Another major aspect that drew me in was the palpable sense of community. I assume the average teenager would want to go to a massive high school with thousands of students and crowded locker rooms, the kind of school environment you often see depicted in a Netflix series. I was surprisingly the opposite, preferring smaller environments that were less busy, with fewer people who are more interconnected. I really liked the intimate nature of Oak Grove, and I loved that even though the student body was so small, the campus was huge, and there was so much openness and access to nature, which again I had not really had back in L.A.

“I really liked the intimate nature of Oak Grove, and I loved that even though the student body was so small, the campus was huge, and there was so much openness and access to nature, which again I had not really had back in L.A.”

I spent my senior year staying at Besant House, one of my favorite parts of my Oak Grove experience. I was able to really build bonds there, not just with other students, but with the staff too – especially Elena Hall, Jeff Otterbein, and Uschi Gibson. It was a diverse space to come back to and reconvene as a group after school trips.

Senior Trip to India

Of course, traveling to India was a milestone in my life that I will never forget. Staying in Rishi Valley was incredible, and we seamlessly bonded with students there over music and art. I was forced out of my comfort zone after constant confrontations with nature, something I wasn’t used to at all. I remember staying at the Bangalore campus and being casually warned by staff about a jaguar being on the loose. Culture shock was an understatement! It was an eye-opener, but an experience for which I remain appreciative.