Naomi Rodriguez
Challenges are something I’ve always encountered. But the hurdle of SAS became something truly defining to my character, my attitude, and went against everything I was used to. When my mother received a phone call while she was at work asking if I wanted to accept the offer of acceptance at SAS, and she called me while I was getting picked up on that April afternoon at my 10th grade high school, that phone call changed my life forever. I was afraid of change, truly; but if I didn’t take this leap, when will I ever?
The first day SAS Counselor Dr. Townsel spoke to us, his words later became a broken record, repeating itself: “Dream big.” I saw those dreams shine bright in the eyes of every ‘hello’ and that’s when I knew I was where I belonged. We were all new, each with different qualities and academic abilities, but we all had big dreams, and none of us were prepared for what was to come next. My friends and I looked forward to every morning, every lunch, the 5 minute transfer between classes to talk about our days, share our worries, or to simply be with each other. These moments fostered the support we all needed.
I remember running into my friends asking for a quick study session for trigonometry and my friends running into me to explain the physics behind the money market system in economics, while the seniors encouraging, consoling, and reminding us that our losses build successes. It helped me keep track of myself and remember I am human. A human with a dream; one that comes with all the highs and the lows and one that ambitiously made me defy all odds as an artist.
Having to finish this year off during a pandemic has been tough for every one of us. Being caged in four walls that felt like they were closing in on me was hard. Staring at a computer screen for hours on end made my eyes tear at the end of each day. However, seeing how the passion each teacher and club had in keeping us all together was inspiring. The spirit in everyone’s voices that came through my laptop was something I looked forward to. The endless dread of college decisions filling us up with panic. The end now feels bittersweet, knowing how we pushed through this year confined in the tensions of our home, yet also knowing that these moments I will never share again with another class; it’s a home that I’m too afraid to walk out of one last time.
Thankful is all I feel, but it’s not the word to capture the immense love and warmth I feel remembering every sleepless night, every early morning, and every laugh I shared despite it all and finding myself and my people along the way. Your potential and everything you doubted will become clear at SAS. You learn more than academics, you learn compassion, integrity, and how the butterfly blooms.
Naomi Rodriguez
School for Advanced Studies North, Class of 2021
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Class of 2025
Amanda Abdala
The School for Advanced Studies (SAS) is a garden with flowers of dedication, friendship, and resilience. Walking amongst my peers gives me the refreshing feeling of walking amongst a field of diverse flowers. Each flower with its colorful petals and blossoming attitudes, always growing. To put it in better words, the School for Advanced Studies has served as our garden, watering us every day and letting us grow and bloom into the daisies, roses, and sunflowers we are today.
Through my journey of growth, I have learned that I am limitless. The most valuable lesson SAS has taught me is that I am far stronger than I thought I was– a lesson taught by my unparalleled teachers, counselor, and peers. My hardships at the School for Advanced Studies have made the stepping stones to the superwoman I have become. With my head held high, I never lost sight of my dreams, and today, I am achieving them.
I came to the United States at the early age of 7, knowing only Spanish. As an immigrant, going to college is a dream that feels out of reach, which led me to join “The Dream Factory.” I needed help climbing the stairs that would lead me to a brighter, golden future, and the School for Advanced Studies has done not only that but far more. SAS has allowed me to not just touch the sky but the stars. My opportunities have been made endless with SAS from being a Silver Knight nominee to going to my dream university.
As graduation nears, I have noticed that being a student at this school does not end after senior year because SAS has made a lasting impact on my life and my future. Thus, the School for Advanced Studies is my forever school and my second home. I am and will always be a proud alumnus of the School for Advanced Studies.
It has been thanks to the amazing support from my parents, my sister, my friends, my teachers, and the staff at the School for Advanced Studies that I can say, with certainty, that I have lived my opportunities to the fullest.
Amanda Abdala
School for Advanced Studies Kendall, Class of 2021
University of Florida, Class of 2025
Simran Smith
“Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve” is my father’s maxim that always echoes in my ears, trying to ensure that I do not live a life full of regrets. When I was in the 8th and 9th grades, I was truly struggling with schooling choices and felt lost about the path ahead of me. But I remember my brothers coming home from school with countless stories about the incomparable experience they had at this school: School for Advanced Studies (SAS). Stories upon stories about personal growth inspired me to apply in the 10th grade, hopeful of a similar experience, and I realized I was truly blessed when I was admitted here for the 11th grade.
Upon entering SAS, I left a school with all my friends and ventured out alone and I was a bit anxious. However, those hesitancies and my anxiety disappeared quickly because, from the beginning, SAS administration had presented themselves as available: an offering of themselves that I am wholeheartedly grateful for.
