Delphian Magazine - Issue 128

COMMUNITY BREAKFAST VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY BUSINESS TRIP

CALIFORNIA

TELETHON STUDENT-LED FUNDRAISER

RESPONSIBILITY

STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY

K-12

HEAD

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

responsibly about disagreements, problems, etc.

“...This viewpoint may not always be easy and may take some practice, but it is the road to success, whether in school or in other situations and relationships.”

I was curious what our students think about this idea, so I interviewed several, asking them to rate how vital “responsibility as a viewpoint” has been to their success at Delphian and in life.

Five students gave “responsibility as a viewpoint” a ten. Four ignored the scale altogether and gave it an eleven–one even saw fit to give it a fifteen. In the end, the average ranking of importance placed on responsibility as a viewpoint was 11.2 on a scale of one to ten–a pretty strong endorsement.

To elaborate further, I asked each student individually to explain their viewpoint. Here is what they had to say:

“When I consider myself the victim of any circumstances, I always have excuses available. On the other hand, maintaining responsibility as a viewpoint tends to lead me to action. Responsibility isn’t blame. It’s responsibility: total ownership for both sides and all components of any situation.”

For the past several years, groups of students have gathered in my office for a lively discussion about the meaning and significance of Delphian’s logo. We talk in depth about the four points of the Delphian logo: Knowledge, Ethics, Leadership, and Integrity. We define those terms, discuss how they work together, and explore if and how you can have one without the others.

In these seminars, we always find ourselves discussing one aspect of the Delphian culture which isn’t on the logo: responsibility.

Our Student & Parent Handbook has a section called “Responsibility as a Viewpoint.” It’s a few paragraphs discussing two philosophical paths an individual can take: one believing they are the effect or victim of life’s circumstances and the other believing they are the cause of all effects in life. Here’s an excerpt:

“It is popular today to excuse one’s troubles or conflicts by taking the viewpoint that they ‘are done to you.’ This can be described as the ‘victim’ approach to life. At Delphian, expect us to encourage you to take personal responsibility for the situations you find yourself in, and to work purposefully toward their resolution rather than acting as the ‘victim’ of the situations. This includes having the willingness to give and receive communication

“Adopting this viewpoint was a turning point of who I am and how I approach life. If I were to decide today that I am a victim, it would mark a huge step backward for me. If I feel like a victim, I trace my steps backward and figure out how I actually was responsible. It works every time.”

“Anything that happens in my life is my responsibility, and anything that happens is no one else’s fault…it’s simply my responsibility. Me increasingly taking on this viewpoint has led me to care more and be more cause over my life, environment, and community. It has also allowed me to set and pursue high goals, like changing the world.”

“Sometimes people say there is only so much in life they can control, but I think you should leave nothing to outside forces. You are in full control, and the moment you decide you can’t control something, you won’t.”

So, even though it’s not on the logo, this word “responsibility” is very much a part of the Delphian culture. Students are encouraged, to think about it, and to aspire to higher and higher levels of it as they move through the program.

THE IMPORTANCE OF KINDNESS

Junior William Collins discusses his experience volunteering at the McMinnville Salvation Army food pantry

The Salvation Army of McMinnville food pantry provides food boxes for those in need. The food is distributed “shopping” style by volunteers. Volunteers also help sort food donations, stock shelves, keep storage rooms organized, and handle various needs as they arise.

The following is an excerpt from a letter the director wrote regarding William’s performance, followed by an interview with William:

“During his time volunteering, William proved time and again that he was highly capable of working with our guests in a manner that was respectful, efficient, and enjoyable for staff and guests alike.

“He possesses the ability to make individuals feel comfortable with dignity and pride. No one wishes for themselves to have to visit a food pantry. Societal stigmas deem those utilizing our services as outcasts or, worse yet, undesirable.

ABOVE L-R BACK WILLIAM COLLINS, PENNELOPE AREZZINI, ALEK SIMONOV, ROMEO RAMELLI, NATHAN CLOUTIER, L-R FRONT MIA SOLOMON, OLI BEAUREGARD, AND ROWAN BENNETT

“William single-handedly combatted this and made our guests feel both welcome and genuinely wanting to be at our establishment. He is a true treasure, a remarkable young man, and, more importantly, embodies a kind and caring spirit that this world so desperately needs.”

