Alumni Jovan Gayton ’99 recalls a specific assignment from his junior-year art class. “We designed our dream house. My amphibious home was half on water and half on land. You would pull your yacht up under the house, right next to your Ferrari,” he said. “As I finished my scale model, I realized this process was very appealing to me. I liked doing this work.”

Although Jovan didn’t know anything about architecture before, this project propelled him toward a career in this field. For Jovan, this catalyst shaped his life path as an architect. He’s currently the project director at AC Martin Partners in Los Angeles, California. For every alum and current UPrep high school student, Upper School is a journey of self-discovery, and each UPrep high school student is on a similar, yet unique, journey. Often there’s a project, class, or teacher that widens a student’s viewpoint, whether it sparks a new passion, creates a deeper understanding of themselves or the world, or pushes them to do their best work.

EXPLORING IDENTITY

Building a sense of self is one of the central tasks of the teen years. Surrounded by a diverse community of faculty, coaches, and friends on a campus intentionally designed for close connections, UPrep students discover who they are. Max C., 10^th grade, said an essay he wrote this year for his Foundations in Literature class opened his worldview and led him to a new way of thinking. The prompt was to connect yourself in a personal way to the literature students were learning about in class.

“I questioned my identity by asking questions of myself that were hard to answer. I wrote about the conflicts I experience as a Jewish person. I thought a lot about my past, but also, most importantly, how I should conduct myself in the future,” said Max. “I learned how to draw personal questions and realizations from a text. I had never written more than 1,000 words for any school project, but after weeks of translating my personality, experience, and identity into words, I wrote more than 1,500 words. Now I consistently make personal connections to many different things I learn in school, and also, as a result, I further built and began to understand my identity.”

An English class assignment also helped Ezra K., 9th grade, learn about himself and his family. Students were tasked with finding an old photograph that featured two or more people they were familiar with and then researching the story behind that photograph. “Getting to hear my mom and dad talk about a photo of them on a ranch in Argentina was so cool. That was the place where my mom and dad first talked about getting married. Sitting down to hear a story like this—that doesn’t happen naturally,” said Ezra. “It was wonderful for all of us to see the story written down, and my grandma cried when she read it. I realized writing can be important because it can bring people together.”

He’s also discovered that he enjoys writing. Students answered prompts in their journals at the beginning of each of their 9th grade English class periods. “I never realized that I could write my own words every day. I have developed my writing skills and developed tools from reading, too. I’ve learned to recognize in other people’s writing why they use the words they do, and that has helped me make intentional choices in my writing,” said Ezra. “I feel like I get a chance to play with words in my journal.”

Alum Erica Perkins Jasper ’97 uncovered key identity traits outside the classroom while she was at UPrep. “As a serious tennis player, I spent many of my weekends from age 10 on competing in tournaments up and down I-5 and around the country in the summers. When I entered high school at UPrep, most junior tennis players at my level did not play high school tennis, but my dad (who was my tennis coach) believed that there was nothing better than playing on a team and for your school. And he was right,” she said.

The friendships I made and joy I felt putting on my UPrep uniform is something I won’t forget. I also had to be part player and part coach. I often would coach drills in practice on one court while our coaches would run the other court. In retrospect, this was the actual start of my coaching career,” said Erica, who is the director of athletics, physical education, and recreation at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics.

Erica recalls dealing with pressure on the high school courts. “I was expected to win and win quickly—and opposing schools and parents would often openly cheer against me,” she said. “At UPrep I always felt supported and appreciated, which positively impacted my confidence as an athlete and as a person.”

Erica also said she was ready to transition from a small pond to a big ocean, jumping from UPrep to Washington State University. There she played tennis while earning a BA in history; she also earned an MEd in educational leadership and administration, athletic administration. “My UPrep experience prepared me perfectly. Academically I was very ready—it wasn’t until I took research methods in grad school that I encountered a class more rigorous than teacher Tony Chursky’s senior English class and accompanying thesis,” said Erica. “Athletically I was an underdog, hungry and wildly confident in my ability to compete—and I loved playing for a team and representing something larger than myself. I love that I now get to provide that opportunity to all our student-athletes here at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.”

CHALLENGING PERSPECTIVES

Students and alumni also believe that having their perspectives challenged helps strengthen their identity and enlarges their worldview. Alum Cathy Faulkner ’84 said her perspective of herself and education shifted beginning with her interview for enrollment. “Founder Christine Petersen McGarry did my application interview before I joined UPrep for 7th grade. I was really struggling in 6th grade, barely passing. She suggested that it might not be me. Perhaps I wasn’t being challenged and I was disengaged due to boredom,” said Cathy. “In hindsight, she showed me that education is a 360-degree experience: not just what I was bringing to the game, but the commitment from my school, my teachers, and my surroundings were just as important.”