I had never entered an environment imbued with such freedom, integrity, and driven initiatives to be independent. Attending SAS for two years allowed me to realize how capable and cooperative of a person I am and encouraged me to always come up with a solution, to be active rather than passive. Simultaneously, SAS pushed the same intensity for initiatives to lend support and be supported. At SAS, I met beautifully genuine teachers who cared so deeply about my progress and my future that it further encouraged me to be just as helpful towards my peers. They encouraged me by example to continue being reliable and always helped me with advice, whether academic or personal. With this help, I learned not to fear my shortcomings but accept them and use them to continue on a flourishing path of development.
My peers and friends at SAS that I came to appreciate so dearly always bolstered an environment of respect and understanding. The comfort of being at SAS allowed us to show our true selves without fear. Due to this, I know I am graduating at School for Advanced Studies with confidence in the person I can become and strength in my willpower to continue the blossoming of character my school engendered.
In a lot of ways, SAS is the epitome of strength. Strength in one’s community to persevere no matter the circumstances; strength in oneself to pursue; strength in one’s knowledge to reach out when necessary and improve; strength in one’s demeanor to be both a team player and a leader as well as strength in one’s heart to believe. Believing is the first step at “the Dream Factory” and here, believing in myself, my relationships with peers and teachers, and believing in my future has enabled me with the resolve to take on all that will come my way.
Coming to SAS will always be one of the most important and momentous choices of my life that I could never regret. With this decision came the introduction of people who taught me how to come out of my shell and to be myself despite my surroundings. People who supported me when I felt lost and unsure. People who laughed with me when I made a mistake but were right there to help me learn and recover. People who listen just as diligently as they speak. It is here, at SAS, where I found another family that I am honored to be a part of. I cannot express my gratitude enough for these years but I can say with the utmost enthusiasm and pride that I love being a SAS White Tiger.
Simran Smith
School for Advanced Studies Homestead Class of 2021
Pomona College, Class of 2025
Ilma Turcios
Coming from Honduras at an age as young as three-years-old, I grew up bearing witness to how much my parents sacrificed in the name of their children. They never asked for anything in return, only that my brothers and I persevere despite the challenges we faced as first-generation immigrants, and most importantly, that we make the most of our education.
From the moment I entered elementary school, I constantly heard my parents’ voices in my ears telling me to always push forward. I’ve always known I love learning, and school has always been one of the most important aspects of my life, but as time has passed, my curiosity has only grown. For these reasons, I have been aware of the fact that I had to choose a school that would prioritize nurturing curiosity and promoting the spread of knowledge. SAS did that for me.
Joining the SAS family as a Junior was a shock, to say the least. It was quite difficult at first to become accustomed to suddenly being at a whole new school. However, I quickly made friends, as the small, tight-knit community made it easy to form connections with my peers. SAS proved to have the perfect balance between a rigorous academic environment, and the friendly ambiance of a small school.
Being a student at SAS was demanding, and these two years were some of the hardest, academically speaking, for me. However, as I write this as a graduating Senior, I do not regret my decision to enroll at SAS. Joining this family was the best choice I could have ever made as a student. The opportunities I was offered, and relationships that I formed, outweigh what any other school could have offered me. I will be eternally grateful for having had the privilege to attend SAS, and I know that wherever life takes me, I will always be a White Tiger.
Ilma Turcios
School for Advanced Studies Wolfson Class of 2021
Claremont McKenna College Class of 2025
Richard Gutierrez
It had been a goal of mine to go to the School for Advanced Studies (SAS) since ninth grade because I knew that it would provide me the opportunity to actualize my dreams of academic success and, eventually, becoming a paleontologist, a lifelong aspiration of mine. However, on the eve of my entrance into the school, I was petrified, with thousands of questions running through my restless mind: Will it be too hard? Am I good enough? Is it the right choice? But before these questions could be answered, I must truly reflect on my two years at the program.
SAS requires a lot of hard work, that is true. What is also true is that this fact is an advantage; the rigors of the school helped to foster my development, both academically and personally. I have become a more well-rounded individual, a harder worker than before. All this is backdropped with faculty and staff who earnestly want nothing but my success. Whenever I needed help in any area of study, I knew I could turn to my support system, and for that I am eternally grateful for their support.
It’s crazy to think about how my life might be different if I hadn’t gone to SAS; I became a better writer, student, and have made lifelong connections and friendships. Indeed, a young man unsure if he was ready for higher education has transformed into a man who wants nothing more than to continue the next chapter in his life, with all the credit in the world going towards SAS- the Dream Factory.
At this point, the question doesn’t even need to be re-considered- SAS was, unequivocally and without doubt, the absolute right choice for me. I honestly could not imagine my life now if I had not conquered my fears by entering the program over a year ago. In fact, I am saddened by how my time at the school is not forever, while still grateful and ecstatic for what lies ahead. I will always treasure my time over these two years, and I will always look back on it with pure reverence for the majesty of a high school that is SAS.