Delphian Magazine: How did this project relate to your academic program?

William: On Form 7, students do a community outreach project.

DM: What were your responsibilities on this project?

William: I was responsible for recruiting a group of Delphian student volunteers, organizing transportation to and from the school, and managing the student volunteers and myself to help with projects and tasks at the food pantry.

DM: What sort of skills did you find you needed most while working on this project?

William: The two most important skills were manners and communication. You have to remember that the people coming in for food don’t really want to be there; being dependent on others for necessities like food for your family isn’t a feeling people generally enjoy. So it’s important to be polite, make them feel welcome, and to be kind. Beyond that the work is simple–taking orders and fulfilling them from the inventory.

Usually, when people got their box, they were very thankful, and sometimes they even looked relieved. It’s a nice feeling being able to help people like that.

DM: Was this project different from what you expected?

William: When I first went to do the project, I was a bit concerned about what the working conditions were going to be like. I’d never really done anything like this before. I thought it might be a bit rough having to work with people.

I was surprised to find that the people we were there to help were mostly very friendly; they just needed a bit of help.

“When people got their box, they were very thankful, and sometimes they even look relieved. It’s a nice feeling being able to help people like that.”

ABOVE WILLIAM COLLINS RIGHT NATHAN CLOUTIER

DM: What challenges did you encounter that you had to overcome?

William: About a third of the customers who came in while I was there didn’t understand English very well. It was a bit of a challenge to figure out how to ensure they understood my communication with my limited Spanish vocabulary. I also wanted to ensure my communication maintained the same level of kindness that I can easily express when speaking English.

To help with this, I was asked to do an administrative project helping translate the ordering menu into Spanish. I’m only semi-fluent in Spanish, so I spent a lot of time looking up words from several different resources, ensuring I used the most common words so the translation would be easily understood. It was a lot of back-and-forth translating and re-translating, but I eventually figured it out.

DM: How has this project changed your perspective?

William: Delphian’s campus and community is pretty nice. It’s a little like living in a bubble; you can forget what’s out there. Going out and doing humanitarian work like this helps you better understand how other people live and get a real picture of their struggles. Putting together a food box and assisting someone is simple for us, but it is enormous for them. This project made me a lot more aware and increased my appreciation for humanitarian work and for the people who do it.

“This project made me a lot more aware and increased my appreciation for humanitarian work and for the people who do it.”

CREATING A COMMUNITY, ONE BREAKFAST AT A TIME

Junior Rachel Pollack on how volunteering at a free community breakfast program became much more than a project requirement

The brick building on the hill is quiet with sleep, the valley below not yet illuminated. Headlights appear from a minivan rounding the corner and stopping below the front steps. The front door of the building swings open as a handful of teenagers emerge and climb into the van, still wiping the sleep from their eyes.

Less than thirty minutes later, they arrive. Walking into a big, empty dining hall, they are greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and the crackling of bacon. In the kitchen, more volunteers are already hard at work. As quickly as the students can tie their apron strings, they find where they can help and get to work.

An hour and a half of prep later, it begins. First as a trickle and then as a bustling rush, two hundred and fifty hungry strangers arrive looking for a warm breakfast. They leave a few hours later, their stomachs full, a community of friends.

Delphian Magazine: How long have you been doing this project?

Rachel: I started as a volunteer in my freshman year. Last September I became the student in charge. I estimate I’ve spent about two hundred hours on this project since I started.

DM: How does this project fit into your academic program requirements?

Rachel: For my form, there’s a required community service project that requires a high level of leadership and organization, with a minimum of twenty-five hours spent in the field.

So yes, this is my required community service project, but I completed the requirements for it months ago, and I’m now choosing to stay on it. I will have to turn the project over to another student before I graduate next year, but I still have some things I want to accomplish to make it better. So I’m not ready to turn leadership over yet.

“It’s our duty as humans in a moral society to want to help and give back to the community.”

DM: What are your responsibilities as the student in charge of this project?

