By Andrew Kurowski, Class of 2022, St. John’s College High School, Washington
In the beginning of the pandemic, online learning felt very isolating. However, in that isolation I quickly discovered the strength of the St. John’s community. Although we were not together physically, the SJC faculty and my fellow students were there for me in every other way. The community worked tirelessly to ensure no student was left behind. As peers, we kept in regular contact and teachers were always willing to talk after class or during office hours. Despite the challenges of online learning, our community stayed strong. This strength of the SJC community is what made me so excited to return for in-person learning for my senior year. On that first day the energy among the students was palpable. Friends embraced and the hallways buzzed with chatter, and in that moment we put the hardships of online learning behind us.
During my junior year I volunteered at Christ Church Community Center in Alexandria, Virginia, assisting marginalized communities whose circumstances were further impacted by COVID. In addition to helping behind the scenes at the center, I had ample opportunities to interact with the communities we served by delivering the food directly to those in need. These interactions were eye-opening as I caught a small glimpse into the lives of those less fortunate than me. I also realized I needed to pay way more attention in my Spanish class.
(During his years at St. John’s College High School, Kurowski was captain of St. John’s varsity boys ice hockey team and was named as the 2022 Washington Post All-Met Ice Hockey Player of the Year, recognized as the best high school hockey player in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. At school, he served as a peer minister during his senior year and was a peer tutor through the National Honor Society. Kurowski took nine Advanced Placement classes at St. John’s. For his scholar’s project, he partnered with DC Street Hockey and the Washington Capitals to run a series of street hockey clinics for elementary school children in Alexandria, providing free sticks and ball to any children who attended, and he volunteers as a teacher in Sunday faith education classes at his church.)
By Olivia Baptiste, Class of 2022, St. John’s College High School, Washington
Being a high school student during the pandemic was an eye-opening experience as what I love most about St. John’s was put on hold. The families from the sports teams I joined, the passing smiles and waves in the hallways, and the convenience of popping into a teacher’s classroom for a question were replaced with more difficult ways of obtaining the goal. Zoom and online learning were an acclimated taste, but the understanding of how unknown and hard this new territory was – not only for the students, but also the teachers – made working together to get through that much more important. I gained a new appreciation for the teachers and faculty at St. John’s, and when we returned to campus, those relationships continued to grow. Ultimately, I was frustrated we missed some events my junior year that could have served to unite our class even more, but the persistence, adaptive skills, and importance of relationships I learned during the pandemic was a valuable growing experience for me.
(At St. John’s, Baptiste played on the varsity girls basketball team that won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship. She also was a member of the school’s varsity track and field team, and she won second place in the girls discus competition at the DC State Championship. Selected as a peer minister, she was also a representative in St. John’s Student Government Association and was co-president of the Latin Club. Baptiste took nine AP classes at St. John’s and received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. As a junior, she received the school’s Mathematics Medal of Excellence, and as a sophomore she received the Science Department Award and the Latin Award. Also at St. John’s, she participated in the Female Athletes Club and the Black Student Union. For her scholar’s project, she 3-D printed adaptive parts for manual wheelchairs.)