Richard Gutierrez
School for Advanced Studies West Campus, Class of 2021
Cornell University, Class of 2025
Nikita Jethani
Nervous about if I should commit to an unknown environment and dive into unfamiliar territory, my eyes scanned through the various testimonials of previous SAS students. I started off with the class of 2019 and worked my way backward. Needless to say, I was terrified. I had been admitted to the number one school in the state but should I go? Will it be worth it? Will I feel content and challenged there or will I feel as if I’m out of my league, intimidated beyond measure? These questions and a million others raced through my mind as I decided whether I should leave my school for SAS.
At my previous school, I already auditioned and made the HIP team to be a peer health advisor, and I had made Yearbook too. I had all of this in addition to my law program and my friends. This school was not an environment that I was happy in but still, I was comfortable. Was all of that worth risking to go to a school that I wasn’t even sure if I would succeed in?
Now, two years later, I can tell you that the answer is yes. SAS is worth it. It’s not easy, but nothing worth having ever is. Here, I met lifelong friends who shared the same goals, ambitions, and humor as me. Here, you’ll meet people who want to change the world and many who actually go on to do just that. You’ll have the same mindset and drive as those around you and will be able to fully immerse yourself in a community of those who care. It’s not an ultra-competitive environment where everyone you meet is trying to one-up you. Instead, SAS is a place so full of talent and dedication that the people you surround yourself with will only serve to uplift you, and their accomplishments and support will only encourage you to aim higher.
This school is full of teachers who have felt like second moms to me, an incredible counselor with whom I feel I can share all, and amazing staff who will make sure you’re taken care of. At SAS, you’re not alone. You can cry together about the stress you’re enduring during finals week and laugh together about a funny lecture from one of your college professors. In my opinion, high school is over-romanticized and not at all like High School Musical, but one thing is for sure– you’re all in this together and that should be all you need to know.
At SAS, I was able to fully realize my potential in ways I never had been able to before. I was able to secure leadership positions in clubs that I cared about and pursue my passions by taking college classes like International Relations that helped me expand my worldview like never before. The very nature of this school and the people in it convinced me that if I wanted to make a difference, I could. My possibilities are endless and the tools with which I could build a better future are right in front of me. At SAS, I used them. Here, I was able to become MVP of the Mock Trial team my junior year. Here, I was able to work on my first campaign, my first winning campaign at that! Here, I became a published poet! I had people who believed in me and who had faith that I could do something great, and that is one of the best things I could ask for.
SAS takes you out of your comfort zone; it’s true. But the school provides you with a plethora of opportunities unavailable anywhere else. I came to this school because I wanted a challenge and I wanted a chance to attend the highly ranked university of my dreams. Now, as I am graduating I can safely say that SAS definitely challenged me and that I am happily attending UC Berkeley in the fall. Though Covid has taken much of my high school experience away, I am grateful for the time I was able to spend at the School For Advanced Studies with the people I care about. With all the ups and downs and curveballs that have been thrown at me this year, I know one thing for sure– if I had to go back knowing all that would ensue, I would choose SAS all over again
Nikita Jethani
School For Advanced Studies Kendall, Class of 2021
University of California Berkeley, Class of 2025
Idael Martinez-Perez
In my freshman and sophomore years, I faced all sorts of obstacles spanning from a spinal surgery to pushing myself beyond my own limits time after time—no matter the odds—to becoming my best self at what I failed at the most: mathematics. By the end of my sophomore year, I was at the top of my graduating class and had proven to myself that nothing was impossible if these aspirations were complemented with discipline and resilience.
Having received the blue SAS recruitment letter only a few months prior, I spent the ensuing months gathering opinions from my family, teachers, and upperclassmen. With the opinions in divide, I talked extensively with my World/European history teacher—who introduced me to SAS at the end of my freshman year—and convinced me to go to SAS. I had no reason of my own to attend SAS then other than to earn an A.A. prior to graduating from high school. In sophomore year, I had pushed myself so far academically that I believed that I would never be able to out-do that version of myself. All I could see then were two monotonous years of high school ahead of me. I felt “something” was missing and that SAS just might be able to offer that “something,” though at the time I could not quite pinpoint it. So, when I was told I had been accepted into SAS through a phone call, I took my chance with a grain of salt and some conflicting feelings for what I would be leaving behind.
When an opportunity presents itself, it is because one can maximize it: that is what I have always believed. My experience at SAS was no exception. SAS became to me something more than what I envisioned. It became the place resembling an Enlightenment saloon where I could come to discuss and share ideas in just about anything from philosophy to chemistry to the depths of mathematics. It became the place where ideals clash and life-long friendships are forged. It became the place that rekindled my growth mindset, showing me there is much yet to learn, see, and experience.
