Cambridge Public Schools

Extra Curricula
National Ocean Sciences Bowl team captain, New Student Guide, National Honors Society member, sporadic Dungeons and Dragons club participant. Also did fencing for a while.

Favorite Class at CRLS
Anything taught by Ms. Young, Model UN with Mr. Racki, Immersion Journalism with Mr. Jordan, my graduation project with Ms. Maloney/Ms. Fitzgerald. Ms Young's classes are unique in the best way possible. What other classes can boast curriculums that involves donning Viking regalia, banging objects together to see what sounds they make, telling the teacher step-by-step how to make a sandwich, removing Mike Tyson's facial tattoo, making fart noises into microphones, and actually learning really useful skills in the process?

Mr. Racki had free rein to teach us basically whatever he wanted in Model UN, so we went on a semester-long journey into his brilliant mind. I would leave that class each day with my mouth agape, trying to process everything I just learned about the world.

Mr. Jordan knows how to push his students' buttons in the best way possible, and he doesn't hold back in Immersion Journalism. It's one of those classes that makes you dread the bell ringing. He asks thought-provoking questions about everyday life and offers a daily dose of much-needed perspective. It's a first period class, so he also sometimes gives you coffee and tea, because you have to be awake for your mind to be blown.

My graduation project with Ms. Maloney has been a really amazing experience. I've been able to draft a novel with her guidance, kindness, and enviable editing skills.

Favorite Teacher
I can't possibly choose just one! Ms. Young... oh, Ms. Young. I took my first animation class with her in my freshman year, and took (or TA'ed) a class with her each year after that. Her classroom is tucked away in a remote corner of the Arts Building, and a sign that reads "Nerdvana" hangs in the hallway outside. To some, that sign means you've arrived home, because in Ms. Young's classroom, standing out is fitting in.

Ms. Young is one of the kindest and most caring people, let alone teachers, I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. She makes an active effort to foster an environment in her classroom that welcomes all. Her students are devoted to the extent that, one year, we declared ourselves 'Ms. Young's Army'--there were tee shirts involved--and for good reason.

Mr. Racki constantly challenged the way I thought about history and politics. He went above and beyond the curricular call of duty every day, teaching us critical thinking and expository writing skills, moral philosophy, how to budget, how to construct a logical argument, the psychology behind terrorism and religious extremism, macroeconomics, and the meaning of the word "ofttimes". He made me want to stand on my desk and shout "O Captain! My Captain!" on a regular basis.

Ms. Maloney, Mr. McGuinness, Mr. Jordan, Dr. Stefanov, Ms. Dolan, Ms. Philippe, and Mr. Benson are also completely outstanding teachers and they each deserve books written singing their praises.

What are some of the out-of-school time (OST) programs that you participated in between grades 6 - 12?
None

How did being enrolled in any OST program(s) contribute to your success in and out of high school?
N/A

What did you like most about CRLS? Why?
There are so many different kinds of people here, so many different languages spoken in the hallways, it still blows my mind after four years. It's humbling to think about the variety of backgrounds represented at CRLS.

What is something people unfamiliar with CRLS should know about the school? Why? 
It's big. Unfathomably big. You'll never get to know everyone. You'll meet people in your senior year who you will wish you had met in your freshman year.

Advice to Incoming Freshmen
Carry a water bottle. Sing with Dr. S. Take unusual classes. Go on a quest to discover the fifth floor. (Does it exist? That's for me to know and for you to find out.) Give Dungeons and Dragons club a try. Join Ocean Bowl. Treat the people in your learning community well. Befriend exchange students. Explore the course catalog. Speak up when you see injustice. Be unfailingly kind.

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