Prep for Prep Alumni Share Insights with Preparatory Component Students

Current Prep for Prep Preparatory Component students gathered at Trinity School on Saturday, March 14 for a panel designed to offer encouragement and real-world perspective. Prep alumni from a variety of industries, including tech, medicine, and the arts, generously shared their insights and our students came prepared with thoughtful questions. (Parents and guardians attended their own panel with alumni later the same day.)

As our Preparatory Component scholars get ready to enter their independent schools, they are curious about academic life and social dynamics. During the panel discussion, they asked about the best ways to balance new responsibilities, heavy course loads, and after-school activities. Amanda Boston (XXII/Poly Prep, Duke) MA, Duke; PhD, Brown shared her perspective:  “Time management isn’t just necessary for your success, but also your overall well-being. The habits that you learn here and that you refine as your life changes and as the things you need to accomplish change are definitely going to be useful.”

Students will undoubtedly face challenges as they adjust to their new environment. Alumni reminded them to utilize the resources within their communities, and most importantly to never be afraid to ask for help. Leonora McLean (XXXVII/Berkeley Carroll, Howard) noted, “It’s important to lean on your advisors, lean on your friends or peers inside of your schools right now. Know you always have these means of support. If you’re sitting here, you already are extraordinary. You have the capacity to do so much. Stay motivated on your own strength, as well as leaning on your communities for extra advice. Never be afraid to rely on those people.”

The alums on the panel also reminded our students that while the transition to independent school may feel most immediate, Prep is for life. Prep for Prep supports students not only through Preparatory Component and independent school, but also throughout college and into their post-graduate and professional lives. Diogenes Brito (XXIII/Collegiate, Stanford ) reflected on the lasting impact Prep for Prep has had on his own academic and professional paths.

“I think Prep is probably the most important thing that ever happened to me. Because if it wasn't for Prep, I wouldn't have gotten into Collegiate. If I hadn’t gotten into Collegiate, I wouldn’t have gotten into Stanford and without Stanford, none of the rest of my life would have gone down the same way. I'd like to think I'd still be successful in some way, but the reality is that if you trace it all back, there was definitely a change right where Prep happened.”

Following the panel, our students had the chance to continue conversations with alumni during a pizza lunch. As they prepare to enter their new independent schools, they will do so with the support of the Prep Community behind them. 

We are deeply grateful to these dedicated Prep for Prep alumni for generously sharing their time with our Preparatory Component students:

Amanda Boston (XXII/Poly Prep, Duke) MA, Duke; PhD, Brown 

Jerry Bright (IX/Collegiate, UNC - Chapel Hill) MBA, NYU

Diogenes Brito (XXIII/Collegiate, Stanford)
Jocelyn Goode (XVI/Saint Ann's '99, Amherst '03) Post-Bac San Francisco Art Institute '05, A.A. Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising SF '09

Leonora McLean (XXXVII/Berkeley Carroll, Howard)

Monique Wilson Marrero (XXI/Poly Prep, Harvard) MA, CUNY Hunter College; MBA, Penn