Student Profiles

R.R.

Teachers have helped me through tough personal and scholastic times. They haven’t let me slip through the cracks and be as quiet as I wanted to be when I first came here. They’re motivating.

Before coming to SA, you were involved with the Pre-College Program at SSU. Could you talk about that?

The director of Upward Bound came to my middle school and gave a presentation about the Pre-College Program. It’s open to first generation college students, low-income families, and often minority students. I applied and got into the program. Since then I’ve been doing Pre-College classes every summer, and every other Saturday during the school year. The classes help me get ahead for college. The director said, “Your grades and test scores show that you’re a good student and I think you’d like Sonoma Academy.” At first I thought, “Private school?” I talked it over with my parents and applied. I got in sophomore year and here I am now, about to graduate from both Sonoma Academy and Pre-College.

How would you describe the SA community?

Very close. You know everyone and you are able to interact with most people. In fact, you don’t get a choice not to. A lot of people really care about you and there’s that really great support structure. It’s open to lots of new things and new people.

On teachers:
They’re great. I’ve never had a teacher I’ve disliked. Freshman year, at my previous school, I hated all my teachers but one or two. Then I came here and the teachers were nice, it was on first-name basis, they had a sense of humor. They were actual people. It’s nice knowing they are there for you. Teachers have helped me through tough personal and scholastic times. They haven’t let me slip through the cracks and be as quiet as I wanted to be when I first came here. They’re motivating.

What have you tried here that you’d never tried before?

Theater. Three days into my sophomore year, when I transferred, I got a minor part in the play. The fact that I was able to come in without experience and be cast in a role was cool. I also tried lacrosse, which I’d never heard of before. I was not a really athletic person but I was able to be on a varsity team.

I’ve done other things I wouldn’t have done at my old school – Model UN, the People of Color conferences, and Al-Stars (Assuming Leadership: Student Admissions Representative).

How did you get involved in Al-Stars?

I wanted to be involved with the school. I had developed a real liking for the school and wanted to help good people to come here. It was a chance for me to get over my quietness and fear of speaking in front of people. It worked.

Have you traveled with any SA programs?
I went to Costa Rica for Intersession, to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, to conferences in Berkeley and Irvine, and to the east coast for a college tour.

What other activities are you involved in?
Theater. I’ve been head technician for most every play since I’ve been here. I’ve also been involved in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, and Amnesty International.

I went to the People of Color Conference, which was a four-day trip to Hawaii. It was a diversity conference with other independent schools from across the country. I realized how fortunate our school is to have the diversity that we do. Some people at the conference were the only person of color at their school, or one of three in a school of 1,000.

Why are you interested in volunteerism?
I like being able to help. I got involved with Relay for Life because of the way cancer has affected my family. The cause is something I really agree with and would do anything for. I also know people who live without houses or in horrible housing conditions. When we started the Habitat for Humanity chapter at our school I got interested because I’d had experience with building before.

What else is important to you?

My family. I have a large family. My dad’s the youngest of 12. My mom has three siblings. We often vacation together. My family has made it possible for me to come here, to help send me on trips with the school. They’ve really been there for me.

What are your plans after graduation?