Being immersed in a place where everyone has big dreams and passions for what they want to accomplish in their lives and being able to work towards our goals together are perhaps what have most captivated me about SAS. However, this is not limited to the SAS student body. My teachers and counselor have been the ones to continue guiding me like the projection of a vector onto another and whose contagious passion for what they do have instilled in me an insatiable desire—serving as the scalar of the guided vector—to do my best and exceed any expectations, including my own.
SAS got me to seek experiences that I never imagined seeking at my old school. This became especially true during the time of the pandemic where extracurriculars became one of the most fundamental ways to socialize via Zoom with friends and meet many of the juniors who joined the SAS family this year. My friend and I became presidents of the Mu Alpha Theta club and started a tutoring service where we could share our passion for and knowledge of mathematics alongside other classmates and assist those who were perplexed while also having good laughs about our experiences. It is because of experiences such as this one that I have become aware of others’ perspectives and, in turn, constantly question, redefine and make more precise my own.
Had I been asked two years ago what I expected the last two years of my high school experience to look like, I would have most likely responded saying they would be full of hard work, but monotonous. As you can tell, SAS caught me off guard. It reconfigured that vision to one full with just as much hard work, but also complemented with a community of amazing, dedicated people that I worked with to get to where I am today. Every time I reflect about my time here, I see myself surrounded by my friends and classmates—pushing ourselves to grow as scholars and people. Every time I reflect about my time here, time behaves recursively, working its way down to where it all began with me keeping track. And no matter how many times I go through this time recursion, I am filled with just as much pride and happiness in my decision to have come to SAS. My SAS experience—along with my family, friends, peers and teachers that accompanied me along this journey—are without a hint of doubt my life-long Lagrange multipliers.
Idael Martinez-Perez
School for Advanced Studies Kendall, Class of 2021
Carnegie Mellon University, Class of 2025
Isabella Star
To sum up my experience at the School for Advanced Studies: it was the best decision I’ve ever made for myself. I had a lot of doubts leaving my old school, I was told that I would miss out on the high school experience, that I would be just a number to the staff, but the opposite was true.
These two years were the best of my high school experience. The trust that SAS has in its students to represent the school on the MDC campus is one that I am more than thankful for, as it’s defined my past two years. The time I’ve spent with friends between classes and in research outside of the Koffee House or in the cafeteria with our laptops and notebooks scattered across the table as we talked over our lunch are the memories that I cherish as my high school experience.
As for the administration, everyone knows me by name, I’m not a number. They know how I’m doing, my hopes, my plans, and actively work so that I can achieve them. The administration truly acts as a family for students, taking pride in the achievements of their students whether they be grand or miniscule. Every step of the way I have found a community in SAS, in students and staff, and for that I will always be grateful.
Isabella Star
School for Advanced Studies Kendall, Class of 2021
University of California Berkeley, Class of 2025
Kelly Araujo
At 16 years old, I made my first “big girl” decision: choosing to go to School for Advanced Studies (SAS). I was nervous and scared to study at an institution with such accomplished individuals, because how would I look compared to them? But there was not a sense of inferiority amongst my classmates, instead granting a push everyday that motivated me to do better. You never have to worry about failing through competition at SAS because of how united everyone is, how someone you met a few months ago wants you to succeed the same as you do, a sentiment seen in both students and administrators.
I know what it is like having to pick between the comfort of your home school and the foreignness of SAS, but it is a decision that will positively impact the rest of your life. The idea of going to a school that not only prepares you for your prospective university, but an institution that makes you desire learning more and becoming a better person both individually and academically, is an opportunity you cannot miss to take up. SAS gives you the freedom to explore the endless possibilities of education, those of which you would not get to experience in a “normal” high school.
You can continue having the life you had as a lowerclassmen whilst benefiting from studying with students who understand your drive for success. Before transferring, I was afraid I was going to be overwhelmed by the workload and lose my old friends through my transition. Comfort at SAS is a result of a balance you find through your time here, one that will naturally come to you. I found a way to keep up on my academic responsibilities, work everyday after school, and go out on the weekend. My system worked for me, and it was a system that I established with the help of my teachers who pushed me to my limits and taught me how to find this comfort zone we yearned for.
As you read this you will notice that I spent no time speaking about how COVID-19 impacted my time at SAS, and that is because of the little to no shift there was in the pace of the curriculum and the attitude of my educators and peers. SAS is always on their feet and ready to resolve the issues of their students. The pandemic cut my time in-person at SAS shorter than I would have liked, but it did not get the chance to hinder my experience as a student at this facility. Whether virtually or physically, this school continued to prioritize our well-being and prosperity.
