What I Learned From My Private School: A Student Testimonial
I’ve always been a fan of life science, and I plan to go to medical school after graduation. I decided on that career path after doing research with a doctor who is a family friend in Cairo, watching surgeries then writing about them.
My family lives in Boston and Portugal, but my mom and I have lived all around the world. I've attended schools in Europe, China, Jamaica, and America. Being a girl interested in science, I haven't had a lot of experience in schools that really support me.
So when I came to The Hun School as a sophomore, I was impressed to see how girls are encouraged to get involved in the STEM program.
I’ve noticed that at Hun – more than at any school I’ve been at – there are so many courses and clubs for students who are interested in STEM. At my previous schools, that wasn’t really the case. I’m even in the STEM Scholars Track, which is a concentration in science, technology, engineering, and math.
As part of the STEM Scholars track, I take elective classes that fall under the STEM umbrella. I originally took only life science courses, because of my interests in the medical field and neurology specifically. However, Computer Science and Engineering Chair Amy Wright saw me in the hallway one day and convinced me to try a robotics class.
And that’s the most unexpected thing I learned from my private school experience: I love robotics.
I love robotics so much, in fact, that I spent my summer learning new programming languages just for fun!
My class and I decided to build a robot that can act as a tour guide. Her name is Twenty. When we finish programming her, she’ll be able to answer basic questions (similar to what Siri does), wave her arms, and even blink. Even though that course ended last semester, I’ve been going to the robotics lab during my free periods so I can finish programming Twenty. I hope to teach the Middle School students how to program her, too, so we can keep her going into the future.
Rose and her classmates are working to program a tour guide robot, seen here, named Twenty.
So even though robotics has been a new passion of mine, I’ve decided that I still want to pursue a career in neuroscience. I wasn’t always sure that was the right path for me, but the thing about Hun is that when you’re interested in something, your teachers are going to help you pursue it. Last year, I got to visit the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where three doctors with a Hun connection let us watch a surgery they performed and then answered all of our questions about medical school, their careers, and their experiences.
That experience really confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in neuroscience. But I’m really thankful that I have had the opportunity to explore different paths within the STEM program at Hun, too.
This school and my teachers have been so encouraging for me as a girl interested in STEM, and I’m more certain than ever of my future plans.
- Upper School Student Rose Denomme, 2020
Discover Hun Private School for Yourself
Ready to start your journey at Hun? We invite you to fill out our inquiry form and come visit our beautiful campus. .