Four years in the Upper School. Four years of wisdom gained. The Life section interviewed seniors Sophie Ankeles, Anastasia Arrieta, Bridget Bickell, Sophie Chiu, Alexander Chui, Elissa Henry, Daniel Lara and Matteo Mazzie in their last week of school to elicit their advice for Poly students continuing in the Upper School next school year.
Looking back, what advice would you give to your freshman, sophomore, or junior year self?
Arrieta: “Never wish high school away. A lot of our time is spent at Poly waiting for the next big thing, waiting for the next big milestone, but I think there’s so much value in stopping and appreciating the moment.”
Chui: “Not to take academics too seriously…I tried to make every single assignment, including menial homework, perfect, and this caused me a lot of unnecessary stress.”
Are there any particular classes you would recommend taking?
Henry: “Advanced Topics in Computer Science. I want to pursue computer science as a career, but I just think it’s a really interesting class if you’ve already passed the AP.”
Bickell: “Climate Change and African American [History].”
Chiu: “Some of the classes that impacted me the most were the ones where I could connect learning to real experiences or personal identity and beliefs, such as Ethics and Bioethics (GOA).”
What Poly experiences should students make the most of?
Bickell: “GIP [now known as PolyGlobal]. I went on the Italy trip and the Cambodia trip, and it was the most fantastic experience. I don’t think I would have matured even half as much if I didn’t have those experiences.”
Mazzie: “All the amazing funding opportunities for research, entrepreneurship, independent projects, et cetera…There are so many people that can help you turn a project into reality.”
Lara: “Outdoor Education experiences. I cannot stress this enough. These experiences are so unique and rare for high schools, and we are beyond fortunate to be able to participate in them….Your feet may be sore, but I assure you that a couple years from now you will look back on Outdoor Education as some of the best moments of high school.”
Do you have any regrets from your time in high school? What would you do differently?
Bickell: “Not getting to know more people in my class. [Try] to get to know everyone the best you can before you graduate.”
Arrieta: “Reaching out to teachers too late.”
Ankeles: “Overcommitting to extracurriculars…it’s a good idea to prune activities down to things you really want to continue and bring you joy.”
What change would you like to see at Poly, and how can current underclassmen be part of that change?
Henry: “There’s a lot of racial incidents that have happened…I worked with a lot of student organizations to put work into it, but I wish it would just be taken seriously by the whole student body. These are not just things that pass by.”
Chiu: “A culture where students feel more comfortable trying things just because they enjoy them, not only because they’ll help with college applications or achievement.”
Mazzie: “A lot less emphasis on grades…It’s really difficult not to hyperfixate on grades in the moment, but I think the skills and intuitive learning you get if you focus your energies elsewhere will carry you so much further.”
Anything you would like to add?
Arrieta: “If you’ve ever heard Mr. Caragher say ‘be a panther not a parasite,’ I think that’s a motto everyone at this school should absolutely live by…Go to as many sporting events as you can. Go to the performing arts events. Go to the visual arts exhibitions. Go to dances. Go out with your classmates. Don’t skip out on things. You’ll get to appreciate and love your school a lot more.”
Henry: “Follow your path, listen to what’s best for you and obviously heed the advice of other people, but also don’t let that stop you from making your own decisions and experiences.”
