Young Grads Return 2021

Last week, five Sage Ridge Alumni joined us for Young Grads Return, our annual event for current students to hear about alumni’s experiences and words of advice. Led by Student Government President Leila Moassessi (’21), the event hosts a panel of Sage Ridge alumni to answer a set of questions about the college experience. For younger students, this event serves as a basic outline and guide to help guide their high school experience and anticipate college. For 11th and 12th grade students, the event helps guide the college application process by outlining some values that Sage Ridge students should look for in colleges and prepares them for upcoming experiences. 

This year, we were joined by seven alumni – the largest group to speak on the Young Grads Return panel: 

• Kendra Clark (SRS Class of 2012); UNR (BA); UC Davis (JD)
• Lauren Becker (2015); University of Southern California (BA)
• Carla Ramazan (2017); UT Dallas, McDermott Scholars Program
• Ana Ohnersorgen (2018); Boston University
• Zoa Katok (2019); University of Chicago
• Maddy Lewis (2020); Southern Methodist University
• Aryan Shukla (2020); University of Southern California

The event started with each alumni introducing themselves, the school they attended, and the field of study that they are involved in. The first question asked the alumni to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their perceptions of education and learning. While, perhaps expectedly, the college students were shocked by the changes that have influenced them, it was quickly apparent that they were trying to make the most of the situation and learn from the circumstances: “I think [making friends has] happened a bit slower than it would have if classes were in person, but we’re making it work, and everyone’s trying their best.” (Maddy Lewis ’20). Moving on to allow current SRS students to gain perspective on the more conventional form of education, the next question asked alumni about what surprised them the most about their college experience. While the answers ranged from the difference in class sizes compared to Sage Ridge to the sheer number of resources available in college and the diversity of experiences you are exposed to, the alumni made it clear that their adjustment to college was at least partially eased by the skills in forming close relationships that they had learned from Sage Ridge, which enabled them to stand out in the larger groups that they became a part of in college. Furthermore, alumni repeatedly praised the Sage Ridge academics, making special note of how prepared they felt for college-level writing: “the academic skills I was able to develop at Sage Ridge, mostly writing, definitely got me noticed by some of my professors even in larger classes and that opened a lot of doors for me even outside of class,” (Lauren Becker ’15). Alumni also advised current students about the time management skills that develop and change in college, since time is structured very differently. While Sage Ridge prepares students for college to the greatest extent that is possible, alumni warned that college always brings new experiences: “Even if you feel prepared for college, be prepared to adjust.” (Aryan Shukla ’20). 

The Young Grads Return event always serves as an exciting reminder for the progress that our alumni make. As students reconnect with their graduated friends, they also learn about the skills and experiences they need to prepare for when they ultimately reach college. Thank you, Mr. Lamb, for working hard to organize this event every year, and we look forward for checking back in with our young graduates at next year’s event!