At UPrep, Cathy said, the entire school is dedicated to the success of every student.

A vibrant community of learning and fostering intellectual curiosity challenged me to develop my place in the world around me. What do I think? What can I contribute? Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? At UPrep, I learned that anything is possible,” she said.

During Cathy’s 9th grade English class, she had to interview someone in media. She interviewed Steve Slaton, evening DJ at KISW, and this assignment got her in the door there. Cathy interned at the station for her Winter Opportunities experience, a two-week experimental learning class similar to intensives today. She started working at KISW during her senior year, and ultimately had a 20-year career at KISW, including being the music director during the grunge era.

Currently, she does voiceover work for her own business, Cathy Faulkner Voiceovers, is a KUOW Seattle fill-in announcer, and is a music consultant. She credits UPrep with learning how to ask for what she wants. “English Teacher Sue Patella told us if we are interested in something, why not ask—that it never hurts to ask. That gave me the courage to ask for that first interview and to stay connected until I was offered my first job at KISW,” said Cathy.

While Cathy’s perspective of herself and education changed, student Eliza B. said her Civics intensive challenged her perspective of political engagement. “It was a class where people had different views and experiences of the world. It was impactful to have conversations to learn from diverse perspectives,” she said.

During the final week, the class held a mock Congress with each student given a state and party to represent. “I was given a state and a party that does not align with my own political views. This was a way to encourage students to step out of our bubbles and what we normally think,” said Eliza, 12th grade, who will attend Carleton College in Minnesota in the fall. “I definitely did not agree with the bill I proposed, but the process of researching and speaking from a stance that was not my own expanded my view.”

Eliza knows there will be political discourse in college where not everyone agrees. “That class and our teacher Mr. Sokoll did a very good job of fostering conversations—not conflict, but disagreements—about different ideas. At a certain point, people might try to avoid politics because of differing worldviews, but ignoring politics doesn’t help solve problems,” she said.

CONSIDERING STEREOTYPES

Current students said the There There storytelling project from their 11th grade American Voices class encouraged them to step out of their comfort zones. First, students read the novel There There by Tommy Orange, a Cheyenne and Arapaho author. Published in 2018, the book includes a large cast of Native Americans who live in and near Oakland, California; it also contains several essays on Native American history and identity. Next, students interview three people who share an identity trait with them: aiming to interview one from their generation, one from a generation before, and one from several generations before. Using the style and approach of There There, students craft a prologue and three stories based on their own experiences and material gathered in interviews. The stories aim to explore a central question about a facet of their identity, dismantling stereotypes and revealing a greater sense of complexity than outsiders might be aware of.

Student Tensaye D., 11th grade, said reading the novel changed her perceptions and understanding of Native American stereotypes, along with how they are treated in the U.S. She interviewed friends and a family member about religion.

This project allowed me to look at my life in more detail and see that although we share an identity, people have different perspectives,” said Tensaye. “Now I know it’s important to understand how people think and feel and experience life.”

Student Aida R., 12th grade, focused her project on being a reader and interviewed her granddad, her best friend’s stepmom, and one of her closest friends. “I think the empathy portion was absolutely the most important part for me. Just putting myself in the experiences of those around me, especially people not my age,” she said. “The story about my granddad described his experience growing up in London during WWII and reading as escapism completely opened my eyes to my own assumptions to what it must have been like for him to grow up. My experience with books is completely different to his, and yet quite similar. I grew a lot closer with him because of that story.”

DISCOVERING PASSIONS

Students and alumni also speak of pivotal moments in classrooms that shed light on their life path. Beruk S., 12^th grade, pinpoints 9th grade Biology class as a catalyst for his decision to study biology at Duke University. “The pivotal moments were when we looked at onion cells under a microscope and did labs about the human respiratory system. I realized how similar human respiratory systems are to plants’ aerobic systems. Those labs were compelling because I was actively answering my own questions I had about how the world works."

I’ve always been a curious person, and doing labs like those is a great way to reveal or answer questions about why things are the way they are,” said Beruk.

Alum Dustin Chernick ’08 also credits the UPrep Science Department for his career path; he’s director of scientific publications at Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company looking to transform the treatment of cancer. “The science teachers at UPrep, including Mr. Hargus, Mr. Rifkin, and Ms. Slon, created an environment of passion and excitement around science. They cultivated my passion and gave me opportunities to learn and foster that passion,” he said.

