Tell us about one class you’ve taken at Williston that has made you think about things in a new way. Why did you like this class so much?
The best class I have taken at Williston was Social Psychology. It made me incredibly self-aware, and because it was a college-level class, it taught me to stay organized, take notes on my own, stay on top of my out-of-class work, and collaborate. This class gave me new insight into the behaviors of people in social settings and taught me that there is a reason or logic behind almost every action committed by a human. Nothing is “for no reason,” an idea that has fed into my curiosity and desire to look beyond what meets the eye.—Grace Bean ’22
My favorite class ever was Mr. Gunn’s AP Government and Politics. This class taught me to speak up and think critically. Mr. Gunn encourages not just answering questions correctly, but also incorrectly, since those are the ones that really get students thinking. This taught me that no opinion is incorrect, just differing from your own. I cannot speak more highly about AP Gov. It is my favorite class of all time!—Tabitha Randlett ’22
I’ve always thought of myself as a critical thinker who thrives in subjects like math because of the rules and set principles that must be followed to receive correct answers. Luckily for me, as a ninth grader I was required to take an art class as part of the humanities credit. That year I took Darkroom Photography, and now I have over a dozen of my own printed-out darkroom and digital photographs hanging up in my room. Seeing the world through a lens is peaceful, and manipulating the photo you take is exciting. Mixing chemicals in the darkroom makes me relax, slows my heart rate, and lets me slow down for a few minutes.—Cristina Negron ’22
I am currently enrolled in Chemistry, and I really love this class. There is always something new to learn in each class, and it really fascinates me as a student to see all the chemical mixtures and reactions. I believe the best way of learning is to work on hands-on activities, and chemistry is one of those classes that incorporates that learning skill very well. —Channing Doran ’24
My favorite class was AP Latin, with Ms. Cody as my teacher. I found that the course introduced a level of multidisciplinary learning across all my other classes. The study of ancient Roman history within Latin provided me with context for my history classes. The study of grammatical constructions helped me understand the roots of English. The vocabulary of Latin gave me familiarity with word roots to use in my science classes. AP Latin taught me that language truly is the basis of modern civilization across all disciplines. —Annika von Schoeler-Ames ’22
One class that has had a huge impact on me is Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This class not only taught me about different religions, but opened my mind to an entirely new way of thinking. One of the central ideas taught in this course was that everything in the world is interconnected, and I find myself trying to view more aspects of my life through that lens of openness and unity.—Ava Smith ’23
I will always remember Mr. Syfu’s eighth grade Civics class. I had never really been into social studies, but Mr. Syfu made the topic of our U.S. government extremely interesting. He always kept us engaged in class by having us debate or make presentations. In the middle of the school year, we had to participate in a mock trial with Upper School students being part of the jury. The days of class leading up to the trial made me work hard to understand the legal system and to make a case for my defense team. We ended up winning the trial. Taking this civics class has resulted in my growing passion for politics and debate. —Carter Cleary ’25
In AP Bio, I’ve found myself looking at things in a different light than usual. When eating food or swimming during practice, I think of all the organic molecules that I would need or how my muscles and blood are contracting and flowing. My overall view of life is now seen through a different lens on a much smaller and more introspective scale.—Henry Wiemeyer ’22
One class at Williston that has made me think about things in a new way was AP World History with Mr. Johnson. It was my first AP class, and I learned how to take more responsibility for my work, and advocate for myself if I didn’t understand a concept or if I needed help writing an essay. The writing skills, time management techniques, and new study methods that I learned in that class have given me further success in other classes I have taken, especially other AP classes. And chocolate chip cookies after every test was a plus!—Sydni Landman ’22
Taking Journalism at Williston has really expanded my view of education and the world. Mr. Liebowitz teaches the class in a masterful way, where you learn how to write a good journalism article while also getting to explore topics you are interested in.—Rosie Crooker ’22