By Samantha Claster
AGATE of Port Washington welcomed back seven Schreiber graduates last week during the annual Meet the Grads Panel on Thursday, January 16, 2025. This year’s panel was co-sponsored by the Schreiber HSA and moderated by AGATE co-presidents Kelly McMasters and Liz Milbank Sobel. AGATE is the district’s HSA focused on the needs of advanced learners, from pre-K through graduation and the evening focused on college preparation and advice to current high schoolers.
The panelists included Sasha Bandler, a sophomore at Vanderbilt University; Amy Baxter, a junior at Binghamton University; Mikey Capobianco, a sophomore at Northwestern; Milan John, a freshman at William and Mary; Emily Milgrim, a senior at University of Pennsylvania; Matthew Pierre-Louis, a junior at MIT; and Eve Siff Scherr, a freshman at Brown University.
When asked how Schreiber prepared them for college, the students shared that their experience in high school fostered their independence and success through diverse coursework and extracurricular opportunities. “I remember having an easier than expected academic transition to college,” said Emily Milgrim. “The AP course-load at Schreiber was very on par with my freshman fall.”
Additionally, students credited the block schedule and participation in clubs or athletics as a foundation for time management skills that they continue to carry with them in college. The students also shared that the close relationships between teachers and students at Schreiber fostered a sense of confidence in building those relationships in college, where it is a much larger environment and can otherwise be intimidating.
A common theme among all the grads was the importance of forging your own path. They recommended students today do this through the wide variety of elective courses offered at Schreiber and the extracurricular offerings both in and outside of school. Many grads also noted research experience in high school as pivotal to their college success. They stressed that all students should be exposed to this prior to college.
Finally, they urged students to use AI as a complement to their education and to NEVER let it replace their critical thinking. “ChatGPT has been life-changing; it is a massive workhorse, both for school and for work,” Matthew Pierre-Louis said. “But in high school, as far as developing your own critical thinking skills, you have to be careful because [anyone] could use GPT to do their classwork and take tests and have a literal perfect average.” He reminded the audience that nothing takes the place of critical thinking and problem-solving in the classroom. “If you use AI to do everything for you, you could get perfect grades but know nothing,” he cautioned.
Whether it be in academics, sports or extracurricular activities, the students emphasized that following their passion and finding community was key to their success in both high school and college. And they left students with this advice: Don’t let thoughts about college eat your high school years. The panel all agreed that current high schoolers should focus on enjoying the Port Washington community and exploring their passions.
To learn more about AGATE or this event, please go to www.agatepw.org and sign up for our newsletter.
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