Portrait of a Graduate: Part 1

With high school graduation just around the corner, we would like to introduce you to the SLOCAHS Class of 2024! This series of posts includes Q&A with this fantastic group of students and will provide a small glimpse into these individuals who are heading out into the world. Here to more adequately introduce the Class of 2024 is Mitchell Rey, our SLOCAHS Student Life Director...

At SLOCAHS, we desire our students to be engaged, independent learners who seek ongoing intellectual and character development. Upon graduation, the ideal SLOCA graduate will be known for the following traits: creative problem solver • seeker of wisdom • effective communicator • knowledgeable lifelong learner. Despite the occasional tardy (or maybe a bit more than just occasional), I am proud to say that our senior class will certainly display these traits as they move on to their next adventure. These students will pursue writing, teaching, joining the FBI, computer programming, business, and engineering all while looking for what is good, true, and beautiful. It has been a pleasure to get to know this group of seniors and I am honored to cheer them on as they jump into this next chapter in their lives.

Amelia Bircher

Senior Project: “Befriending Seneca: Seeking ‘Pure Language’ Through Translation”

Plans after graduation: I’m currently deciding between a few colleges in California and I’ll be majoring in biochemistry.

1. Why did you choose this senior project?  During the summer of my junior year, I reread Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations with a friend. We both struggle with anxious thoughts and found comfort in Stoic philosophy/practices. I decided I wanted to explore this philosophy more, and I’ve been fortunate to do so under the mentorship of Dr. Bleisch.

2. What is the most impactful piece of literature you’ve read, and why?  For me, it’s a tie between Seneca’s Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, and John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. My senior project centers around the former text and it’s one that I find myself returning to over and over—I think everyone can find something that resonates with them in Seneca, and his writing is so pleasant and easily comprehensible. I’ve gained so much perspective while reading texts authored by the great Roman Stoics. I’ve read East of Eden three times now; it’s an oddly comforting novel and I get something new out of it every read!

3. Who has been an influential person in your life (dead or alive)? Harry Styles!

4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? My most-listened-to artist on Spotify right now is Slipknot. 

Lauren Cordova

Senior Project: A Pursuit of Happiness

Plans After Graduation: My plans after graduation are to attend Cuesta for two years to get my GEDs, and then transfer.

1. Why did you choose this senior project? I chose my senior project because I felt like it was something that plays a major role in our lives and I myself have thought a lot about the subject, so I figured other people have as well.

2. What is the most impactful piece of literature you’ve read, and why? Probably ‘Gold’ by Rumi. I bought ‘Gold’ after we read some of Rumi’s work in school, which sparked my interest and love for poetry.

3. Who has been an influential person in your life (dead or alive)? My parents, they’ve both taught me a lot of valuable lessons and have helped me through life.

4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? I really like sculpting and sketching.

Olivia Ehlinger 

Senior Project: The Importance of Creativity

Plans after graduation: My plans after graduation are to spend two years at Cuesta and then transfer to either UCSB or UCLA.  

1. Why did you choose this senior project? I chose to do this topic for my senior project because I’ve always been a really creative person who enjoys to do creative things, so I wanted to dive deeper into why it is so important to be creative and why it is good for our own well beings.  

2. What is the most impactful piece of literature you’ve read, and why? The most impactful piece of literature that I ever read is probably the Harry Potter series. I say this because it was the first book series that I really got engaged in and because I think it expanded my imagination a lot.

3. Who has been an influential person in your life (dead or alive)? The most influential person in my life is my Grandpa, I look up to him a lot because no matter what the world throws at him he still manages to stay the most positive and loving person, which is something that I strive to be able to do. 

4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? One thing I think people would be surprised to know about me is that I haven’t seen or read the Hunger Games series.  

Abraham Newman

Senior Project: World Unveiled: Crafting a Fantasy Novel

Plans after graduation: Attend Cal Poly and major in business

1. Why did you choose this senior project? Because I love writing specifically fantasy and wanted to do my project on it.

2. What is the most impactful piece of literature you’ve read, and why? I really liked reading Les Miserables because it taught me a lot about justice and it’s many sides. 

3. Who has been an influential person in your life (dead or alive)? My older brother has been very influential as a role model for me.

4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?  People would be surprised to know I read a lot.

Elica Haar

Senior Project: Turning Passions into Podcasts: The Life, Death, and Re-birth of The “American” Cowboy

Plans After Graduation: TBD

1. Why did you choose this senior project? I chose to do this senior project because it is something meaningful to me.

2. What is the most impactful piece of literature you’ve read, and why? The most impactful piece of literature I have read is Plato’s Republic because it changed the way I view the concept of the truth v.s. Truth

3. Who has been an influential person in your life (dead or alive)? An influential person in my life has been my older sister, who has always supported me and been my greatest cheerleader

4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?  I have been to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Budapest, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Greece, France, Canada, and more.

Maiya Migliore

Senior Project: Relationships of all Kinds

Plans After Graduation: Cuesta College with Transfer to Columbia

1. Why did you choose this senior project? I chose this senior project because I feel that teaching about abuse to those who might not know it is extremely important. It’s a cycle that continues without education- and I plan to be that educator!

2. What is the most impactful piece of literature you’ve read, and why? One of the most impactful pieces of literature I’ve read is a book called “Stolen” by Lucy Christopher. It’s a fictional book about a girl who goes through an abduction and when she finally is saved, she reveals that the book is her memoir that the therapist offered her to write. I think it’s amazingly well written, and it’s a very interesting read.

3. Who has been an influential person in your life (dead or alive)? I think the most influential person would be my mom. She taught me and inspired me to be very aware of my surroundings and of others which ignited my passion for helping others.

4. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?  Something that I believe people would be surprised to know about me would be that I still really like girly things (pink, Hello Kitty, etc…) even though I dress very dark with lots of black.

Stay tuned for Portrait of a Graduate, Part 2, where we will highlight the rest of our SLOCAHS 2024 Seniors!