Rachel: I promote and organize a group of students to volunteer each weekend. Getting volunteers is usually easy because Delphian students typically understand that it’s our duty as humans in a moral society to want to help and give back to the community.

From there, I help train them so they are ready to be helpful when we’re working. Training is important because we are expected to do the assigned tasks properly. Our primary responsibilities are to cook, to serve, and to help keep dishes full.

Some tasks can be repetitive, such as chopping potatoes for three hours straight. But knowing that you’re doing it to provide for an entire community makes even these mundane tasks enjoyable. It’s a perspective that I think all of us get.

DM: What is it like serving a community of this size?

Rachel: It’s a bit of a rush. You don’t have a chance to stop. You’re just continuously going. You have no time to think about being tired, if you like it or not, or to get bored. You’re just working, working, working.

DM: What skills from the Delphi Program™ have you found to be helpful while working on this project?

Rachel: One of the first courses you do on Form 7 is called Education. In this course, you read L. Ron Hubbard’s philosophy on education, and you learn the importance of having a purpose and a goal for whatever you study or do.

When training new students on this project, I ask, “What is your purpose for doing this?” Some want to help, some want to learn, and some want to give back to the community. It’s not about waking up at 6:00 am. (I don’t think any of us like that). It’s about the bigger purpose we have to work towards that is important.

DM: What did you learn on this project that you didn’t expect to learn?

Rachel: I went into this project thinking, “I’m doing something providing for the less fortunate.”

After a few months, I realized this was not what I was doing.

In reality, this program breaks down barriers and provides a safe space to be a community–a space where we can communicate, get to know each other, eat, share stories, and laugh. There is much to learn from people who live in different environments and have different lives than what I am used to seeing.

It’s not about who’s providing what or who needs what. It’s about creating close-knit communities that care for each other. Rather than thinking things like, “I’m giving my resources to help,” this project has allowed me to evolve my viewpoint to wanting to be part of something larger than just myself.

This realization is something very special to me.

DM: What challenges have you come up against and overcome being the student in charge of this project?

Rachel: There are a couple of things that I have run into. A big one is trying to get a group of teenagers,

“It’s not about who’s providing what or who needs what. It’s about creating close-knit communities that care for each other.”

ABOVE RACHEL POLLACK LEFT PENNELOPE AREZZINI

like myself, to have the correct viewpoint when they’re on this project. This project requires a certain level of professionalism that we aren’t required to have daily as teenagers.

I do this using a skill I learned from Delphian’s student council program: how to write a “hat,” the details and successful actions learned on a job written down for others to replicate and follow. The hat covers the importance of immersing ourselves in the group without excluding anyone. It also goes over how to take on an adult-like level of responsibility for our work.

DM: When you eventually transfer leadership of this project to another student, will you continue to help in your community?

Rachel: I’ve decided that the rest of my life is going to be one large community service project. I’m planning to graduate from Form 8 early so I have some time before I attend college to indulge in humanitarian work in a big way.

From there, whether I find another church to volunteer at near the college I’ll be attending, or through joining or starting programs within my college, I am going to keep serving my community for the rest of my life.

DM: What are your future

college and career plans?

Rachel: At first, when I was around six years old, I wanted to be an astronaut (because who doesn’t), but it was around my tenth or twelfth birthday when I remember really knowing what I wanted to do. I remember saying to my parents, “I’m going to be running the U.S. government,” and my parents were like, “Yeah, okay. We’ll see.”

Now that I’ll soon be 18, and my plans haven’t really changed–matured maybe, but they haven’t changed–I think my parents are starting to take it more seriously too and understand that this is definitely not changing. And, yes, of course I am aware that I’m young, but I don’t plan to let that deter me.

My plan is to become a lawyer and then possibly go into politics or be a litigator or a judge–I haven’t decided. The big thing, and my purpose in life, is to use what I’ve learned to make big, meaningful changes. One of my main goals is to impact society by building strong communities where people can work together, communicate, connect, and learn from each other to make a positive difference.

“I’ve decided that the rest of my life is going to be one large community service project.”

