Why Fenwick?

Harper took the entrance exam for Fenwick last Saturday and this week her personal statement, grades and state test scores are to be sent off. Harper has worked so incredibly hard to achieve this and I am so very proud of her.

Harper Daniels

1/15/15

Why I want to go to Fenwick

To me, the School Mission Statement represents the experiences I could have and the character I could build by attending Fenwick High School.  From the many opportunities that would be available during and after high school, to the new friends and knowledge that I would acquire, Fenwick has the key to great success.

One of my favorite parts of the School Mission Statement is the thought provoking question, “How do you challenge yourself?”.  I like this part best because it really makes you check yourself and gauge how well you are doing.  Also, it forces you to accept some responsibility for your learning, too.  This sets a tone for the entire Mission Statement, and it is that you will learn, help others, and succeed if you are a Friar.  In addition, it states that “we emphasize service to others” meaning that the well-being of others is important to the entire school population and that it is significant to follow the Golden Rule, treat others the way that you want to be treated.  I like how even in high school, when we are learning some of the most important lessons in our lives, one of the first lessons we were ever taught is relevant and stressed.  

Before even considering Fenwick, I had a skewed view of what high school was supposed to be like.  I watched countless movies and television shows depicting it as a large, loud, and altogether unfriendly place.  In the films there was bullying, a lack of attention from teachers and administrators, and most of the characters would suffer from the inability to focus on academics and school activities.  Predictably, I became apprehensive and began to dread walking the halls of a place filled with so much competition and responsibility.  That was, however, until I shadowed Fenwick on October 22, 2014, when I was introduced to a school filled with smart, kind and dedicated people that did not participate in any of the negative activities that I had learned to accept as the inevitable and renowned high school experience.

Another factor that sets Fenwick apart and ahead from the other high schools in the area is the superb academic program.  This same program would help me achieve my overall dream for college, which is to be a student and water polo player at the University of Michigan.  I have always been a Wolverine, and ever since I started water polo about 5 years ago, this is my ultimate goal.  Fenwick would be an incredible opportunity to make that dream come true.

The fact I am now excited about attending a high school, that Fenwick’s academic program guarantees a thorough and interesting education, and that their Womens’ Water Polo team won state the previous year really makes Fenwick my dream high school.  I can only hope to attend Fenwick and implement what I have already learned from just a shadow day, an open house, an entrance exam, and a School Mission Statement into my current everyday life.