Change: An Oak Grove Documentary

by Surya Pulipati ’24

For his senior Pathless Project, Surya Pulipati made a short documentary about changes at Oak Grove School including interviews with former and current teachers and administrators.

The film begins with an interview with David Moody, one of the very first teachers at Oak Grove, who explains:

“…it was clear to us that all we were doing was beginning the planting of a seed, with hopes it would grow into something much more.”

– Dr. David Moody

About the Filmmaker

During his time at Oak Grove, Surya grew into a creative powerhouse who wrote poetry, MC’d school events, and edited the school newspaper, all while hosting his own podcast (“Unsliced”…available on all platforms). On the basketball court, Surya played with heart and snuck in some exciting three-point dazzlers! This fall, he’s off to Dodge College, the film school at Chapman University here in Southern California, to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker. “This school has given me who I am, it has shown me who not to be and has more importantly shown me who I want to be,” Surya said during his graduation speech.

Recent Blog Posts:

Letting Kids Fail

Blog, Head of School, News

Failure is not separate from learning. When a child fails, something essential happens – which we see if we are attentive. In this world of comparison, failure can turn into shame. We live in a culture that idolizes success and recoils at failure. This conditioning can seep into how we raise and educate our children.

Why We Give

Blog, Giving, Parent Perspective

Our time here is limited, but perhaps if we can help the school to thrive in our own way, then we can trust that our small gifts will be amplified through the larger efforts of the community.