Beyond the Books Part 1: Meet Our Upper School Students

Meet Riley C. '26

Riley joined MICDS in seventh grade.

ACADEMICS & INVOLVEMENTS:

Q: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

Riley: My favorite subject in school is Anatomy & Physiology because it’s so interesting learning how each body system works and connects to make up the well-oiled machine, which is the human body. The case studies we do are a great way to get accustomed to medical terminology, and the Cadaver Lab field trip we went on gave me the opportunity to physically see everything we had been learning about.

Q: What are you involved in outside of academics? 

Riley: I am the Senior Class President, Black Student Union Co-Head, RAMbassadors Co-Head, Varsity Cheerleader, iDentity member, Peer-to-Peer Mentor, and Senior Leader.

Q: What is your favorite time of day here?

Riley: My favorite time of day is my C free period. There are a bunch of my friends in it, and we get to spend the 90-minute period just laughing in Hearth. When it was still warm outside, we used to go to QuikTrip and get slushies and just spend time with each other! 

Q: What is the coolest project or assignment you’ve worked on this year? 

Riley: The coolest assignment was the AP Chemistry Le Chatelier’s Equilibrium Lab. We were given three chemicals of three different colors, and by using Le Chatelier’s Principle and the laws of equilibrium, we had to make the colors of the rainbow. Our group successfully made all seven colors of the rainbow, and it was so cool to mix chemicals and watch the colors become real!

STUDENT LIFE & CULTURE: 

Q: How would you describe student life or the culture of the students here?

Riley: I would describe the culture of MICDS as inclusive and competitive. The academic environment is very competitive, and because of the rigor MICDS provides, it forces you to work hard and find strategies that work best for you. Even though it can be difficult, the culture here provides you with constant support and a community where you can grow with your peers, not only against them. Additionally, I would say that the ways our days are structured offer students multiple opportunities to connect and visit teachers—from activities period and club time, to H Block where we can meet with teachers, to advisory where we get to spend time with our advisor. There are lots of ways to build community and foster culture, which I really appreciate.

Q: How easy was it to make friends when you first started here?

Riley: It was super easy! Even though I came during COVID and everyone was on Zoom, the atmosphere of MICDS and the welcoming spirit of everyone were so infectious that I landed perfectly in my new school home. A lot of people think MICDS is daunting because of how grand our campus is, but truthfully, everyone wants to make new friends, especially at the big grade entry points like middle school and ninth grade. Also, the Bridge Program and Pathfinders Summer Institute allowed me to fall in love with the campus before I even had my first day, and those were so beneficial to my integration into the community as well.

Q: If a new student walked onto campus today, what is the most important thing you want them to know about MICDS?

Riley: You will find your people. Everybody has their ‘person’ here, which I think is such a beautiful part about MICDS, so don’t get discouraged because you will find your people, and when you do, everything will make sense.

Q: What is your favorite tradition at this school and why?

Riley: My favorite traditions are the entire Homecoming celebration festivities. It’s such a special time for seniors to be in the spotlight and a great way for the community to bond in the coolest, most unique ways. The bonfire as a cheerleader will always be special to me, and I’ll never forget how hot those flames were or the energy in the air, as well as whispering the secret cheer to one another. Likewise, the boat races are the coolest thing I’ve ever seen a school do and such a great way for our advisors to bond one final time as we bring in senior year together!

Meet Kaan C. '27

Kaan joined MICDS in seventh grade.

ACADEMICS & INVOLVEMENTS:

Q: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

Kaan: My favorite subject at MICDS has been Spanish. I’ve loved Spanish ever since I came to MICDS due to the creative and exhilarating way it is taught here. Spanish class at MICDS always promotes a social and friendly environment, which includes many creative activities to enhance our learning. We’re able to go on walks outside during class and talk to our peers in Spanish to promote colloquial language and conversational communication; we’re able to read books in Spanish that contain amazing vocabulary and intriguing facts and information regarding Spanish art, music, fashion, foods, history, etc. 

Q: What are you involved in outside of academics? 

Kaan: Outside of academics, I’m a Co-head of Health Science Club, Rambassadors, and Prom-Committee. Additionally, I’m a member of the Muslim Student Association, MICDS Peer-to-Peer mentorship program, and the Math Team. The main sport that I play at MICDS is soccer, and I used to play basketball. 

Q: What is your favorite time of day here?

Kaan: My favorite time of day at MICDS is Advisory. I really enjoy Advisory because it is a great opportunity to have some leisure during the day and to catch up and socialize with people that you might not be very close to or spend much time with regularly. Advisory is also a great time to gain advice and talk to your teacher advisory representative regarding needs, questions about school, college, or general resource and time management. 

