It’s only been 2 years since Anea Elmas came to MIS via Stuttgart, and then London. But in those 2 years’ time, she has already woven herself into the fabric of MIS and contributed to the school community as a learner, a collaborator, and a leader. Anea seems naturally incapable of just blending in, preferring to push the boundaries and make life and learning a little more interesting.
Anea joined MIS in 8th grade, and now as a 10th-grader, she is an editor on the Buchhof Bulletin team, a podcaster, a volleyball player, and a Duke of Edinburgh Program – Bronze and Silver Award participant. She went to Borneo last year on the True Adventure trip. She will join the Tanzania Project trip this summer. And, she bakes!
“To start from the beginning, I have always been really good at making chocolate chip cookies. I used to bring them to school and always loved seeing people‘s expression change when they were enjoying my food” says Anea. In 8th-grade Food Design class, Anea learned more about the science of baking and recipe development. The class provides a safe space for students to experiment with different ingredients and flavors. Her favorite unit focused on ‘upcycling’ ingredients and culminated in an incredible banana bread.
Anea credits Middle School Food Design class for “helping me to get really motivated about making my own recipes and sharing them with others. Therefore, I thought for my 10th-grade IB Personal Project, I could take it to the next level by making a whole recipe book revolving around the idea of taking a basic recipe like a cookie and giving it new depth by adding unconventional flavors that not everyone would think of. I knew that my ideas were going to make me stand out from traditional recipe books".
For the Grade 10 Personal Projects, students had to follow a Design Thinking Process which guided them through the stages of ideation, researching, process structuring, testing outcomes, revising, and presenting a final product. “When I did my process, I had to start by developing the actual recipe and coming up with the flavor combinations. I went through the design process multiple times in which I would make a prototype, collect feedback; and then with that feedback, make a better version. I tried to make the recipes in a way that everyone would be able to make them at home and enjoy them themselves” explains Anea.
Not only did the recipes need to be developed and refined, but Anea also had to carefully consider the design of the book. Anea explains that she “wanted a more graphic style, with colors that represent each recipe. So, for the design process, I surveyed different people and asked what colors came to mind when I mentioned different flavors and names of ingredients”.
Much like Anea, her final product recipe book is not at all ‘basic’. “I think for the next steps, I’m going to share the recipes with the MIS community in the Parent-Teacher Verein Culinary Group. I’ll also make a few more copies of the book, so they can be included in the school libraries!”
Anea encourages all MIS students to “embrace your individuality and find ways to showcase who you are and how you are special. Being basic is boring”.