I was in the spot you are today. I sat with my laptop and read the SAS Testimonials from the Class of 2019. I dissected every sentence and analyzed the word choices used trying to decipher a subliminal message. I understand the unnerving sentiments you may be feeling right now, having to make a decision this impactful at an age where your biggest responsibility is doing laundry. But this is a step you will not regret, one that will open doors you thought were not within reach…this is the Dream Factory after all.
Kelly Araujo
School for Advanced Studies Wolfson, Class of 2021
Duke University, Class of 2025
Abigail E. Jones
When I first heard about School for Advanced Studies, I was at the beginning of my sophomore year. I never really considered changing schools, as I was happy where I was. I had friends, supportive teachers, and officer positions I was excited to run for. Out of curiosity, I decided to go to the orientation and see what the school was all about. Hesitant, I turned my application in to the office, curious as to what would happen. A few months later, I found out that I was accepted.
To make such a decision was difficult for me. I loved my school: the large environment, orchestra concerts, pep rallies, homecoming games, movie nights, and hours spent studying with my friends for upcoming tests. Did I really want to leave? After some thought, I realized I had nothing to lose. My school and friends would support me no matter what, and I came to SAS the next year.
If someone were to ask me if I would change anything about my decision, I would tell them no. Yes, I lost the traditional “high school experience,” but in the end, I have gained so much more. I was able to meet new people and build new friendships that I wouldn’t have found without coming to SAS. I was able to take interesting classes at MDC and build connections with my professors while delving into my interests. I was able to laugh with my classmates at jokes and spend hours studying and stressing over assignments. I was able to be in the Miami Dade College Symphony Orchestra and a part of an Emmy-winning project. I was able to participate in MDC Student Life activities held on campus during the day and get my first taste of college activities. I can remember going to the Koffee House with my laptop rushing to type a research paper due at the end of the day and rushing to the cafeteria to beat the long line that formed at noon.
This is SAS. It is not your traditional high school. No, you will not have a football team or a large environment. No, you will not have the same people around you from your previous high school. However, it is a place where you learn to adapt to change, a bridge to the world of college, and an eye-opener to your passions. I had the amazing opportunity to be a student government officer for the last two years here at SAS, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The students here are genuine, filled with passion, driven, and intelligent human beings. The support I received from my teachers and counselors is something I greatly appreciate. My college application process was manageable thanks to the endless support I received. I am proud to say that because of my experiences, I will be attending Northeastern University in Boston as a biochemistry and political science major on the pre-med track.
After coming to School for Advanced Studies, I can say that it did not improve my high school experience but instead turned the page to the next chapter of my life and for that, I am forever grateful.
Abigail E. Jones
School for Advanced Studies Kendall Campus, Class of 2021
Northeastern University, Class of 2025
Andrew Jones
When anticipating junior year, one thing I heard about SAS is that you lessen your high-school experience. As someone who decided to pursue SAS, I disagree with this sentiment. SAS, in my opinion, enhanced my high school experience as it provided me with a firm pathway to a college career by honing in on SAT preparation, AP curricula, and scholarship opportunities, not to mention the dual enrollment college classes and the staff of wonderful and involved teachers and faculty.
With all of these features, SAS was certainly a rigorous academic challenge to undertake; however, the work ultimately paid off. I am grateful that a school like SAS is available and continues to make strides through its students; it is a pipeline for students to enhance their future college experiences.”
At SAS I became a Posse Scholar with a full tuition scholarship to Davidson College which is a private liberal arts school in North Carolina.
Andrew Jones
School for Advanced Studies Kendall Campus, Class of 2021
Davidson College, Class of 2025
Anshika Motiani (Silver Knight Honorable Mention in Music and Dance)
School. It’s such a funny word, right? To each person it evokes hundreds of different emotions. Some hear the word and immediately associate it with friends. Others think of having to do the tedious work that comes with homework and testing. And most believe that it is a place that will allow them to enhance the possibilities of their future and open their doors to a prestigious college. I, unlike the rest, used to hold the same opinions. School had become a routine for me. From the very first day, I was thrown into the gray shoebox walls of my previous high school and sat awkwardly in my chair oblivious of my status quo in the school amongst the jocks, intellectuals, and populars. I knew that in order to survive I would have to just pass the basic benchmarks. Step one, maintain a high GPA step two, do some extracurriculars; step 3, build a strong college resume. To say the least, I was detached from the idea of living out a true high school experience.
Coming to SAS was perhaps the greatest risk I took in my high school career. As someone who values having a pragmatic approach, I knew that forsaking everything I had built at my old school wouldn’t come without repercussions. My freshman and sophomore years had gone accordingly to my plan. Perhaps more than the idea of “what more could I gain,” I was afraid of “how much I could lose”. My paradigm encompassed school as nothing more than a “means to an end”, and to Kant’s disapproval, I was satisfied with what I had.
