Name: Madwoa

Graduation Year: 2027

Middle School: Edna Brewer 

Hometown: Oakland, CA

Why did you choose College Prep? I chose College Prep because I knew that it was the right school for me from the beginning of the application process. While applying to high school, I created a list of all of the things I was looking for in my ideal school. The list had three categories: extracurricular activities, community, and academics. College Prep fulfilled the aspects I was looking for under these categories. There are so many leadership opportunities, artistic outlets, and sports that you have the choice to participate in. The community is welcoming, supportive, uplifting, and it challenges you to be your best self. The academics are hard but in a way that allow you to expand your knowledge while challenging yourself. While it is harder than middle school, the material is very engaging and interesting, and there are so many support systems to help you.

What is the biggest difference between middle school and high school? I would say the most universal difference is the workload. In high school, you typically have more commitments and more homework. While this is true for me, the most noticeable difference in my personal experience is the community. At CPS, I’m surrounded by people who also love to learn and challenge themselves, while in middle school it was harder to find that type of student and community as a whole.

What advice would you give to eighth graders applying to high school? I would encourage eighth graders to engage in a similar process of creating a list that is broken down into categories of the things you’re looking for in a high school. This helped me tremendously in scaling down the number of high schools I applied to and really making sure the school I ultimately picked was the right fit for me.

Campus Involvement: I’ve been involved in many different things so far. I’m on the varsity volleyball team and really enjoy it because I love the sport and the community is welcoming and supportive. I’ve been involved in several clubs including BSU, FemU, and Baking club. Being a member of BSU and FemU has been important to me as it has helped create a supportive and safe community of people that share a similar identity as myself. The clubs are a safe space where we can discuss our experiences at CPS. I have also been involved in Student Council (StuCo) and served as a class representative. While on StuCo, I started grade-wide study groups and implemented new ideas for my grade into the school community. Being a member of StuCo and a leader of my class can be a lot of work, but it is also a really fun and rewarding experience. In addition to these commitments, I’m an academic mentor for the Partners Program, I sing in the Advanced Vocal Ensemble, and I’m on the speech and debate team. 

What has been your favorite class so far (and why)? It’s really challenging to choose a favorite class so I have two: English and physics. I enjoyed English because there was a great balance between practicing technical skills and analyzing the material. I specifically enjoyed the texts we read about being Black in America and our discussions about how connected the present is to the past. Physics was one of my favorite classes because it was a great mix of math and science, two subjects I really enjoy. We learned so much and I never found myself bored or uninterested in class.

What is your favorite thing about College Prep? My favorite thing about College Prep is the community. Our community is welcoming and supportive and I’ve never felt lonely or isolated. While CPS is academically rigorous, I think that our community really helps mitigate the stress that comes with that. We have many resources to turn to (teachers, peer tutoring programs, friends, etc.) that make the rigor feel much more manageable. I love that it’s an uplifting community where we push each other to do our best while also being supportive. 

1. I have seven siblings 😱

2. I have a hot take that I’d rather be hot than cold!

3. I’m taller than all of my older family members on my mom’s side.