“You can say positive or negative things and you don’t have to answer every question”
- Fav school memory?
Charles: My favorite memory is senior retreat and just singing and hanging with everyone for the first time
Andie: I really liked senior sunrise, every ee trip ive been on, and lowk school dances
Noah: I guess for favorite school memory it would be when i finally leave this godforsaken place [He was joking]. Fr tho probably working on robotics with Erik and Daniel in my sophmore year like the night b4 lm1
Shayla: My favorite school memory was the senior trip when we were all by the campfire
Cat: My favorite memory at school has definitely been during my free blocks when we play games in the library because I always laugh so hard.
Aaron G: Kayaking in Santa Cruz with my friends
Reb: Painting the rock into a steak
Aaron C: My favorite school memory would be anything from the EE trip to Oregon in 10th grade
Ryan: Going to Santa Cruz Islands sophomore year
Vicky: Some of my favorite memories include digging through the sand in my pre-K to lower school days (I LOVED making stuff with wet sand, like I made sand cakes or patties and pretended I was cooking, and when I was in lower school I evolved into making sand balls (like, I got really good at making them perfectly round. I had a whole system down and all. Secret formula—can’t reveal those secrets)), and middle school experiential ed. I think those trips made me feel deeply emotional and had me connect and form independence away from my parents and home that I had never experienced in my life before. Now that i think about it, in a way, maybe those experiential ed trips in middle school were just preparing me for the feeling of going off into college; I was away from home and it felt scary, but also empowering and a moment where I can independently find myself away from my comfortable yet small-world home.
Lucia: favorite school memory is probably watching the world cup freshman year. everyone bonded because we were all watching the games during our free blocks and it was a really fun time.
- If you could shout out a teacher who would it be?
Charles: I’d shout out Doctor Short for being the first teacher I really talked to and showing me around and being nice to me as a new kid
Sua: I would shout out Ms. Stewart
Andie: the prz [Mr. Przymus] – I’ve had him for four years, and he’s really built my confidence and creativity through music
Noah: Halloran. She almost convinced me academia is a good career. That’s quite impressive.
Shayla: I would shout out Mr. Schall
Yug: Ms. Garcia or Dr. Riel
Cat: I’d give a big shoutout to Mr. Prychun and Dr. Riel.
Aaron G: Mr Kullens and Dr Liu
Reb: Mrs. Valji
Aaron C: I would easily shout out Mr. Prychun
Ryan: Ms. Diener, for teaching me violin from 1st to 4th and 9th to 12th
Iain: would shout out Sung Laoshi, she ran the Chinese courses wonderfully and has helped me since middle school with a hard language
Vicky: I would shout out my third grade homeroom teacher, Ms. Russel (I think she changed her last name tho, I don’t know to what). She sat down with me when a close family member of mine had gotten sick to check on me if I was okay. At the time, I felt completely fine and took the gesture to be nothing much. But now that I am much older, and that family member has passed away, I think about how kind her gesture was and in retrospect, am very touched by her genuine care and kindness. It’s crazy how different things look from when you were 8 years old, to when you are 18 years old. But now looking back, I can say that I really appreciate and am much more grateful for her gesture now than ever before.
Lucia: Mr. Shulman or Dr. Halloran. Dr. Halloran is probably one of the most important mentors in my life, she pushed me out of my comfort zone in APUSH and she’s shown me so much in how to carry myself and react to situations. Same goes to Mr. Shulman who’s given me so many opportunities inside and outside of school and continues to be someone I go to anytime I need help.
- What are some college/career plans?
Charles: I’m going into Audio Engineering at Belmont University in Nashville, tryna become a music producer/artist and figuring it out as I go along
Andie: Majoring in chem in college premed; ultimate career goal is to be a neonatologist or plastic surgeon… if med school doesn’t work might just get a phd and do research or work in biotech
Noah: Pursue material science, go to grad school, get PhD, work in R&D for Raytheon or something
Shayla: I plan to be a cosmetic dentist
Yug: Don’t know aboutt college yet but lawyer in the future
Cat: I’m not sure exactly where I’ll be going to college, but I plan on becoming either a child psychologist or a child psychiatrist.
Reb: I’ll be studying art at RISD, and I’m thinking about majoring in painting, but it could change
Aaron C: I definitely plan on going to law school, but I am unsure outside of that
Iain: I have hopes and plans to become a diplomat by studying IR
Vicky: I am taking a gap year! Well, it’s too late to apply for college now, so it’s most certainly gap year, or not going to college at all! (LOL jk my violin/voice teachers would kill me if I didn’t go to music school). After my gap year, for which I will be practicing my instruments and exploring myself, I plan on attending music conservatories or programs in the US or Europe. I don’t really know which yet, but I’d like to go to both at least and study for my undergrad, maybe masters, and even maybe maybe doctorate. I just love music. I can’t imagine my life without it, and so I am ruthless and relentlessly pursuing my dreams. Everyone should. If you are reading this, YOU SHOULD PURSUE YOUR DREAMS TOO! The world would be so much of a happier and better place if everyone did that.
Lucia: Idk where I’m going yet but I’ll be studying political science and attending law school to pursue international law or political journalism
- What have you learned at LJCDS that you will carry into college and beyond?
Charles: There’s good people everywhere, and you can learn something from everyone
Sua: I would say that you need to take initiative to get the most out of everything. If the opportunity presents itself, it needs to be you who takes it (not bc other people told u to).
Andie: Treating others with dignity and decency. when encountering new people or ideas i’ve learned to respect them and listen
Noah: The cheapest option is usually the best
Shayla: At LJCDS I learned how to manage my time and work hard and have fun at the same time
Cat: Something that Country Day has taught me is to be as much of myself whenever possible, and to go into every new experience with a fresh mindset. I think both of these qualities will take me far!!
Ryan: I’ve learned organizational skills and time management with all the activities on campus I’m involved with
Vicky: LJCDS has definitely taught me that the world is my oyster. Which is kind of a good and bad thing when you think about it. It’s good in the sense that I fearlessly believed that I could do anything, and I have rights, and I have power to achieve my dreams. It was bad in the sense that it contributed to the already very princess-like attitude I had when I was younger, that “I am super privileged and awesome!”. However, now that I am older, I see both sides of the self-empowerment that LJCDS tries to instill in its student body, and therefore have a more balanced philosophy. Nonetheless, I am grateful for this freedom and self-agency that LJCDS has contributed in my moral compass.
Lucia: At LJCDS, I’ve learned the importance of community and support. As someone who didn’t like to ask for help before I came here, CD has shown me that you need that support system and a great group of friends to get you through tough times.
- How has LJCDS impacted you?
Charles: LJCDS has made me more aware of the world in general and how important it is to put in the work for the things you want and the people around you
Sua: I think I’ve become a lot more comfortable with change and the unknown. I’ve realized that you never know what’s going to happen and you are allowed to adapt and change and let some things go to better yourself.
Andie: The people at LJCDS have impacted me the most. I’ve met some of my best friends and educators here 😍
Noah: I guess if i didn’t go to LJCDS, i’d probably be pursuing chemE or something instead of MSE. Other than that, i really can’t say. I never lived a life where I wasn’t at LJCDS, and thus have no point of comparison
Shayla: LJCDS gave me a lot of opportunities to learn outside of my community and about many cultures on the ee trips and experiences those were the best
Cat: I think Country Day made me a more confident and relaxed person, and it definitely impacted the way I approach problems and heavier workloads, which I’m very grateful for.
Aaron G: LJCDS created an environment for me to grow and learn who u am and who jwant to
