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Alumni
Review #1, Class of 2002 |
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| College
Enrolled |
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Yale |
| Home
Town, State (Country) |
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Plano,TX |
| Years
Attended Boarding School |
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4 |
| Activities
During Boarding School |
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Orchestra-concertmistress
Debate-Co-Tournament Director
Quizbowl-President
Math Club-President
Set Crew
Tu Tertulia (Spanish Honors Society)
RHD Metrocrest Family Medical Clinic Translator (volunteer)
Staff Writer-School Newspaper
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| 1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative
to other boarding schools?
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| Hockaday is about one half boarding school, one half day school. This means that it has the feel of a "normal" private school, but still also has a tightly knit boarder community. Hockaday is also an all girls school, an environment in which many girls are more comfortable. |
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| 2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school? |
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| Probably the best thing that happened to me while at Hockaday was that I met my two best friends. It's amazing the friendships you make here...I had never been good at making friends before, but as soon as I got to Hockaday I met Mary and Caroline, and for the next four years we were inseperable. I miss them so much, and we still talk almost every day online or on the phone, even though we went to colleges on different sides of the country. |
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| 3.) What would you have done differently during your boarding school experience? |
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| I'm really glad that I participated in all of the activities that freshman retreat offered. For example, I had never rock climbed in my life, but was really proud of myself when I reached the top of the wall. Be sure to get involved in activities as much as possible...at Hockaday it is impossible to be bored! |
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| 4.) What would you never want to change about your school? |
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| I would never change the enthusiasm of the teachers, the caring and intelligent students, or the way the little ducklings follow their mother around the campus duck pond in the spring. I fell in love with Hockaday in the seventh grade and have never stopped loving it. |
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| 5.) What things could be improved about your school? |
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| It would be nice if the Lower and Middle Schools were more integrated. Sometimes unless you see little girls running around on the playground, it's hard to remember that the Upper School is not the only part of Hockaday campus. |
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| 6.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students
to your school? |
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| The jello in the cafeteria is always good. The benches on teardrop garden are a great place to study. And, most importantly of all....wear boxers under your skirt so that you don't flash people when you sit crosslegged. A teacher told me this at the beginning of school my freshman year and I was very grateful. |
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| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s academics? |
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| Teachers make Hockaday classes fun and challenging. For example, my AP US History teacher worked as a stand up comedian in college to earn extra money, and he came into class each day with a new history joke to tell, often using a toy microphone. All of the professors put a huge amount of work into their classes, help extensively with extracirricular activities, and act as academic and personal advisers, treating you not just as students but as family |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about the academics in your school? |
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| Freshmen for the most part cannot take honors classes. While this puts the freshmen on a level playing field the first year so that they can all get used to highschool on the same level, it can get a little boring for those who are more advanced. However, Hockaday still offers advanced math and foreign language classes during the freshman year, and since everyone in the school is very academically gifted anyway, the classes are not in any way uninteresting. |
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| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s athletics? |
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| Athletics are not treated as the end all, be all of civilization. Students are avid fans of field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, etc., but for the most part the athletes are not treated any better than any other student on campus. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about the athletics in your school? |
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| Often certain athletic teams had a (sometimes well-earned) reputation for drinking, etc. This was sometimes embarrasssing for the school, and especially for the athletes on the notorious team that did not participate in such activities. |
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| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s art program? |
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| Hockaday is incredibly committed to the arts. They have an orchestra, nationally ranked debate and dance programs, theater program, huge art studio, ceramics, state of the art photography labs, etc. The school goes with other private schools in the area to an arts festival every year where students showcase their work. The school also puts on a musical every year, with students participating in every aspect of the show. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about your school’s art program? |
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| Really there's nothing not to love about Hockaday arts program. In four years it became my life, and I loved it. The teachers are amazing, and really care about the students, the program is extremely well funded, etc. |
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| 1.)
What did you like most about the extracurricular activities offered
at your school? |
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| There was a HUGE array of activities offered every year. It was hard not to overload yourself. It was also easy for students to start new clubs. For example, I and some friends started the Quizbowl Club, and beat several veteran schools in area competitions our first year. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about the extracurricular activities offered
at your school? |
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| Sometimes a group of students get together to start a "frilly" club that they just plan to put on their resumes and nothing else. It's difficult to prevent this, but very easy to avoid if you want to be involved in something productive. |
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| 1.)
What was the best thing about dorm life in your school? |
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| Because the boarders are all-girls and only about 40% of the highschool, they are a very closely knit group. I liked that many students came from different countries such as Sweden, Taiwan, and Mexico. It made for some interesting conversations and great ethnic food! |
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What did you like least about dorm life? |
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| It was sometimes hard to see your classmates who were day students go home to their parents for the night. However, the boarding community was so close that after the first few days of school you never really thought about this at all. |
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| 1.)
What was the best thing about your dining arrangements? |
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| Everyone had to eat in the cafeteria (unless you were a senior, when you could go off campus for lunch or dinner). This meant that you were sure to see all of your friends at lunch. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about your dining arrangements? |
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| The food was pretty awful. We found spiders in the grapes, and sometimes the rice turned blue when you shook salt on it. However, you learned what was edible and ate out when you got too sick of the food. |
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| 1.) How welcome did you feel by the other students when you first
arrived at the school? |
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| When I first arrived at the school, I felt very shy because some of the girls had been going to school together since pre-kindergarten. However, the school did a lot to make us feel comfortable right away. They matched each freshman with a senior big sister who was "responsible" for her well-being and happiness all year. All freshmen also go on a week long retreat to a ranch to bond. I made friends faster than I ever had at a new school. |
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| 2.)
Describe the level of diversity and integration of students in your
school: |
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| Dallas is a very diverse city, and Hockaday reflects that diversity. Also, since many of the students are international boarders, the level of diversity is not only high ethnically but in terms of various countries represented as well. |
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| 3.)
Describe typical fun activities you did on a weekend: |
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| I debated, had orchestra rehearsal, went to movies, ordered pizza out with friends, etc. |
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| 4.)
What was the town like? |
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| Dallas is of course a huge city. There are concerts, ice skating rinks, at least 5 malls within 20 miles, etc. There is a stadium seating movie theater and roughly 20 inexpensive restaurants within 3 miles. Students also often went into different parts of Dallas to do volunteer work, which was required by the school. |
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| 5:15 AM | Wakeup and breakfast | | 8:00 AM | AP Chemistry | | 9:45 AM | Advisory | | 10:15 AM | AP Modern European History | | 11:30 AM | lunch-tacos | | 1:00 PM | orchestra rehearsal | | 2:15 PM | debate | | 4:00 PM | school's out....homework in the library | | 6:00 PM | volunteer at RHD Metrocrest Family Medical Clinic | | 9:00 PM | practice violin | | 11:00 PM | homework | | 1:00 AM | bedtime | |
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| 10:00 AM | wakeup and breakfast (waffles!) | | 11:00 AM | homework/messing around/hanging out | | 5:00 PM | Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Rehearsal | | 8:00 PM | dinner | | 9:00 PM | homework | | 12:00 AM | bed | |
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