Alumni Stories

Raina Welch, Class of 2008

Raina Welch, Class of 2008, is a poised and focused 17 year old entering her senior year at Saint Mary’s College High School this fall. Raina joined Prospect Sierra in the 5th grade. “High school prep started immediately! Because of that, the work requirements at St. Mary’s have been easy to meet.”

She credits both her humanities classes and the writing program at Prospect Sierra, where she learned to master structure and presentation, for making the transition into high school easier to her than it was for others.

Growing up in a multi-cultural neighborhood, Raina became interested in studying other languages as a child. “It was like those kids had a secret code, and I wanted to know what it was.” Support from the World Language program at Prospect Sierra propelled her early interest in language study. Interested in the two most widely-spoken languages in the world, she studied Spanish in middle school and took Mandarin as an elective in high school. Raina will complete AP Spanish this year and aspires to become a Simultaneous Translator at the United Nations.

Raina has also participated in the choir throughout her high school career. In addition to singing in jazz choirs outside of school, she will perform this year with St. Mary’s invitation-only Chamber Choir, which she has been asked to co-direct with a friend.

“My social life is beautiful!” she exclaims. “There are so many different people and everyone is so welcoming.” Her advice to students entering high school is: “Be yourself, be proud of who you are, what you like, and how you connect the two.” She emphatically adds, “Get organized … and start with your locker!”

Interested in seeing more Prospect Sierra Alums? Check out some photos from the Class of 2011 Pizza Party.

Abigail Falik, In the World with Global Citizen Year

Abigail Falik, Prospect ’91, is the founder and CEO of Global Citizen Year, a non-profit organization that provides training, support and apprenticeships to young adults in communities around the globe during a “bridge year” (commonly known as a year “off” taken between high school and college). Fellows of Global Citizen Year have worked and lived in communities around the world including Senegal and Guatemala since 2008 when the organization was founded.

For Abigail, Prospect was an environment in which she felt encouraged both socially and academically. She remembers the school as being very community oriented, a trait that has been reinforced in her throughout her experiences abroad, and is prevalent within her own organization. Abigail describes Prospect as having a “creative outlook,” which inspired her own self-confidence, though she admits, “I’m still a terrible speller.” She remembers studying Shakespeare, and watching plays in Ashland, as well as her 3rd grade teacher who made everything “engaging, fun,
and interesting.”

Abigail spent a summer living and working in a rural Nicaraguan village when she was 16. “The experience transformed my sense of myself and the world, and I’ve spent the past 13 years trying to answer the question of how to ensure that many more — and more diverse — young Americans have meaningful experiences with global poverty and development, at a younger age. Today, after years of experimentation at the intersection of international development, social enterprise, and education, I believe that the time has come for Global Citizen Year to become a reality for kids from all backgrounds.”

Abigail holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from Stanford University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. In 2009 Abigail was awarded the Draper Richards Fellowship for her work at Global Citizen Year. She has also a received the Mind Trust Fellowship, and in 2008 she was named a Rainer Arnhold Fellow and a Pop!Tech Social
Innovation Fellow.

Thirstbusters, Musical Success in College

Some of Zach’s favorite memories of Prospect Sierra were in the music program, which he says was “fantastic.” He goes on to say, “Having a class that is really fun and experimentally-based is a great way to get kids to try new things and see what they like doing.”

Zach attends Vassar College where he studies music during the year. While on breaks and holidays he works with the group; not only composing and recording songs, but also on the logistics of a band such as: finding a recording studio, a manager, a booking agent, music attorneys, and a record label.

Forrest, Zach, and Chase attended Berkeley High School and played in the renowned Jazz Ensemble. Forrest, who is currently at UCLA, says, “Transition to high school was easy academically. Prospect Sierra had given me a great head start on all academic subjects. How to study, take tests, write papers, organize my time—these are all skills that Prospect Sierra helped instill in me.”

Forrest’s middle school humanities teacher inspired him to do his “best work” and that has stayed with him throughout high school. In addition to music, politics, history, and government are some of his favorite subjects. Forrest is keenly interested in social problems and opportunities. He worked on the Obama campaign and traveled with fellow Berkeley students for four days of door to door canvassing to “get out the vote” in Nevada. “The teaching environment at Prospect Sierra contributed to my confidence to speak up and speak out in class and in the greater community.”

Chase, who is concurrently enrolled at both Oberlin College and the Conservatory of Music agrees, “teachers at Prospect Sierra were committed to their students and learning environment.” Chase reflects on his time at Prospect Sierra as the foundation for lifelong friendships as well as a successful outlook on life. He says, “I like to think that Prospect Sierra students have a larger world view than most teens and often have far reaching goals that they are well equipped and prepared to attain.”

He credits Prospect Sierra with helping him and fellow band-mates become critical thinkers. He says, “I feel that these skills have helped us to navigate the music business by enabling us to understand contracts, make connections, and promote ourselves as intelligent and driven individuals.”

The Thirstbusters are currently working on their second album. We know we will be hearing more from them in
the future.