It was not until my mother had taken the drastic step of submitting my application to the School of Advanced Studies, that I realized that maybe going to SAS was part of my destiny. It may seem superfluous to equate my admission to SAS as a play of a destiny, but it sure unraveled that way. It was suspicious to me that my counselor mistakenly signed my release form without a proper exit interview, as my other friends struggled making countless rounds to the office to get the same form signed. How is that one day my mother and I make the impromptu trip to the SAS orientation only to be completely taken aback by the various opportunities I would be offered? But more than that, how is it that I, who had completely relinquished the expectation of finding a school that would become a second home, would actually find one?
School. It’s such a funny word, right? The right one can change your life forever. When I think of SAS now, I don’t think of it only as an academic pathway. I think of it as my second home, my family. I can with uttermost confidence say that there is not a school like SAS that exists anywhere else. The teachers here are unhesitant to stay afterschool, sacrificing their own time, to ensure the success of their students. Here learning is not a mundane ritual, it is an exciting journey, with teachers going out of their way to engage their students. Years after graduating, students come back to SAS with a gratified smile, of once having the honor of being a White Tiger. Amongst the academic rigor that we are put through our junior and senior years of high school, we are imprinted with the most valuable lessons needed in life by our counselors. We are taught to run our own race, where competitive spirit is not encouraged by bringing down your peers; but rather by harnessing your own greatest potential. Here you find real friends, who share the same vision as you, as to do something in their life that amounts to something greater than themselves.
School isn’t a funny word in reality at all. It is actually inspiring and motivating. It transforms you to exhibit a compassionate character and noble work ethic. It gives you the courage to take risks in life when you are unaware of the outcome but only aware of your capabilities. School isn’t a funny word in reality at all. It teaches you that the “greatest risk you could ever take, is not taking a risk at all”.
And I am glad that I did take that risk. Because I found more than I was looking for. I found the School for Advanced Studies, which let me live out a high school experience that only a few can dream of.
Anshika Motiani
School for Advanced Studies Homestead, Class of 2021
Nova Southeastern University, Class of 2024
Dalila Oliva
Coming from Cuba at thirteen-years-old, I witnessed the sacrifices that my parents had to endure in order for their children to have a fair chance in life. Thanks to them, I am achieving my dreams. But today, I want to tell you of someone else that helped me get where I am now.
One day I was in my Algebra class when two of my friends were talking about an orange letter that they had gotten in the mail. They talked about the pros and cons of this program called SAS, and to be honest I felt left out. Left out because even though I thought I would never change schools I did not even have the opportunity to decide. That same weekend I got my letter, and the topic of joining started to rise in conversations with my parents. I believed I was not meant to be at a school so rigorous, after all, I had only lived 4 years in the country. But that’s what SAS means to me, a change in your life for better opportunities.
Before leaving my old school, I had many teachers try to advise me against it, saying how I would not like the competitiveness or that I was not going to have a “high school experience”. But they could not have been farther from the truth, I can confidently say that coming to SAS was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I came from a school that had hundreds of kids in my class and naturally, the resources and teachers were scarce, only a few students were able to receive the personalized help we needed. While being at SAS, I have had opportunities that I did not have before. Even though the adaptation to this new school with a harder curriculum was not an easy task, the attentive and helpful educators — not only classroom-wise — and my amazing peers with whom I have made so many memories that will follow me for the rest of my life, made the experience worth it.
Coming to SAS gave me the confidence to strive for a better future than my insecurities once let me believe I could. I thought I was not meant to achieve what other students had before me, I thought that this was the best I could do for my future with the little time I had in the country. However, this SAS community pushed me to reach for those dreams I thought were impossible and today here I am writing a testimonial for you and heading to Harvard in the fall. As a proud alumnus from The Dream Factory becoming a White Tiger is a decision you will not regret.
Dalila Oliva
School for Advanced Studies Wolfson, Class of 2021
Harvard University, Class of 2025
Jennifer Laguerre
Attending School for Advanced Studies has been my greatest academic accomplishment thus far. I can proudly say this after the ‘risk’ I took turned into a realization of my own potential. I considered it a ‘risk’ because I did not think any of my previous educational experiences was comparable to the rigorous coursework I was about to experience. With the bit of hope from first realizing that I was selected for a reason and remembered that I always wanted an opportunity like this to expedite my schooling, I took a leap of faith.
I imagined the school as a place where scholars independently pursued their education and had to succeed in everything they did. In hindsight, this perspective was unrealistic and deviated from what I came to know SAS to be. The school provided a close-knit environment that made for more frequent interactions and empowered me to believe that I belonged.
