Emma attended Journey for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades after home schooling through her elementary years. Emma is now a senior at the Orange County High School for the Arts.
Emma has many fond memories from Journey School—especially giving and listening to 8th grade projects. According to Emma, “This unique Waldorf custom allows students to transition into high school with a significant research project and essay while integrating the creative aspect that Journey is so well known for. Getting in contact with mentors and speaking about their topic publicly prepares students to be independent in their high school years.” While at Journey, Emma also, “Discovered Walt Whitman and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and ever since has nurtured her writing interest through the creative writing conservatory at the OCHSA.”
Emma is currently a finalist for a full-academic scholarship at the University of Southern California. However, Emma’s heart is really at Stanford—where she has earned early acceptance. Although Emma will continue writing with a goal of publishing a book, her current plan is to study biochemistry on her path towards becoming a doctor.
Emma was recently flown to Miami, Florida as a finalist for the prestigious National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts award. While in Florida, Emma presented her writings at the Miami Museum of the Arts. Emma was also selected, out of a pool 7,200 students, as a Foyle Young Poet of the Year. As her prize, Emma traveled to England to participate in a sponsored writing course. Emma also received a Regional Gold Key and a National Silver Medal for poetry from the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
Aside from writing, (read a poem by clicking here) Emma loves spending time with her family and learning about science or how the world works. When we specifically asked Emma how Journey School could improve educationally she reflected, “Offering multiple levels of math for kids in middle school would let them be placed appropriately according to their skill level. If math is a talent, it would let them get ahead and improve before high school.”
