At UPrep, our students run with their minds. We offer an intellectually rich 6–12 education that fosters deep inquiry and critical thinking, powered by student engagement. Our mission is to develop each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world. Our students graduate UPrep prepared for college and life.

During a recent faculty and staff conversation about the attributes of a UPrep graduate, several characteristics were highlighted, including:

• UPrep graduates think critically about issues, are open to a diversity of ideas and perspectives, form their own opinions based on evidence, and communicate with clarity, purpose, and respect
• UPrep graduates are intellectually curious, active learners for purposeful engagement with relevant problems and issues
• UPrep graduates engage fully in complex, conceptual, and culturally diverse subject matters and strive to achieve understanding

The UPrep class of 2022 matriculated to 47 different institutions in 19 states, Washington, D.C., two Canadian provinces, and Ireland. As Pumas, they carry with them the attributes they gained through their UPrep experience: a desire to connect across cultures, intellectual curiosity, and a passion for social justice.

For Gabrielle Pitre (’22), a freshman at Santa Clara University, the Current Events history class solidified her interest in politics. The class helped her appreciate the history behind contemporary issues and the importance of understanding the struggles of different communities today. “Learning to listen to other people and not being super quick to respond or react is something that I have learned,” she said.

As a member of the Black Student Union, Gabrielle helped plan a Soul Food Day with the school’s cafeteria during Black History Month. “A lot of people think of soul food as southern food,” she said, “but it is something that African Americans eat today to honor our ancestors. That was a really cool experience to get to share part of our culture with the UPrep community.”

For Nathan Crawford (’22), a freshman at Occidental College, his intellectual curiosity was sparked during high school when he took Astronomy and Physics classes and found himself diving deeper “into the concepts of how the world works.”

During his Physics class, Nathan combined his interest in physics and passion for baseball into a project on friction and sliding. He partnered with a teammate to research, test, and identify the best pant fabric and surface to slide on. A highlight of Nathan’s seven years at UPrep was being a part of the baseball team that won the 2019 state championship. “I learned the value of teamwork and all pushing together as a team,” he said.

Want to hear more from recent UPrep graduates? Watch and listen to these alums from the class of 2021 or check out these profiles of alums from various classes.