ABOVE AVA RAPHAEL & SLY GOTTLIEB BELOW L-R EMILIANO CHAPPARRO, AVA RAPHAEL, ELLA LATCH, RACHEL POLLACK, SLY GOTTLIEB AND PENNELOPE AREZZINI

BUSINESS TRIP CALIFORNIA

Delphian students attend business seminar field trip in California, meeting inspiring professionals and learning firsthand about the world of business

This March, sixteen eager Business Seminar students led by Delphian’s Dean Jordan Siegel and Assistant Head of School Mark Siegel embarked on an eight-day trip to California’s Silicon Valley and the greater Los Angeles area.

The trip’s purpose is to help students explore various career paths, make informed decisions, and expand their horizons. It allows them to gain insights into how the world around them works. As Mark Siegel tells the students each year, “This trip is designed to help you create your future.”

The students, not fully knowing what to expect but eager to learn, toured colleges, startups, large corporations, venture capital firms, and entertainment companies, enjoyed sit-down meals with Delphian alums, and even did an Imagination Campus class about teamwork at Disneyland. The trip included meetings with professionals from a wide range of businesses who shared information about their companies, advice for success, details of their unique career paths, and opportunities for students to ask these professionals questions and learn firsthand about the world of business.

“...Working hard and doing your best will get you far in life. I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I’ve gotten back from the trip.”

- Student Eliza Swan

BRIDGE OUTSIDE SAN FRANCISCO

ABOVE PARAMOUNT STUDIOS BELOW NASA’S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY

From this trip, students learned the importance of passion, the value of education, and how goals and purposes carve unexpected paths to success.

Starting in California’s Bay Area, students toured Life West Chiropractic College with Delphian alumna and Life West student Sarah Stewart. She spoke about college, her personal experiences, and her day-to-day life. Sarah’s advice was: “Figure out what makes you excited. Your greatest gift is what you do well that excites you.” Student Eliza Swan said, “Sarah gave us an important lesson. She explained how working hard and doing your best will get you far in life. I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I returned from the trip.”

Students toured CSBio, an inspiring high-tech company in the medical field. Its owner Jason Chang passionately shared detailed aspects of his company’s operation, giving the students insight into an emerging area of biology and the future of personalized medicine to treat cancer. Dr. Zoe Sewell from CSBio remarked, “There is not just one way to get where you want to go,” then added, “If you are willing to learn, you will be successful.” The students appreciated learning about a field they didn’t know existed. They also enjoyed the opportunity to experience wearing clean suits to tour the clean lab.

Another fascinating stop was Joby Aviation, a company providing short-distance taxi-like travel in small hybrid custom aircraft they engineer. Student Elijah Ward, interested in the field as a career path, said, “This helped me see how engineering industries work on the inside, which helped me decide what I want to do in that field.” While touring Equinix, Sr. Client Executive for Global Accounts Marsie Sweetland stressed the importance of learning and education when she said, “Just keep learning, whatever you do. Just. Keep. Learning.”

Attorney Joseph Barbeu, a partner from the Silicon Valley law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, advised the students, “You would be surprised at the changes you can make in your career path. You’re never stuck.” This reassurance gave the students the confidence to explore various career paths and make informed decisions about their futures.

Heading south to Hollywood, students spent time at Paramount Pictures on an extended studio lot tour. The tour included visiting sound stages and outdoor sets, and eating in the employee cafeteria. The highlight of that stop was meeting with Delphian alumnus Kyle Marvin and the Paramount Executive Vice President of Production, Jon Gonda. They learned about 80 For Brady, the latest movie directed by Kyle, and about all that goes into making a movie from start to finish.

The students found Jon Gonda’s non-direct career path fascinating as he first aspired to be a stand-up comedian and worked his way up

BUSINESS TRIP: CONTINUED P16

Thank you for hosting us:

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Age of Learning

Apple Park Visitors Center

Cloud Kitchen

Craft Ventures

CSBio

Disneyland

Disneyland Imagination Campus

Dona St-Cilien

Duncan Curtis

Equinix

Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Joby Aviation

Johwell St-Cilien

Juniper Post

Justin Meldal-Johnson

Life West Chiropractic College

Paramount Pictures

Stanford University

Swarm

Trellis Research

UC Berkeley

UP Partners

Zoox

ABOVE JOBY AVIATION WITH DIDIER PAPADOPOULOS

TEAMWORK AND BIG GOALS!

