I’m Maggie and I’ve been at Da Vinci since seventh grade. I could rattle off the list of buzzword laden reasons I’m glad I joined Da Vinci, but it is long and repetitive and all sort of boils down to “you only get one highschool experience, and Da Vinci happens to be the best one out there”. This “da Vinci experience” in question is I think so very unique it becomes hard to explain to people who haven’t lived it. I think the easiest way to explain it is through stories. Things like signature events, DV day, feast, suit challenge they all combine to make this one of a kind only at da Vinci journey.
Hi there!
That’s me!
I happen to have this wall that’s become something of a collage of my last few years, and I think it is quite reflective of why I’m glad I joined Da Vinci. This wall, I call it my wall of things, is my own scrapbook of every little piece of paper card or artwork I’ve been given. It is a mosaic of everyone and everything I love. I am fortunate to have many, many fond memories to track, and this wall helps me remember to be grateful for each one. Using a this wall, I am going to tell a few stories that illustrate why I am so glad I joined the Da Vinci community.
My first story is going to be about this picture and card. The card is from one of my very dear friends, who is in the picture with me at the spring dance. In our junior year, we happened to do every. Single. Project together. As you can imagine, we grew quite close from that.That is part of why I am so glad I chose da Vinci, not just because I met them (although I do happen to be a big fan of theirs) but because group work provides such a unique form of closeness, you have to learn how the other people focus best how they handle stress what are their strengths and weaknesses, it is an intimate thing to work with someone. I am also grateful Da Vinci was a place where I got to have all these experiences with someone I care so deeply for because my teachers understood what that meant for the two of us.
Next I’m going to write about this lovely series of images. This is me and some of my very close friends at a school dance. While I can recognize “I’m grateful to a school because it introduced me to my friends” is far from a revolutionary or poetic new concept, to not mention my friends would do my entire experience an injustice. To know me is to know them, as their impact on me is vast. Their influence has nestled itself into every fiber of my soul and undeniably changed who I am. Da Vinci has always been known for its unconventional-ness, and this particular brand of unconventional brought me my little group that have been with me every step of the way, I regard their friendship as one of the best things that has ever been mine.
Next I shall write about this wonderful award from ninth grade. Broadly I think these whimsical awards are everything da Vinci stands for, giving each student something personal that they are recognized for outside their academic standing. Da Vinci is a school, yes, but it has always been a place I felt seen for more than just my gpa. This award also represents a fond memory of mine. My freshman year I was very into the drama department, and this class happened to have a running joke where they claimed I acted like a teacher, coining the name teacher Maggie which would follow me in some capacity through my senior year, which goes to show another reason I appreciate da Vinci; it is a smaller closer community which allows those running jokes to go on for so long.
The final thing I shall mention here is this certificate. It is worth noting now that my plans after high school are to become an English as a second language teacher. And this direction is one I gained through my Spanish classes during high school, and an internship wherein I assisted an esl class. To not thank the place that shaped my life path in such an objective and measurable way would just feel unjust. A high school’s job is to leave you prepared for what comes next and I can very solidly say that after my years at da Vinci I feel a very strong sense of direction. To summarize, I am glad I chose da Vinci as it gave me everything a highschool should: community, direction and a long series of stories I cannot wait to tell at my next chapter.
Thank you for your consideration!