St Johns Prep Essay

Starting middle school was a mixture of anxiety and excitement. There was a brand new campus to explore, but we were also nervously anticipating the academic program that was about to begin. Most of my grade had been together since the age of four and by this time there were clear social divides. There were the girls who were seen as popular, and then there was everybody else. You could say that I was part of the popular crowd, though at the time I didn’t notice myself standing apart from the others. As a group of friends we got on well, we’d hang out, go to the cinema, have sleepovers, all the usual things friends do. Then things gradually started to change.

The 1949 yearbook showed how in just a few years, the school had already added even more diverse clubs to their roster. The notable clubs and organizations showcased in the 1949 yearbook included a health council, organized for the purpose of improving health and sanitary conditions at the school, a traffic patrol in which students acted as traffic patrol officers and practiced safety tips, the Aristocrats club, a club that would prepare girls for college, and the “thru the lens” photography club in which members learned to take, develop, and print their own pictures. The arguably most unique club was the Cinderella Club in which students raised funds for a scholarship awarded every year to a deserving student in addition to raising funds for disabled children. Moreover, Wheatley introduced business education classes, such as a typewriting class and a bookkeeping class, to the school’s curriculum. The typewriting class consisted of students developing skill, speed, accuracy, and efficiency on a typewriter, while the bookkeeping course gave students an understanding of business and its operation through the handling of business papers, records, and reports.

My immediate goal after graduation is to prepare myself in the strongest way possible for successful entry and progression in a MD/PhD program. After exploring the Case Western Reserve University website, I firmly believe that the PREP program will equip me with all the tools I need to flourish in the field of medical science. The mentors in the PREP program are all amazing scientists and after reading a few of the goals of their labs, I aspire to develop the same dedication, knowledge, and achievement. I currently want to know more about how genetics is being applied to medical research, and I was especially elated to read of the work taking place in Dr. Mark Jackson’s lab. The creation of a genetically engineered breast cancer model being used to learn more about tumor suppressor genes and their interaction with oncogenes is amazing to me. I want to learn more about the process of creating similar models and using it to answer highly relevant questions. I’m also very curious about the VBIM strategy that is being used and developed to identify new genetic elements important to cancer formation. It is a technique that I would love the opportunity to better understand and utilize through the PREP program.

In the famous movie, “The Breakfast Club, we see how five teenagers, each members of different high school cliques, who spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they are all more than their respective stereotypes. High school cliques determine who, what and where they belong. Most of the high schools have "cliques"; which are groups of students with similar interests that hang out together. When looking at what really goes on in the average high school, and how friendships are formed, it is amazing. When observing the jock, nerd and the popular kids, one must wonder where they fit in.

The school year approached its end. Another summer to spend alone by myself. The cycle had been repeating since I was in grade school. Sadness choked me as I returned home and shut my door. Every year, the resolution was the same: I would try to make friends next year; however, every year, I felt myself falling back down into the same trap. By the time high school began, I no longer felt the numb sensation of sadness or the flow of tears as the final day of May became the last day I talked with my “friends.” I no longer expected to make any friends, or, more accurately, I no longer expected to be able to make any friends. The sheer possibility of befriending an individual appeared to me as foreign as speaking in latin. When I walked into school, what should have been a site of chatter, opportunity, and growth appeared to me as a form of imprisonment and torture; however, unbeknownst to me, I did have friends; something of which I did not recognize until years passed by. I grown attached to certain conversations; there were times where I felt the need to initiate a conversation rather than waiting for someone else to make one. It was not until one of my friends told me,”We’re your friends aren’t we?” when I realized I was not longer

As I spent the summer of 2015 at the Governor’s School of North Carolina, located at Meredith College, I learned how to open up to different people in a new place with new possibilities. Governor’s School had a welcoming environment where both staff and students shared respect for each other. I was surrounded by people that I had never met before, but found it simple to make friendships that were strong and would last longer than the experience we shared at Governor’s School. The friendships that were made helped to transform me into an adult by sharing life experiences such as living on our own, supporting each other both personally and professionally, and sharing diverse backgrounds. Of my close friend group each of us had different areas

The indistinct stream of chatter pervades far down the hall. Posters are placed sporadically along the lockers. ‘Yearbook Needs You,’ ‘Be Part of Our Award-Winning Drama Program,’ ‘Join Lit Club’ with a collage of the standard high school canon. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and a few classics like 1984 and The Great Gatsby thrown in to suggest legitimacy. Though I love the idea of book clubs, the one at my old school was overtaken by kids obsessed with romantic drivel. I’ll be better off making my own reading group, but that first requires finding friends. Not my strongest skill.

