Camden P.
About Me
Hi! My name is Camden P., and I’m a full time sophomore in my third year at Stanford OHS. I’m 15, and am originally from Massachusetts, but now I live in midcoast Maine. My biggest passion outside of school is competitive sailing: I spend the Fall, Spring, and Summer on the water, racing, practicing, and having fun with my teammates! In the Winter, you can find me swimming competitively – I love all the water sports! Aside from my athletic pursuits, I love reading, running, listening to and playing music (I play piano and guitar!), and hanging out with my friends.
Within Stanford OHS, I’m in student government, and yearbook club, both of which are super fun, social extracurricular options. I want to be a dermatologist, so the Stanford OHS science department has been incredible to engage with for me.
Why I Chose Stanford OHS
Before Stanford OHS, I’d never been in classes with students as eager, if not more, to raise their hands and answer any question on a slide, respond to a classmate/teacher, or pose a question for the class. At the same time, the academic environment is so friendly. Everyone is equally as eager to listen to what everyone else is saying, and our teachers spend less time plainly giving us answers, but rather letting us take the time in-class with a discussion/debate to come to conclusions. While the level of rigor, and type of schedule can feel stressful at times, it really pushes the development of Stanford OHS students’ time management skills. Our school is so unique (and more like college) in that we aren’t usually spending all day in class: I usually have many breaks in my day, and on some days have as little as one class. Where most high school students have no time to slack during their school day (because the whole day is strictly planned out), we’re given an intense workload to complete outside of class, and on our own time, which is a whole other challenge in itself.
All of this to say, Stanford OHS really fosters incredible school and life skills that I know I’ll bring to college with me, and even for the rest of my life, outside the classroom. As a final note, the Writing and Tutoring Center has been an invaluable tool for me. Before Stanford OHS, I’d never been so encouraged to seek help from my teachers and other resources outside of class, but specifically for the level of writing we’re producing in English classes, having adults who are so talented in their respective writing fields available all day (for in-advance appt options) is so helpful. Even half hour sessions are transformative to my essays, and really help me understand prompts and develop to be a better writer.
What I Love About Stanford OHS
Before Stanford OHS, I’d been to nearly every type of school. I’ve been to large public schools, small private schools, and I’ve been homeschooled. During Covid, my small private school went online, and I’d found myself being more productive than ever. With no strict guidelines on how to spend my day, I was really efficient with my time and got all the day’s work done within an hour or two, which left plenty of time for me to focus on fun extracurricular pursuits. This really inspired me to pursue an online format, as when we went back to in-person, I missed the online environment, and knew my academics could be significantly furthered under a circumstance where my time was spent more efficiently. This led me to take a full load of courses through Johns Hopkins CTY for 7th grade, which I really enjoyed, but Stanford OHS had the social community piece I was looking for as well, which is what led me to apply for 8th grade. Now, I’m a full time 10th grader, definitely intending to graduate full time from Stanford OHS.
Stanford OHS has dramatically enhanced my time management skills, and also the ability to communicate. The online format does have its drawbacks when it comes to communication, but that’s why I consider myself a very good communicator, in terms of advocating for myself, and making sure I’m getting what I’m needing socially and academically. Because of the flexibility in my schedule, I’m able to be a multi sport athlete, active club participant, and still a normal, social teenager who spends a lot of time having fun with her friends.