Catching Up with Our Alumni
When Homecoming and the college semester break coincide, familiar faces reappear in the school hallways.
Recent alumni return to say hello to their teachers and friends. It’s such a joy to see them and hear how they are doing, and they also bring back helpful insight on college life. They generously share their experiences, and the school’s college preparatory program becomes stronger with their input.
Through the years, our alumni have shared that Westchester graduates are very well prepared for college, both academically and socially. We were able to sit down with a few of our most recent graduates on Jan. 6 to hear about how their classes are going, how they have become involved on their campuses, and how their Westchester experience has translated into college success.
These alumni graduated during two of the hardest years in recent memory due to COVID uncertainty, yet they say they stepped onto their college campuses better prepared than their peers for the high level of academic work ahead of them.
Ellison Beaver ’20 is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying public relations and art history. She shared that while she cherished the comfort of the small environment at Westchester, she was ready to make friends in a larger setting. Her close friends at Carolina had attended large public schools, and she said the adjustment to the academic workload was much harder for them. Advanced Placement (AP) credit from her Westchester classes helped her get an early step on some requirements. She also said Westchester helped her gain time management skills and the confidence that even if the material is challenging she can put in the effort to get the work done.
I’ve never had an issue stressing about how much work I have. Westchester taught me how to use my time wisely during class, study hall, or tutorial. In terms of writing, reading and applying logic to writing, I feel very prepared. All of the writing we did, especially in humanities, prepared me for my art history classes. I feel like I have a great foundation for writing papers. It is a breeze now.
Jackson Todd ’21 just finished his first semester at the University of Alabama, where he is getting started with a computer science major and Japanese minor. He is part of a program in which he will complete an MBA in five years. He says that while he is still finding his place in his first year, he has already joined a few clubs.
The biggest adjustment for him so far has been the teaching styles of some of his professors, particularly in mathematics, after having such outstanding teachers like Mrs. Judy Moye. Like Ellison, he also shared examples of how his Westchester experience had provided an advantage.
I proofread a lot of my roommate’s essays. He’s really smart – a National Merit guy – he just hasn’t had the kind of writing exposure we had [at Westchester].
Dynasty Rui ’20 is a sophomore at High Point University majoring in media production and entrepreneurship as well as philosophy. While she has observed that the college transition is stressful for some of her peers, she did not feel the same stress. Rather, it felt like she was continuing in the next grade level of Westchester. She found things to do in the first week of school and got connected, and now in only her second year, she is the president of the Global Student Association and is planning an international festival. She said some students struggle to go to professors’ office hours but that Westchester’s tutorial model in the Upper School helps students learn how to use this time wisely. She also said her Westchester experience inspired her areas of study.
In 11th grade, I took Mr. Hunt’s film and media class, and that set my mind toward media production. It really changed my life. The education at Westchester focuses on the depth of an individual mind and exploring knowledge on your own, so that is what philosophy is about – love of wisdom. You explore for yourself and try to seek the truth and beauty within all the things you learn.
Having just joined the advancement team and this being my first alumni gathering in the role, I enjoyed getting to learn more about the positive impact Westchester made in their early, middle and high school academic years and how that has translated into their college experience. I am excited to see where it takes them in their remaining undergraduate years and beyond.
Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Our alumni are college students, doctors, artists, engineers, business owners, parents, lawyers, writers, professors, and teachers, and so much more than that, they are forever Westchester Wildcats. Whether near or far, we want to stay connected to our alumni community. We encourage our alumni to be on the lookout for future events posted on our website, the Alumni Association group on Facebook, and our alumni e-newsletters. If you need to update your contact information or would like to share a celebration or update for class notes, please email [email protected].
Lauren Ingold
Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Affairs