The staff acknowledged the importance of academic excellence and worked to create a connection with students in all services. My peers served as motivation too. At SAS, going to top schools and earning distinctive awards became more common and therefore, seemed more attainable to me. I also gained more independence in my matriculation to SAS. This motivated me to use this opportune time to figure out my methods for learning effectively.
SAS is an environment not just to administer education but to foster it and encourages students from different backgrounds through a common and primary goal to grow academically. A passion for education is what allowed me to be successful at SAS.
Jennifer Laguerre
School for Advanced Studies North Campus, Class of 2021
Florida International University, Class of 2025
Alexandro Garces
When I first came to SAS, I never imagined that it would become the watershed experience that has nurtured my growth for the past two years. I came in with an ill preconception based off of website statistics, summaries, and course offerings. I remember sitting at orientation, thinking to myself: “it’s a small, two-year school with mostly AP classes and an impressive matriculation list, so I’m here to compete, no more, no less”.
But below that layer of superficial competitive aggression, I harbored a fear. Would I be able to make new friends and adapt within this new, unfamiliar, and seemingly constraining environment? First week of junior year I viewed this question with pessimism, but today I could not be more proud to say I was wrong.
The SAS community is not merely an academic body of faculty and students, it is a family; one that embraces your identity, cherishes your experiences, cultivates your passions, and supports your endeavors. The teachers are among the kindest I have had the pleasure of being taught by, and the amount of personal attention and care I have been able to receive from them was unprecedented to me as I was starting out.
But by far the most enjoyable aspect of SAS has been the students. After spending two years with the intellectual, passionate, light-hearted student body, my decision in picking SAS has been validated a million times over. The feelings of camaraderie that permeated not only within my friend group, but throughout the whole school, has been a transformative experience that shattered my inhibitions and has enabled me to blossom both academically and emotionally.
One could say that by going to SAS, you’re missing out on the traditional high school experience. It’s true, SAS is by no means a traditional high school. It’s something far more. SAS is cheering up a friend in need at any time of the day. SAS is an AP US History class led astray by bewilderment at a particular teacher’s decision to base their local voting preferences off of the construction of a baseball stadium. SAS is anxious, yet optimistic banter leading up to the month of College Board exam mania (that’s May). And for me, SAS… is coming to a close.
As I step into the next chapter of my life, I’ll never forget my experiences at this place. The friends I’ve made here, the support I’ve received, my successes, my failures, my personal growth and newfound passions, I owe it all to SAS. So come hither, wary testimonial reader! You will surely cherish your stay at the Dream Factory. I know I have.
Alexandro Garces
School for Advanced Studies Wolfson, Class of 2021
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Class of 2025
Sarahjeen Paul
My entire life I have felt that throughout my school career that I was just not good enough. The idea that I would never adhere to the aspirations others had for me consumed my mind. When I was younger I “knew” everything. I was praised for little things that made the world figure that I would have to be someone significant in the future; but as I grew older this thought messed with how I perceived myself intellectually.
Before coming to SAS, I was unhappy and school life stressed me out because of the mediocre teachers who demanded so much of me and who could care less about the individuals that sat in their class and more on the students who went out of their way to be in the spotlight. Learning was like a game, whoever could catch the teacher’s attention was most likely to succeed because of their overbearing entity.
However, in SAS it is quite the opposite. The teachers here go out of their way to help you and let you know that you are encouraged to ask questions and that it’s okay to not understand. I used to struggle with properly studying and asking questions when I did not understand a concept, because for some reason I always felt that it was foolish of me to not fully understand the new lesson that was taught in such a short amount of time.
But ever since I began my junior year in SAS I felt that I could become the person I was afraid to be, that I could do the work, that I could understand the material, and that it was manageable even with the extra workload that comes with being a part of this amazing school. I thank the teachers for caring about us as individuals and the social environment of SAS where although we all have such great resumes to showcase and be supercilious about, we continue to help each other and not picture school as who can get to the top first but as how we can achieve our goals. We push each other to do better.
I have done things that I believe would have never happened without being a part of SAS, such as getting into a great college where I can extend my learning and explore the next journey of my life. Being at SAS makes me happy and excited to learn and interact with my teachers and friends. The home of the resilient SAS White Tigers is a place that I will never cease to appreciate.
As I begin to conclude this testimonial that caused me to reminisce about the high school arc of my life, I realized that I have grown so much and will continue to grow much more and I have to thank everyone I have met on this road for it. Thank you for teaching me to never undervalue myself or underestimate what anyone can do no matter their past. Everyone is susceptible to change and completing great steps in their lives. The path to success is not achieved effortlessly. There will be obstacles that must be conquered and trials that must be faced, but do not let them scare you because, as corny as it sounds, you can truly do anything that you put your mind to.
