1 minute read
ALUM STORIES
When I was in 5th grade, school was already pretty disappointing. Pointless work and school was losing its meaning for me. Sixth grade at NOVA turned that upside down, and suddenly school was fun again and I couldn't wait to go to NOVA everyday. And the point of school was about being curious and learning new stuff. It was learning for its own sake, not just to please someone else or to be a good kid. When I left NOVA and entered high school, that sense of learning for myself was as strong as ever. I see it in my NOVA friends still. We're off in college and challenging ourselves, learning new things, figuring out the world...because learning is this journey and a gift and a puzzle all at once. I don't know what sort of student or person I would be if I'd gone to a different middle school—I'm sure thankful that I had NOVA.
NOVA really emphasized that individuals can make a difference, and I don't think I'll ever be satisfied unless I feel like I'm doing important work that uses my abilities to benefit others.
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NOVA's academics and small classrooms provide you with a fantastic base for high school, and they provide you opportunities for independent growth. But for me the most important preparation was my sense of self. I think that because NOVA is such a small school, by the time you exit eighth grade, you have become the most concentrated version of yourself, meaning that all your personality traits are demonstrated at the extreme. I think because I spent so much time getting to know myself in middle school without worrying about fitting in, I was able to hold tight to a core vision of who I am.