In fact, Dustin felt that his UPrep science classes set him apart in his undergrad classes at the University of Colorado, Boulder. “I could really dive into my classes with more ease, because I already knew how to use many science tools that my classmates were just learning how to use, like a pipette,” he said.

Student Sophia S., 11th grade, said stepping outside the classroom solidified her fervor for studying environmental science. “In class, I was learning why climate change is happening, and the field trips to various locations around Puget Sound opened my eyes to the mechanics of global warming. Visiting various places, like the Cedar River watershed, and seeing details in the real world reinforced my decision to do this for the rest of my life,” she said. “Textbooks feel far away, and it matters to see something up close, like soil samples and soil erosion.”

Student Teddy B., 11th grade, found a love for reporting in Journalism class. “I specifically value holding people and systems accountable and using my voice to uplift the voices of others. I’ve really enjoyed seeking out communities and people on campus that might not get the recognition they deserve. One of the first articles I wrote is still one of my favorites; it was about nonbinary inclusion,” he said. He believes that once you are a journalist, you are always a journalist. “I’ve learned to question authority and use my voice for good,” said Teddy. “I want to do something that includes journalism, and I know I’ll carry journalism views and values with me in whatever I do.”

DEVELOPING POTENTIAL

Both students and alumni also credit UPrep teachers with helping to develop their potential as they explore their passions. Student Annika B., 11th grade, has always had an interest in writing, and credits Teacher Angie Yuan with gently pushing her to become a better writer. “With something I feel passionate about, it’s good to see that passion reflected in them and to see how much they care about my learning,” she said. “I’ve been applying to summer writing programs, and Ms. Yuan’s been helpful and enthusiastic about me achieving what I want to achieve. She also supports and motivates me in wanting to be a better writer. While I go through difficulties, she’s constantly been understanding while also asking me to take emotions that I am feeling and put them into my work and make it better.”

Teddy said that [Journalism Teacher] Scott Collins goes above and beyond to help his students. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know him over the last three years, and he knows me well, too. His work experience in journalism means he really knows how to teach us,” he said. “He wants us to exceed his expectations and is constantly pushing us to be our best selves. He pushes us to get better and to think outside the box.”

Alum Hannah Klein ’17 also spoke of how UPrep teachers fomented her passion and how one specific teacher helped her develop her writing skills. “The English faculty reified my love of the written word. During English Teacher Jeffry Gans’ course, The Big Novel, he implored me to take my craft as a writer seriously, to lean into the aspects of the craft that made me nervous. Mr. Gans knew when and how to push me to realize my potential. He was also one of the first people to tell me that a career in writing was attainable. Mr. Gans encouraged me to pursue discomfort. I’m not sure I would be doing what I’m doing if he hadn’t,” she said.

Hannah majored in English and creative writing at Wellesley College, then moved to New York City to work full-time at Hachette Book Group, where she is currently a senior publicist. “Outside of work, I am querying my debut novel to literary agents. This novel began at UPrep. Inspired by an English elective on Gothic literature, I used my senior launchpad project as an opportunity to draft a sample chapter of a story that would evolve into my senior thesis at Wellesley College,” she said. “Since moving to New York, I’ve developed the story into a full-length novel.”

Jovan, the alum who created an amphibious dream home during his junior year at UPrep, says the nurturing he received at UPrep allowed him to follow his passion for architecture. “I was behind academically when I started at UPrep in 9th grade, but my teachers told me they believed I belonged at UPrep. The teachers tailored their teaching to my learning style and propelled me to realize my potential—it was like a slingshot that led me into higher education, where I knew I was ready to do my best,” he said.

Jovan discovered discipline was his strength during his years at UPrep.

I formed my identity at UPrep. That’s where I learned that I was capable of excellence,” he said.

“I had low self-esteem when I began, but I graduated as a confident young man. It was the personal attention I received from teachers that made the difference. I knew my discipline—the tenacity I used to catch up and then surpass my expectations of myself in the classroom—would carry me far in my future career as an architect.”

Just like Jovan, Upper School students at UPrep are discovering their strengths as they explore their identities and passions. From journaling in English class and interviewing people for the There There storytelling project to studying onion cells and doing fieldwork in science classes, students are building the skills needed to become intellectually courageous. Soon enough, they’ll become UPrep alumni leading lives of learning, doing their best work to make a difference in the world.

READ MORE ARTICLES FROM THE SUMMER ISSUE OF THE UPREP MAGAZINE.