Sophia C.
About Me
I'm a full-time junior currently based in Beijing, although I grew up in the United States and still spend some of my time living there every year. Linguistics and translation are two major passions of mine, whether it's partaking in NACLO/IOLC and conducting related research, serving as an interpreter for local events and theater performances, running a literary journal in multiple languages, or creating translated covers of songs I like. I think the study of languages (and translation in particular) is a discipline that straddles the intersection between art and communication, both of which require humanity and hold increasing value in today's rapidly evolving society.
Why I Chose Stanford OHS
Prior to attending Stanford OHS, I'd experienced a wide variety of education systems (public/private schools in the US, Chinese public school, international school, etc.). I also took classes at Stanford OHS while boarding at a brick-and-mortar school while homeschooled through self-paced courses before enrolling full-time. I like to think I chose Stanford OHS three times: once when applying, because it offered a degree of academic rigor in certain subjects that my local schools couldn't aspire to; once when choosing to remain enrolled as a single-course student, because I truly valued the connections I made with my teachers and fellow students, even through a screen; and a third time when I committed to full-time enrollment, because I saw Stanford OHS as a part of the high school experience I wanted myself to have.
I will be graduating from Stanford OHS because the school has enabled me to pursue my academic passions to levels I wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise, and also given me the flexibility to travel more frequently and engage more thoroughly with both communities.
What I Love About Stanford OHS
As someone with a range of academically centered interests, the invigorating academic atmosphere at Stanford OHS has always been its most attractive trait in my eyes. My peers and instructors alike harbor a passion for the class content that I never saw in any of my other schools; there is a focus on academics without the learning aspect being overwhelmed/undermined by a fixation on getting easy, perfect grades. I also appreciate the seminar-style class meetings, which maximize the quality of discussions in each session while allowing me the freedom to spend as much time as I'd like on the readings and written work.
Instructor office hours and meetings with my academic advisor have all been incredibly helpful and reassuring when I needed them, and they ensure that you feel supported by a trusted community even with an online format. My personal absolute favorite experience at Stanford OHS has got to be Peer Tutoring at the Writing & Tutoring Center; meeting with clients to help brainstorm or revise their essays was inspiring in ways that I couldn't have anticipated beforehand.