A Record Setting Student-Led Fundraiser

With a high bar set by students on the Telethon project in previous years, Cayden Chen and Clementine Suplee took on the responsibility of managing and promoting this year’s Telethon Fundraiser–an integral part of Delphian’s Annual Fund, which provides a critical source of support that enables the school to direct energy where it is most needed and to accomplish projects that would otherwise be impossible. Clementine and Cayden led the student body to raise a record-setting total of $80,297 for renovations to the school gym.

Delphian Magazine: How did you think it would go when you first started this project?

Clementine: When I agreed to do the project, I only did so because it had to do with the gym, which is a space I really care about, and because it would also help me complete one of the project requirements on my program. But slowly, I began to care about it more and more and more.

Also, I consider myself a very individualistic person, so when I had to confront doing this project with Cayden, I

thought it was going to be a disaster. But in reality, by the end, I learned to have a deep respect for him, and I was so glad we did the project together. His genius ideas and ability to make me laugh when we were working hard–I can’t imagine having done the project by myself or with anyone else.

Cayden: At the beginning, I decided that we were going to be the best-ever student Telethon team. I don’t know that I really knew what that meant or even if I totally had Clementine’s agreement. But because of deciding this, we were able to play a game that set us on the path

ABOVE STUDENTS CELEBRATING AFTER COMPLETING THE TELETHON

of achieving this goal on a project where there were so many barriers and challenges, each of them so immense and different.

This decision really ended up being an anchor for the project. In all cases, I was able to think, what’s best for the school? What’s best for this project? And what’s the best effort from me? Have I given it? Because at the end of every conversation or piece of the project, I wanted

the best team in the sense that together we raised a record-setting amount of donations from a record-setting number of individuals.

DM: What sort of challenges did you have to work through and overcome on this project?

Cayden: I distinctly remember one instance very early on where we were calling someone and both of us got nervous, and we just didn’t actually let the call go through. We just hung up. But we had to get over that pretty quickly, and by the end of it we were calling and talking to so many people that being nervous about it wasn’t even a thing anymore.

Not only that, but it felt like we managed to get the whole community on board. Through communication, we were able to create a shared agreement and understanding that this project was going to be huge not only for us but for them too.

Clementine: I think Delphian really is good at giving you responsibility and giving you an opportunity to mess up and then helping you learn from your mistakes. This project was one of those opportunities for me.

There was a night when we were meeting in the Development office during a time when I’d normally have free time, and it was pretty serious. Some things hadn’t been going right on the project, and we were discussing them.

I realized then that this project was not just a project. It suddenly became something that was really and truly mine. It was not just a huge responsibility that I was expected to figure out but something that I really cared about and really wanted to succeed.

DM: How has doing this project better prepared you for your future after Delphian?

Cayden: I’ve thought about this question many, many times because this is exactly what I describe to people when I talk about this project, and I talk about this project a lot.

to, at least, be able to say that I did my best.

Clementine: It’s funny because I think Cayden decided that we were going to be the best at the beginning, but I don’t think I fully believed it until we were halfway through the last week of fundraising and I realized that we might actually do it. Not the best as in perfect, but

It’s really the ability to manage a project like this at this scale. I don’t know when else in my life I will have the opportunity to run a fundraiser where I get to convince two hundred teenagers to contact and convince a thousand different people to donate to a cause that I care about.

The skill of communication and the ability to create a shared understanding is a big thing. Because no matter what field you’re in, having the ability to communicate

“Leading the school in this was something I did not think I could do, but we did it.”

-Cayden

with people and helping them to understand why your idea is a good idea and then getting them to act on it is huge. For example, I plan to study an engineering major, not a business major, and it might seem at first glance that this project has almost nothing to do with engineering. But, as an engineer, if you are running a startup or inventing something new, you have to have this skill to pitch your ideas to investors and colleagues to be successful.