Q: What is the coolest project or assignment you’ve worked on this year? 

Kaan: The most fun project that I’ve worked on this year was the AP Biology Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Ofrenda. This was a project where we created an Ofrenda commemorating a deceased, lesser-known scientist in human history. This was the coolest project I’ve worked on because it was a great mixture of artistic creativity through the implementation of colorful designs on the Ofrenda, cultural integration and consideration through the addition of symbolic and cultural props, and sophisticated biology through the descriptions regarding the fields, careers, and projects of these deceased scientists. 

STUDENT LIFE & CULTURE: 

Q: How would you describe student life or the culture of the students here?

Kaan: I believe that student life at MICDS is exciting, extremely diverse, and offers a lot of fun opportunities. The students here have a profound love and passion for the school and for the community; this is made evident through the sympathy and moral uprightness of the students at MICDS. The students are very social, energetic, and always make sure to bring school spirit into sports games, friendly competitions, school dances, community service, and community building events. 

Q: How easy was it to make friends when you first started here?

Kaan: When I first started at MICDS in seventh grade, it was very easy for me to make friends. I was immediately integrated into the community, and there were many people who went up to me and were interested in getting to know me. Because of this, I quickly managed to find myself a friend group and have been able to maintain good relationships and friendships with a large variety of people that have lasted for years at MICDS. 

Q: If a new student walked onto campus today, what is the most important thing you want them to know about MICDS?

Kaan: If a new student walked onto campus at MICDS today, I would want them to know that at MICDS, there is always someone to talk to and a large amount of resources available to optimize not only academics but also athletics and student social life. 

Q: What is your favorite tradition at this school and why?

Kaan: My favorite tradition at MICDS has always been Homecoming. MICDS Homecoming has been amazing due to the great school spirit that is prevalent through the weekend and due to all of the fun rivalry sports games and social events that bring ineffable memories and unforgettable experiences. It is certainly the most exciting time of the year, and it confers a strong, invigorating pride to be an MICDS Ram. 

Meet Taylor G. '27

Taylor joined MICDS in fifth grade.

ACADEMICS & INVOLVEMENTS:

Q: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

Taylor: My favorite subject is history. I love our history classes at MICDS because you learn argumentative writing and bias. My favorite history class has been AP US History, and I recommend the class to anyone. After the class, I was able to apply my knowledge of study tactics, workload management, and answer AP test questions.

Q: What are you involved in outside of academics? 

Taylor: I am one of the co-heads of Rambassadors and also the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I am also on the MICDS Varsity Tennis team and went to state this year. Along with this, I help run an ambassador program for a boutique called CAKEWISH and work at Ivy Hill, another boutique. Since I was in seventh grade, I have volunteered for a non-profit organization called SWIM ON, and I manage their social media.

Q: What is your favorite time of day here?

Taylor: My favorite current class is Macroeconomics. I find it super interesting, and the class is extremely engaging. I also love when we have advisory, because it gives you time to settle down and connect with peers. 

Q: What is the coolest project or assignment you’ve worked on this year? 

Taylor: The coolest project I have done this year was my video essay for The Great Gatsby in first-semester English. I loved reading the book and delving into different interpretations of the novel through filmmaking. 

STUDENT LIFE & CULTURE: 

Q: How would you describe student life or the culture of the students here?

Taylor: At MICDS, we are all in a community. I feel that there are so many opportunities to connect with peers as well as teachers. I love that we have activity periods and clubs because it fosters connections between people. 

Q: How easy was it to make friends when you first started here?

Taylor: When I came in fifth grade, everyone was super inviting. I was able to make friends very quickly. My first year was COVID, so it was a bit harder, but then once we came back on campus, I was able to make even more friends because in seventh grade, the class doubled. 

Q: If a new student walked onto campus today, what is the most important thing you want them to know about MICDS?

Taylor: I would want them to know that there is always someone here for you. Teachers are always willing to help and support you. Also, I would definitely say to do a sport because being in a team atmosphere is so much fun.

Q: What is your favorite tradition at this school and why?

Taylor: My favorite tradition is the pep rally for Homecoming and then playing tennis matches the next day. It is the one day of the year when everyone in the MICDS community is supporting every team. It is super fun to be supported by the lower school and middle school kids as well as parents. 

Meet Dhruv A. '27

Dhruv joined MICDS in ninth grade.

ACADEMICS & INVOLVEMENTS:

Q: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

Dhruv: My favorite subject in school is definitely chemistry. Through my freshman and sophomore year science classes and AP Chemistry this year, I’ve grown to love the subject, especially through all the interactive activities and projects we get to do. Dr. Meg, my AP Chemistry teacher, has also helped me excel a lot in other tangential areas like Chemistry Olympiad, titration competitions, and much more, so overall, the teachers that I’ve had and have currently are a huge part of why I’ve grown to love it so much.

