalvo continues to work with the subjects of her project.

Montalvo went to the Reston Shelter to listen to girls who survived abusive households.

“I would interview them and then I made a book and a movie on their stories. It’s a way for them to get their voice out,” said Montalvo. “It was completely anonymous. If a teacher asked me who the victims were, I wouldn’t be able to tell them.”

Montalvo understands the victims struggles.

“I’ve had experience with this,” said Montalvo. “I know that, I wished there was a way to overcome the pain and the fear.”

In addition to attending to the shelter, Montalvo traveled to El Salvador and met with girls who were sexually abused.

As a continuation of her project, she went to the shelter during Thanksgiving break this year to follow up with the girls she interviewed for the project. She wants to continue serving the girls through a benefit.

“I’ve become friends with some of the girls I’ve interviewed,” said Montalvo. “I want to do a fundraiser for kids that are abused, but it’s hard because abuse is such a broad topic.”

Another student, junior Helen Slivinki, uses her MYP project as an opportunity to doing something for the community. Her project, ‘Think Love,” lasted six months.

“I did ‘Think Love’ because I thought it would be neat project that I would possibly learn a lot from,” said Slivinski.

‘Think Love” served as a fundraiser for Cindy Martin, a local hairdresser who suffered from brain cancer yet had no medical insurance. A benefit show and t-shirt sales helped raise $3,000. Slivinski designed the t-shirts herself.

“Sadly, I will not be doing the exact same project this year,” said Slivinski. “During my project she passed away, but I might conduct a fundraiser for any of the two benefiting charities I worked with last year, or the charity Ms. Martin’s daughter set up.”

Slivinksi worked with the National Brain Tumor Society, Imerman Angels, and Cindy’s Legacy, the charity founded by Martin’s daughter.

“The outcome of the project was not only a new non-profit organization,” said Slivinski. “But great experiences and lessons in life and the people you meet through it.”

Sophomore Lizzy Merin aspires to generate a successful project similar to that of Montalvo and Slivinski. She plans to coordinate a suicide prevention week.

“My idea is for my friends and I to wear yellow all week to raise awareness,” said Merin.

The Yellow Ribbon Campaign, a suicide prevention program, inspired Merin’s. The color yellow gained significance in 1994 when teenager Mike Emme committed suicide in his yellow car.

“My idea is during lunch to hand out yellow cards for people to write one thing they like about

themselves and would never change,” said Merin. “At the end of the week I would hang the cards up

anonymously around the cafeteria for everyone to see what other people like about themselves.”

Merin hopes to organize a program with the theater department, the date to be determined.

“I think it would so cool if I could get someone from the closest chapter of the Yellow Ribbon Campaign or get Mike’s parents to come talk,” said Merin. “Mike’s parents do talks around the country for their anti-suicide campaign.”

Personal struggles led to the cultivation of Merin’s project.

“I have friends that have attempted suicide,” said Merin. “My cousin who was 16 also just committed suicide. He was in a coma and basically dead. I hate that he killed himself instead of coming to Thanksgiving dinner, I hate how he couldn’t tell me what he was thankful for, I hate how I couldn’t tell him what I was thankful for. I hate how I felt useless and couldn’t do anything.”

Merin recognizes the challenges she faces with her project.

“I understand that I’m walking a fine line,” said Merin. “[Suicide] is a touchy subject for a lot of people, including me. I will try my hardest to make sure nothing that is said can be taken offensively.”

She hopes to continue her project next year, depending on this year’s success.

“I hope to expand my project,” said Merin. “But right now it’s as big as I can handle.”