The fact that this school gave me this opportunity is really special. This project was a one-of-a-kind experience; there is nothing else like it.

Clementine: For me, I think the most important thing was learning about the importance of teamwork. There were days when Cayden and I put in a lot of hours, planning, organizing, and calling donors, and I thought to myself, “This is hard work.” It made me confront what it might feel like to have a job. Even though it was hard and a lot of work, it was not that bad because we were working together as a team.

It feels really good to be able to say that I did it and to think about someday coming back years from now and being able to say I helped do this.

“I realized that this project was not just a project. It suddenly became something that was really and truly mine.”

-Clementine

from the mailroom at Warner Brothers before landing in his current position at Paramount. Seeing a repeating theme throughout their trip, students realized that their goals were broadening and their purposes evolving. After their visit, student Celeste Sessions said, “Paramount was incredible and truly life-changing for me.”

At Juniper Post, a company specializing in adding movie dialogue and sound effects in post-production, students had a unique, fun, and hands-on opportunity to record their voices and use them to replace movie dialogue. One student said, “It was inspiring, and we all had so much fun. I feel like I learned much more about the business side of sound production.”

While visiting musician and music producer Justin Meldel-Johnson at his studio, students learned about Justin’s music and the music industry. He shared his experience, including his work with Paramour, Beck, Nine Inch Nails, and the M-83s. One student said, “Going to Justin’s studio was the best. He explained things so well, and I now understand music production better!”

At the end of each visit, Mark Siegel opened the floor for the students to provide feedback to the presenters. In each instance, it was apparent that the students were learning life-changing information. After one visit, student Tom Kalman said, “I felt like my knowledge was doubled every visit.” To summarize the trip, Anna Peens said, “Find what you love and do it with passion; if you love what you’re doing, that’s greater than the financial success that comes out of it.”

NEW DELPHIAN ALUMNI WEBSITE

Staying connected is easier than ever!

We have launched our new alumni networking website: www.Delphianalumni.Org

This new website is designed to bring the alumni community together as a powerful and supportive group.

It allows alumni to connect directly with former classmates, offer and access mentorships, share job postings, access a business directory, and browse group-based discussion boards that can be sorted by industry, interest or location.

We strongly encourage all Delphian alumni to register today!

ABOVE ALUMNI MEAL WITH DANIEL DE LEONIBUS & KEVIN LI ON THE BUSINESS SEMINAR FIELD TRIP

ALUMNI NEWS

Do you have news?

We love to hear from our alumni! Let us know what you are up to. Email our editor at magazine@delphian.org or message us on social media to be published in the next issue.

FORM COMPLETIONS

Listed in order of completion date since last Delphian Magazine

Beginner 1

Winter Hepburn

Ruby Savejs

Form 1

Jude Kathrein

Valentine Hepburn

Max Silver

Form 2

Yuwa Suzuki

Form 5

Romeo Ramelli

Adaline Wolfe

Upper School

International Entry

David Liu

Wanwan Bi

Form 6 Entry

Leo Jin

Amelia Peterson

Noah Ward

Keoni Sinclair-Hayes

Scarlet Dowswell

Aaliyah Persons

Elaine Kazmierczak

Masha Ershova

Karim Behrmann

Cato Matsuoka

Reese Wells

Vadym Pushkin

Form 6

Sage Daniells

Ella Latch

Vivi Beauregard

Anna Peens

Clementine Suplee

Katja de Vries

Emiliano Chaparro

Ava Raphael

Bruce Liu

Lucas Curry

Omar Wang

Ella Feilmeier

Noah Wang

Madeline Saphire

Form 7

Portia Binford

Mila Anderson

Alek Simonov

Teo Morales Ashcom

Brianna Solomon

Raymon Chawla

Brandon Garcia

Remy Kugler

Saachi Mann

Rowan Bennett

Evans Bi

Eli Ward

Robin Stoner

Alumnus Chris Lee is representing Taiwan at the AIDA Freediving World Championships in South Korea this June!

Alumnus Bryce McCole has been awarded a full-ride athletic scholarship to Warner Pacific University in Portland, OR. He will be attending this coming fall and playing on their men’s NAIA soccer team.