Ian

Biggest difference between middle school and high school: I think the biggest difference between middle school and high school is the fluidity of social groups. Here you still have a close group of friends, but it feels like everyone is pretty much friends with each other. You talk to a huge number of people everyday.

Why I chose College Prep: When I first visited College Prep, I knew very little about it, so I came in with no preconceptions. The first thing that struck me was the relationships between the students and the teachers. At other schools teachers had to drag answers out of the students, who seemed bored and uninterested in the talks the teachers gave. At College Prep, the second the teacher asked a question ten hands went up. When the teachers heard the students answers, they asked follow up questions and other questions to the rest of the class based on the first student's answer, which often bloomed into a free-flowing conversation rather than call and response. The teachers really treat the students as equals. Another thing I noticed was that it didn't seem like anyone was ever alone during free time. Everyone was walking around and talking with a bunch of different people, rather than staying set in one small group.

Why I'm glad I chose College Prep:  I think the teachers at College Prep are really amazing. They know how to get students to learn and be involved. They truly want to make sure you know the material and will meet with you pretty much anytime they aren't teaching a class. During class they get really excited about the stuff they are talking about and that's when you realize that they enjoy teaching and love the subjects they teach. Another aspect I like is the other students. They are really involved in the stuff we are learning. It isn't uncommon to have conversations with other students about the current material, outside of class. 

Favorite place on campus:  I think the gym is my favorite place on campus. There is always a basketball or soccer pick-up game going on which you can always join. A lot of people hang out on the sidelines and you can do homework, study, or just talk. It's a really great place to hang out.

Campus involvement:  This year I played both soccer and basketball (which is totally manageable, the workload really isn't that crazy). I am also in the Current Events Club and Latinos Unidos. Both teams were awesome and were a way to become better friends with people, while playing a great sport. Current Events Club is really interesting since we talk and debate about current events and how they will affect us. I really like that there is a club for Hispanics, who I sometimes think are underrepresented. Both clubs are a great way to meet upperclassmen and people you might not know as well otherwise.

Favorite class: I really like all my classes so it is hard to choose a favorite.

Favorite thing about College Prep: I really like the sense of community and I think that's what set College Prep apart from other schools. All the teachers are completely there for you, and if you are ever having any kind of trouble, you can basically walk into their office any time and they will be glad to help you with work or explain something you might not have understood in class. All the students are really friendly with each other and if you have had some sort of bad thing happen, there really is a sense that the others all support you. 

Favorite College Prep memory: My favorite College Prep memory so far was carnival day. It was a day where we got an extra long lunch period and had a school fair basically. We had a jump house/obstacle course, snow cone and cotton candy machines and a bunch of the clubs had food sales. I worked on the Latinos Unidos food sale for the first part and then just hung out doing the obstacle course with a bunch of people. Everyone was having a really great time and it was just a fun day.

Coolest (spring/summer/winter) break experience: My coolest break experience was snow trip. The entire school went up to Bear Valley for 3 days and it was a huge amount of fun. You and your friends sign up together and get your own room (with a chaperon if you're in one of the condos). We all went skiing together and in the afternoons we went sledding and had snowball fights and hung around the lodge.

Favorite character from a movie/book/television series: My favorite fictional character is probably Winston from 1984. I was really struck by how heroic he was in his attempts to remain an individual. Eventually he does fail, and is brainwashed into genuinely loving Big Brother, but before that, he fights to take down the ministry, with full knowledge that the government would eventually come for him. His willing and premeditated self sacrifice struck me as amazingly noble and heroic.