Name: Simrun

Graduation Year: 2022

Middle School: Stratford

Hometown: Fremont

 

What's the biggest difference between middle school and high school? My perception of my teachers has changed after attending Prep. In middle school, I viewed my teachers as superiors with more formal, solely academic relationships. At CPS, I always feel comfortable to reach out and ask questions inside and outside of the classroom. A testament to this more "equal" relationship is that we often don't use "Mr." and "Ms." in reference to our teachers. While it was quite weird at first, it gave a sense of comfortableness that allowed for more genuine conversations.

 

Why are you glad that you chose College Prep? The friendships I have developed make me so glad that I chose College Prep. I learn so much from my peers everyday and I step away from conversations with knowledge that I would have never had if I was not at a school with such diversity of thought and passions.

 

What advice do you have for 8th graders applying to high school? Do not try to find the best school. In fact, the best school does not exist. Instead, find the school that is best for YOU. Through shadow days and open houses, see if your beliefs and goals match up with those of the school and its mission.

 

What campus activities are you involved in? I am on the debate team in which we research about current events and compete across the country; the activity keeps me on my toes as I have to know what's going on in the world. I am also a Partner's mentor in which I mentor an 8th grader once a week. Partners has allowed me to more deeply engage with the Oakland community. I am student body secretary and treasurer, a position that I am super excited about.

 

What is your favorite College Prep memory? My favorite memory at CPS is the last day of spirit week in which each class dresses up in their designated color and decorates a part of campus. When you enter campus, you see streamers, balloons, and the bursts of color and we play fun games throughout the day like dodgeball and relay races. It's a lively break during the semester.

 

What is your favorite place on campus? I spend most of my time on the gym deck which is the entrance to campus. You can see students hanging out, leaving, and coming in; you are bound to bump into a friend there.

 

What has been your favorite class? My first semester junior year I took an English seminar on friendships. We read and analyzed texts that encouraged me to explore my own relations. Through conversations with my teacher and peers, I grew as a writer and a person in the class. I'm biased because I just love the English rooms on campus. We talk around an oval table, so there is no "back of the classroom." This ensures everyone's engaged and their opinions are heard.

 

What has been the best thing about College Prep? How excited students are to learn. Every person in the classroom wants to be there, so there is no boring moment as classes are filled with laughter and conversation.

 

Who is your favorite character from a movie/book/television series? Angel from "Solar Storms" is a brilliant young woman who fights the construction of a dam that would displace her family. To read her about her journey in a diary-like novel was an adventure in itself.

1. I am a sunset enthusiast; I just love summer sunsets and my camera roll is filled with pictures 

2. I live 45 minutes away from campus, but my daily commute is a testament to how much I love CPS 

3. I love cooking (and eating!) new things. I like to think that I am pretty adventurous in this aspect.