St John’s Prep has a reputation in the community of being an outstanding school, not just for the rigorous academic curriculum and highly competitive sports teams, but as a school that cultivates students into well-mannered and thoughtful young men. The Prep’s five guiding principles of simplicity, zeal, humility, compassion, and trust aid to direct young men on their journey to adulthood. Most students at the Prep will agree, three of the finest things about this superb school include: the teachers who challenge them academically, the unique extracurricular activities available to expand their interests, and the culture of brotherhood fostered among the student body. An education at the Prep focuses on the complete student and allows them

Saturday morning I arrived at The Woodlands College Park High School and went inside to meet my counselors in the Commons. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were put into groups instead of helplessly wandering around with occasional advice from counselors. Katie and Kendall immediately helped me join the group and made me feel a lot less nervous about making new friends.

You never realize how sheltered your school has kept you have been until you must take a mandatory class. Suddenly your regular AP or standard friends are all mixed and you have the chance to meet people you would’ve never associated with otherwise. Despite the school and even the community being a rather close-knit place, you can still find yourself in a mandatory class with no one you know. This is how I met my second family. They have helped me to realize how unaware I originally was, how I could be a role model, and that I have yet to meet people that I can become as close to as I am with my other friends.

When the lunch bell rings at Brentwood High, pandemonium breaks out. All 1,635 students are released from their studies for a full hour and left to fend for themselves. The lunchroom capacity is about 400, so students sit anywhere and everywhere: in classrooms, the gym, hallways, and outside during pleasant weather. To many veteran students, this hour lunch is the highlight of the day. To others, especially new students, the opposite is true. Many students are forced to sit alone in the chaos, and because they are reasonably concealed by the commotion, this loneliness can last indefinitely. So, when a friend came to me with an idea to address this problem, I was eager help get it off the ground. We founded “We Dine Together,” a lunch club where

When work began on this I wasn’t sure of it’s purpose. Would I tell a grand story about how growing in a prep school can change someone for life? Would I illustrate the benefits, and shortcomings of this education; or, would it present itself as something entirely different? While unsure of direction, an obstacle formed. I spoke with friends of my idea to capture this journey we had shared and looked to them on guidance in ways to poise this account. During winter vacation of my sophomore year of college I was sitting with two of the greatest friends I’d met from this school. Sitting in my quaint colonial house a moment which was similar to many others swirled around us. Us a group of young Alumni were sitting in a round table laughing and crying over memories of our mysterious congregation across the brook. With these women I began to realize what this book would be. I set out to write a tribute and collection of wisdom and lessons I had collected during my time at Wooster School. The journey shared by my classmates is unique, and treacherous. Our stories should be looked at through a lens of humor and met with questions. We’ve had experiences unheard of amongst college peers. For this reason. I am choosing to share what went on beyond the cloistered moments of private schooling.

Throughout high school people tend to associate with people like themselves whether it be cheerleaders with other cheerleaders, honor students with other honor students, or even music lovers with other music lovers. Through all these different types of people in one high school setting, two groups stand out above all, high school athlete participants (student-athletes) and those who do not participate in high school athletics (regular students). From available time outside of school, to diversity in additional activities, student-athletes and regular students share and differ in these aspects of high school.

Nevertheless, they're not just about academics and school. The dorms have a competition called Battle of the Halls. It’s a competition for bragging rights that features wacky games and amusing contests. Another lively event is the weekly Common Hour. Students have the opportunity to engage with visiting scholars, discover new cultures, attend topical presentations, and get to know their fellow Bobcats. These events allow you to gain more knowledge of the people around you and create unforgettable memories. I believe that I can grow into a great person and leader at St. Thomas

Adults and teens alike know the possible risks of sexual content, yet it is still a growing problem. Any sexual contact without proper prevention can put us at risk of an STI. This is part of the reason why that there are twenty million new cases of STIs every year. In 2015, it was discovered that teens ages thirteen to twenty four account for over twenty three percent of all HIV cases in the US. According to the CDC, half of all STI cases are from teens. Even with sharing a water bottle STIs can spread from person to person. Some STIs are incurable, while others can be cured with a doctor’s help. All people who are educated in health know the risks, and are informed on how some STIs last a lifetime. Some teens think that STIs are only now