Sarahjeen Paul
School for Advanced Studies Homestead, Class of 2021
Mt. Holyoke College, Class of 2025
Alexa Krochmal
As a graduating senior, I can look back on my high school experience and reassure you that deciding to attend the School for Advanced Studies (SAS) was the best decision of my academic career. SAS is an amazing educational institution that pushes its students towards excellence and demands nothing less. Throughout high school, I have always been the type of student to push myself to take the most rigorous courses and challenge myself with varied subjects. SAS seemed like the perfect environment to facilitate my enthusiasm for learning and to step out of my comfort zone in the academic world.
It takes a leap of faith and determination to be successful at SAS as it is academically rigorous. At first, I was intimidated by the idea of simultaneously taking dual enrollment courses and Advanced Placement classes and worried that it would be too difficult to manage. It takes some time to adjust to the load of homework that SAS teachers and MDC professors assign. I would say that the best part of the environment at SAS is the way in which it will prepare you for your future endeavors at a university.
In addition, I thought that leaving my friends that I have known since sixth grade would be extremely difficult. There is no need to be afraid of not making new friends as there is an abundance of opportunities to meet people. The support system that awaits you at SAS is unlike any other; it is a welcoming and inclusive environment where you are guaranteed to meet people that share your interests and love of learning. I met some of my closest friends in club meetings and different honor society events.
Some may say that SAS is not your typical high school experience, and I absolutely agree. Being typical is not the nature of being an SAS student. Instead, I would say that SAS provides an exceptional high school experience that allows you to stay focused on your studies and engage in fun events like homecoming, the Florida College Tour, Prom, and other unforgettable occasions.
The global pandemic cut my time of being physically in school short, but I never once felt the quality of instruction, communication among peers, or school spirit dwindle or waver. The teachers and staff at SAS give their all to their students and personally see to their academic needs. My classmates were always a beacon of positivity and encouragement when I needed it most. One of my favorite poets, Robert Frost, once said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—/ I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference.” I feel as though this quote perfectly describes the decision to attend SAS or not.
Take on the challenge that SAS presents, you will not regret it.
Alexa Krochmal
School for Advanced Studies Kendall, Class of 2021
University of Florida, Class of 2023
Fadhina Victoria Petit-Clair (Silver Knight Winner in Music and Dance)
As I sit here to write this testimonial with the mere intention of showing prospective students what is within reach, I think about the time in which I, too, was a prospective student. Incredibly nervous and overly enthusiastic, I can vividly remember the feeling elicited as I read through the myriad of testimonials; it was the feeling of hope.
You know how establishing your aspirations and future goals isn’t usually the challenging part? It’s figuring out how to get there that induces perpetual overthinking and uncertainty, and for me, finding SAS was the portal into clarity and an abundance of opportunities, whether that be academic or within character development. The possibility and facilitation of success, as can be defined by one’s own standard, becomes well within reach here at the School for Advanced Studies.
Before coming to the School for Advanced Studies, I marveled at the sight of ordinary people accomplishing the extraordinary and wondered how. I could only imagine how it felt to be recognized as one who went beyond the horizons to make their respective communities a better place and marvel at the opportunity to be in a space where any extent of academic achievement is encouraged and celebrated.
That being said, I thought I’d share a part of my story. Coming into SAS I was incredibly shy and reserved, I can’t say I’m not still a bit reserved, but never in a million years did I think I had the ability to run for and, much less become, SGA President of my class. From the very moment I wrote my name on the sign up sheet, I was met with unparalleled support, not only by my friends, but by the faculty. To me running for president, and eventually winning, meant the world because it was the true embodiment of character development and perseverance. Something that was only made possible through the sense of community I found here at the School for Advanced Studies.
See, the beauty of SAS does not lie within the opportunity to take advantage of the multitude of the most rigorous high school and college courses this county has to offer, it lies within that sense of community which allows for an enrichment of the academic atmosphere and culture facilitating the success of students in all aspects. The atmosphere cultivated at SAS, by the faculty and staff, serves to embrace learning, promote intrapersonal growth, and foster a multifaceted outlook on life.
It is because of this said community that I can now be recognized as a Silver Knight award winner amongst many other things.
As you read this testimonial, I encourage you to accept this ultimate challenge. I encourage you to take the risk and make the decision. Do this for yourself. Apply to the School for Advanced Studies, for with hard work the results are rewarding and the benefits are unparalleled. Allow yourself to learn and grow as it is through this manner that you can actively become resilient and metamorphosize.
At the School for Advanced Studies, you can achieve all that you aspire to and more.
Fadhina Victoria Petit-Clair
School for Advanced Studies Wolfson, Class of 2021
Yale University, Class of 2025