My Diverse Curriculum by Layla

My Diverse Curriculum by Layla - November 2020 Scholarship Essay

An aspect of my education that I am thankful for is the diversity within the curriculum. As a student I am able to choose from over 50 extra curricular activities, the level of my course requirements, and my elective. I do my best to take advantage of each and every single educational opportunity offered to me by my school. Our guidance department ensures every student has a course load that not only suits them, but challenges them as well. My personal schedule includes five core classes, an elective, a free block, and a public speaking course in which all Juniors are required to take. Every student's schedule varies depending on their grade as well as personal interest.
As a Freshman, I was required to take wellness classes and participate in Freshman seminars. I was also given two study blocks that helped tremendously with the transition from middle school to high school as I was able to meet with teachers and finish a large amount of my homework at school. Transitioning into Sophomore year I continued to take wellness classes and as opposed to Freshman seminars, I took Sophomore seminars. Instead of study blocks, I was given free blocks where I was able to have more freedom around the building. Now in my Junior year, I have more freedom than previous years. I am no longer required to take wellness classes; however, I do have Junior seminars. I am also required to take a public speaking course which I enjoy, and feel I am learning a great deal from this class. With my free blocks, I am given the freedom to come into school late and leave school early if my free block permits this. My chosen elective is Mandarin, which I have been taking since my Freshman year. My chosen language, which Juniors are allowed to drop if they are no longer interested in taking a language, is French. I feel there are so many different ways a student can express themselves at my high school just by the courses they choose to take.
There are numerous art electives including: ceramics, sculpting, photography, art and design, drama, and many more. There are also language electives which are latin and mandarin. Our most popular elective is stat desk, which is our student run technology desk where students fix any technological difficulties their peers may come across with their chrome books. There is no prior experience needed with this elective, and I know many students enjoy the opportunity to help their peers while learning new things.
The diversity within my learning environment does not strictly revolve around the courses offered because there are so many other components that makes my learning environment diverse. I participate in 12 different clubs, along with being a cheerleader on the varsity cheer squad. The clubs of which I participate include: French club, Mandarin club, Student Council, Key club, Glamour Girls, Yearbook club, LTARCE, Chinese Honor Society, Book club, Mock Trial, Debate club, and Westwood Writes. My personal favorite is Glamour Girls. In Glamour Girls, I am able to travel to an elderly home in the community and paint the residents nails. This is always such a great experience for me because I love hearing the stories all the women share with me. There are many other clubs offered beyond the small amount of clubs I participate in. Some people see my workload as overbearing but my school does its best to guarantee that every student is given the chance to grow while they nurture our mental health. My workload can be overwhelming at times, but my support system both at school and at home is always there to pick me up when I may fall.
Some things my school does to support the students is host mental health events. Last year, students were able to go on scavenger hunts, enjoy time with therapy dogs, receive mandarin temporary tattoos, and play a mental health trivia. There is also a cake day for students who made the honor roll, this event is my particular favorite as it is a nice refreshing award for my hard work. Students who did not make the honor roll are not excluded for long, because following this we have student council events that always involve some sort of treat. In the spring we have our infamous J-Term program. This program has been on the news for the diversity and fun way of learning it has provided the students of my high school with. J-Term is where students are able to choose a new course they are interested in taking for the last week of school. The courses are more of life skills rather than educational courses: for example my J-Term for Freshman year was ‘Top Chef’. I was able to spend a week creating phenomenal dishes leading up to the last day where we had a huge competition between the cooking groups. J-Term encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and embrace a new way of learning. It is always the students highlight of the year. The experience I have received at my high school could not be matched at any other. I will be forever grateful for the cultured education I continue to receive, and the aspect of my learning environment that I am thankful to have ever been exposed to.