By Dr. Elena Olsen, Inspire Contributor

Students at Eastside Prep often talk about the relationships they form with each other and with their teachers as one of their favorite things about the EPS community. EPS “Lifers” of the Class of 2024 (seniors who began their time at EPS in the fifth grade) speak for all of their classmates when they reflect on the relationships they have cultivated and the varied perspectives they have engaged with during their many years here at EPS.

Jacob Chaney sums up what many of his fellow Lifers express about the value of a student body that is both small and diverse: “A small school gives you no shortage of opportunities to talk to everyone in your grade. Because of this, I’ve met a lot of people I wouldn’t have ever expected to meet, and engaged with a lot of communities I wouldn’t have ever expected to engage with, broadening my perspectives on the world and school around me.” Likewise, Nihaal Oberoi appreciates that the closeness he found with his classmates has taught him that “everybody is unique in their own amazing way.” Adam Dalloul agrees, adding that his favorite thing about EPS has been “getting to know other people and making new friends.”

Lifers also recognize how their education has helped them gain understanding and compassion for each other and for those beyond campus boundaries. Ella Hinson and Amanda Rogers feel that their perspectives have widened because of their time in the classroom. Hinson notes, “Regardless of their lesson plan, I have found that all of my teachers are willing to allow students to engage in discussions regarding the content we are covering. This flexibility in class time allows us to better understand each other’s perspectives.” Rogers remembers a discussion following the 2024 election in which participants shared different aspects of their backgrounds as one example of how “EPS has provided me the space to discuss significant world events to understand different perspectives.” Jonah Liang adds, “I think that the group discussions we frequently have in history and literature courses allow each student to introduce their own point of view without being harshly judged, which is what has helped me to better understand different viewpoints and perspectives.”

For Saina Bhatt, debating real-world cases in Law and Justice class helped her step inside a perspective different from her own, and also credits the collaborative nature of EPS learning for teaching her “the value of empathy and compromise.” Miles Pannoni hopes to attend law school after college. Because “conversation and dialogue are the focal point” of his classes at EPS, he feels well-prepared to take on advanced social sciences study.

From left to right: Rohan Balakrishnan, Saina Bhatt, Jacob Chaney, Iselin Crosby, Adam Dalloul, Ella Hinson, Yash Kshirsagar, Arya Kuttiyan, Addie Langworthy, Jonah Liang, Sofia Mansour, Arushi Munshi, Arya Nair, Nihaal Oberoi, Miles Pannoni, Maria Picoto, Kailen Premji, Rishay Puri, Amanda Rogers, Sienna Roggeveen, Anvika Singhal, Alina Uberti, Annika Wanagel-Rojas, Ethan Zou

In order to bridge perspectives in our complex, sometimes divided world, we need strong self-understanding. Lifers share about how specific EPS experiences helped them better understand themselves. Arya Nair loves the Community Book Club for how it fosters the sharing of lived experiences across the student, teacher, and parent communities. She is also grateful for her time in Chamber Choir: “There’s something really nice about gathering when it’s still dark and quiet outside to make music together.”

EPS students consistently identify EBC Week as having a significant impact on their self-development. Yash Kshirsagar names his EBC experiences has one of his favorite things about EPS, for getting him out of his comfort zone and challenging him to navigate new environments.

Addie Langworthy “loved Peer Mentors as a middle schooler, so I continued this program in Upper School, which was a delight.” The Peer Mentor program builds bridges between Middle and Upper School students and comes up repeatedly in students’ favorite EPS experiences. Langworthy has been on the girls’ Ultimate Frisbee team every year and many of our Lifers share similar memories of growing within and through these “families” on teams and in clubs. Iselin Crosby, Rogers, and Bhatt helped create and have led the Young Womens’ Affinity group over their four years in the Upper School and credit it with building their sense of self as well as community. Rogers is grateful for this opportunity, among others, that EPS has provided for her to be a leader.

Lifers understand that leadership is about fostering connections and community. According to its captain, Rohan Balakrishnan, members of the golf team spend lots of time together not only bonding and supporting each other but also “being productive.” A reason to encourage your kids to join the golf team, parents?

A clear theme in Lifers’ reflections is the freedom they have felt to be themselves throughout their time at EPS. All of them have engaged in every aspect of life at EPS, from creating their own monthly mascots in Mr. Colello’s fifth-grade history classroom (like Sylvia the snowman, courtesy of Crosby and Langworthy) to the senior rafting trip, “beautiful and full of laughs” and Arya Kuttiyan’s favorite memory. Like many of his peers, Kailen Premji tried something new during his last year in high school: “So far, the best part of my senior year has been playing on the basketball team. I’ve had a lot of fun playing and getting to know a lot of people on the team.”

From left to right: Rohan Balakrishnan, Saina Bhatt, Jacob Chaney, Iselin Crosby, Adam Dalloul, Ella Hinson, Yash Kshirsagar, Arya
Kuttiyan, Addie Langworthy, Jonah Liang, Sofia Mansour, Arushi Munshi, Arya Nair, Nihaal Oberoi, Miles Pannoni, Maria Picoto,
Kailen Premji, Rishay Puri, Amanda Rogers, Sienna Roggeveen, Anvika Singhal, Alina Uberti, Annika Wanagel-Rojas, Ethan Zou

Most of all, growing up in their small, nurturing, but diverse EPS family has given Lifers confidence to take on the limitless opportunities and voices of the world beyond our campus. Anvika Singhal, rowing team member and lead of the Electric Vehicle club, comments that “EPS makes it really easy to be part of something bigger than yourself, whether it is sports, clubs, electives, independent curriculum, or any number of other things.” The wonderful EPS dining staff are like surrogate parents for many Lifers, and the Sport Court is the play space that is always there when the homework gets to be a little too much—Ethan Zou speaks for every member of his class when he names these spaces as his two of favorite on campus. And while Lifers have endless fun memories of the Sport Court and in the LPC, like spilling hot chocolate on a teacher’s shirt (not that Sienna Roggeveen ever did that), it is their memories of perspective-sharing in classrooms across campus that is most universally shared. Some share specific experiences of enthusiastic discussions, like Sofia Mansour’s shout-out to her American Literature and U.S. History classes: “I’ve never seen people more engaged in discussions about Transcendentalism and self-determination. That will always be a highlight.” Arushi Munshi sums up the thoughts of her fellow Lifers well: “I love the way EPS promotes discussions in classroom settings. It has taught me to approach challenging topics with an open mind in addition to being respectful and appreciative of others’ perspectives.”

Even when pursuing opportunities within our independent curriculum, Lifers seek out connection, diverse opinions and experiences. They are excited to grow their own perspectives and understanding. When they enter the wider world they will make it richer for their open-mindedness, brilliant talents, and enthusiasm for new experiences. Whether learning the secrets of the Swedish royal family, as Alina Uberti hopes to do, solving a Rubik’s Cube in under ten seconds (which Rishay Puri has likely already accomplished by the time this article is published), being fluent in five languages by the age of twenty-five, leading scientific expeditions in the Arctic, or being a cellular biologist as well as a choir member, Lifers will carry out the EPS Vision of making the world a better place no matter how they choose to do so.