Name: Om

Graduation Year: 2020

Middle School:  United World College of South East Asia (Singapore)

Hometown: Pleasant Hill

 

What's the biggest difference between middle school and high school? The academic workload. In middle school, I found myself doing every extracurricular under the sun, because my homework and course load allowed for it. However, the greater academic workload in high school has pushed me to pick the extracurricular activities that I feel the most passionate about. While I had some fears about the greater academic workload, I’ve had incredible sources of support -- my advisor, my parents, my peers, and my teachers -- who have helped me along the way.

 

Why are you glad that you chose College Prep? On my shadow day, I was fascinated by a community that was very intellectual, yet kind and fun at the same time. Sitting in Dr. Wilson's Atlantic Worlds classroom, I knew that College Prep would give me the opportunity to engage deeply with my academic subjects and have fun with great people along the way.  And, sitting here three years later, College Prep didn't disappoint! I regularly find myself truly enjoying myself in intellectually rigorous environments.

 

What advice do you have for 8th graders applying to high school? I believe that the best way to choose your high school is based on where you can best see yourself. If you are shadowing a class, ask yourself whether you could see yourself sitting at the table with the other students. Or, would you see yourself engaging in a club at the school, or hanging out in a certain space?

 

What campus activities are you involved in? Juliet (also a current senior) and I are student body co-presidents this year, which I am incredibly excited about. I can't wait to use StuCo as a platform to meet more members of the community, have fun, and organize community-building events. I also play tennis, one of my lifelong passions, on our tennis team. One of the highlights of every spring semester for me is hanging out with the team and growing as an athlete and a person on the court. I play trombone in Jazz Band, which is challenging (I first started playing in freshman year), but rewarding at the same time. Additionally, I am a freshman advising senior, which gives me the chance to make friends with underclassmen and help give back to a community that has helped me so much. In my freshman year, I I felt so supported by the seniors and want our current freshmen to have a similar experience. . Finally, I help to lead math squad, a group of math tutors on campus for students of all grades.

 

What is your favorite College Prep memory? Spirit Week of my freshman year. Our freshman dodgeball team (with purple uniforms) beat the Sophomores and Juniors and got to the finals of the dodgeball tournament! I don't think I've ever cheered so loud in my life. I was so excited to see our newly-formed grade come together and bond as a group. I didn't really know how to play trombone at that point, but I remember shoving all my self-consciousness out the window and playing it during the games, which was so much fun. I imagine that is what it is like to watch sports at a university, but I guess I'll have to wait and see!

 

What is your favorite place on campus? The courtyard. I feel that the space is the heart of the campus. Students play four square, eat lunch, and even dance along to Dean Chabon's breaklet tunes! Also, assemblies happen in the courtyard, which are often very fun and are a great time for the community to come together and celebrate one another. During more serious times, such as one a couple years ago, our community gathered in the courtyard to mourn the passing of our friend, exchange friendship bracelets, and write supportive messages in chalk on the ground. I believe it truly symbolizes the strength of our tightly-knit community.

 

What has been your favorite class? Mr. Cottone's Math 2 class. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in a classroom. During my freshman year, I remember coming to every math class looking forward to learning the material and joking around with Mr. Cottone. By the end of the year, our class had so many inside jokes -- it was like we had been lifelong friends. That class was a shining example of how fun learning can be. Even today, my friends and I laugh about certain memories from those classes.

 

What has been the best thing about College Prep? I love our faculty. They are incredibly smart, but so relatable and human at the same time. They genuinely care about every one of us as learners: many of my teachers are happy to meet with me as often as I need. And, they will willingly take breaks from our material and ask us about our lives, or take time to tell us about theirs. I have found myself building relationships with my teachers that extend outside of our conversation in the classroom.

 

Who is your favorite character from a movie/book/television series? Mike Ross from the television series Suits!

 

Three unusual things about me:

1. My initials are my name.

2. I'm really tall.

3. I love eating cereal at times of the day other than the morning! Oh, and in case you are wondering - honey nut cheerios are my favorite cereal :)