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Up to the Challenge
FIVE YEARS AGO, SENIOR TRISTAN YOUNG attended a school he loved and was surrounded by a great group of friends. There was just one thing missing—more challenging academics. When his parents asked him if he wanted to tour CCS, he jumped at the chance. He still remembers visiting Mr. Wharton’s history class where his intellectual interest was piqued, and he says he felt compelled to ask questions. At CCS, Tristan found exactly what he was looking for: a wide variety of classes that fueled his natural curiosity and teachers who truly cared about students.
It's the academic challenges and relationships with teachers that he says have made his high school experience the most memorable because the hardest classes encourage students to think deeply and wrestle with ideas long after the bell rings. Some of his toughest classes—and best memories—came from English classes. While his 8th grade English class felt intimidating his first semester, Tristan says Ms. Piersant made it easy for students to discuss Twelve Angry Men and To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s through these discussions that teachers really shine, he says, by encouraging students to dig deep and easing them into sharing thoughts and ideas without fear of embarrassment.
“The English department is really, really impressive with how they treat students,” he adds. “They teach an idea but ask you to explain why you feel a certain way about something or why an idea is right or wrong. [They] push you beyond what you might be comfortable with academically. It may sound silly, but it takes a level of vulnerability to be able to have an intimate class discussion. CCS teachers handle classes so well.”
Despite diving headfirst into academics, changing schools wasn’t without challenges. Tristan was a dedicated basketball player when he came to CCS but didn’t make the 8th grade team. Afterward, he was encouraged to see what else CCS offered and found a myriad of other activities to explore, including Media Club, Nonesuch, Surf Club, Yearbook, Admissions Core, Senior Friends, and more. Through his active participation in student life, he also made a surprising discovery—an aptitude and enthusiasm for theater.
"I'd been told I should try theater, but I’d never done anything like that,” he admits. “I made a pinky promise I would audition my junior year, and then I got a lead role in The Music Man. Being in front of all of those people and doing all those rehearsals was kind of a shock, but it was this really, really fun time. I auditioned again this year and got another lead role [in Fiddler on the Roof.] Now I’m taking Theatre II classes and really working on my craft.”
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“The English department is really, really impressive with how they treat students,” he adds. “They teach an idea but ask you to explain why you feel a certain way about something or why an idea is right or wrong. [They] push you beyond what you might be comfortable with academically. It may sound silly, but it takes a level of vulnerability to be able to have an intimate class discussion. CCS teachers handle classes so well.”
Despite diving headfirst into academics, changing schools wasn’t without challenges. Tristan was a dedicated basketball player when he came to CCS but didn’t make the 8th grade team. Afterward, he was encouraged to see what else CCS offered and found a myriad of other activities to explore, including Media Club, Nonesuch, Surf Club, Yearbook, Admissions Core, Senior Friends, and more. Through his active participation in student life, he also made a surprising discovery—an aptitude and enthusiasm for theater.
"I'd been told I should try theater, but I’d never done anything like that,” he admits. “I made a pinky promise I would audition my junior year, and then I got a lead role in The Music Man. Being in front of all of those people and doing all those rehearsals was kind of a shock, but it was this really, really fun time. I auditioned again this year and got another lead role [in Fiddler on the Roof.] Now I’m taking Theatre II classes and really working on my craft.”
Now in his final semester of high school, Tristan looks forward to college and all that life holds for
him post graduation. One thing is for sure, wherever he finds himself, he’ll be unafraid to pursue academic
challenges and ask really good questions.