Q: What are you involved in outside of academics? 

Dhruv: At MICDS, I’m involved in tennis, wrestling, speech and debate, Rambassadors, Virtuosi (the school’s conductorless ensemble in which I play cello), TEAMS (a STEM competition), Prom Committee, and am head of the Wharton Data Science Competition team. Outside of school, I play a lot of piano, tutor frequently through a platform called LearnToBe, do independent research, code, and do a lot of entrepreneurial-related activities, like serving as an ambassador for a summer program called VTSP and being part of a young entrepreneur fellowship called VenturEd.

Q: What is your favorite time of day here?

Dhruv: I love Collab periods because I am able to be productive myself while seeing the rest of the Upper School community do the same. During these periods, I enjoy visiting my teachers to just sit in and do some work or ask questions and get help with recent assignments and classwork. When I’m with my friends during these periods, I love getting work done and walking our Collab ‘routes’ together, where we can walk the campus and visit our different teachers. Overall, my favorite part about Collab is how fun and productive it is. It’s never boring, and walking around, I love seeing how other students are able to engage with their own teachers and learn the same way I do.

Q: What is the coolest project or assignment you’ve worked on this year? 

Dhruv: In my opinion, the coolest project I’ve worked on this year was my History of St. Louis video essay. For this project, we had to reach out to and interview experts in the local St. Louis area on a given area of focus and then construct a video essay that used their perspectives to create a narrative on St. Louis that surrounded that focus. My topic being education, I reached out to a local organization leader and a professor at WashU to discuss how past educational disparities affected the current state of private and public education in the area, using their input to create an in-depth five-minute video. I was able to do everything from finding and reaching out to potential interviewees, preparing questions, and editing the video. I loved this project because even though we had never done anything similar before, we were able to be independent and take it in any direction we wanted, and at the end, create something to be proud of.

STUDENT LIFE & CULTURE: 

Q: How would you describe student life or the culture of the students here?

Dhruv: “Open” would be the best word I could think of for MICDS culture. At community events, dances, and even in my own classes, I see every part of the community reflected everywhere. I love seeing all the Beasley and Middle School students whenever we have all-school assemblies and events, and through a variety of different means, like volunteering in the school and sports, I’m able to connect with them in the same way I’m able to with Upper Schoolers. I’ve even had some Middle Schoolers in classes with me before, and it’s always fun hearing about their life in the Middle School and talking to them about high school. 

Across the Upper School, everyone has a huge variety of different obligations and activities, so I’m able to see that openness in all aspects of student life too. There are always students, whether they’re freshmen or seniors, joining new clubs, trying out new sports, taking new classes, and just interacting with one another. All the talent and diversity here is also something that sticks out to me, as just walking around the halls, you’d pass college athletic commits, state champions, and many other great people that you’d meet and interact with casually.

Q: How easy was it to make friends when you first started here?

Dhruv: My process of making friends as a new student here was made very easy through all the opportunities made available to me from the very beginning. Through the Bridge program, I was able to meet many new students just like me that I’m still great friends with today. Aside from that, the community was very accepting, whether it be teachers or other students, and I was able to form a lot of great relationships in a very short period of time through sports, activities, classes, events, and a multitude of other ways to meet people here. 

Q: If a new student walked onto campus today, what is the most important thing you want them to know about MICDS?

Dhruv: I would want them to know that the best thing you can do here to see success is to find your people. Whether it be through a sport, theater, a club, or just a friend group, all of the things that MICDS offers make it so anybody can find their niche, and it’s exactly in those niches of interest that I see students thriving the most. 

Q: What is your favorite tradition at this school and why?

Dhruv: My favorite tradition at MICDS is definitely Homecoming week. The week is always packed with a lot of fun, and my favorite part about it is seeing the rest of the community in action through all the other traditions that are part of the festivities. Going to the bonfire in my freshman year was the first time I was really struck by how great of a community we have, and I love seeing how other new students seem to go through the same experience I had when I first came here. Most of all, though, my favorite part about Homecoming week is the football game. The white out, baby powder, and seeing all my friends and peers there gives the whole event a huge spirit, and of course, our inevitable victory over JBS every year makes it all the more worthwhile.

Each of our Upper Schoolers has their own unique story to tell about their adventures at MICDS. Thank you to these students for taking the time to share who they are as Rams and for sharing about the Upper School experience. To get to know more of our students, continue checking out our blog for more posts of students sharing their voices. Go Rams!