Alumni Stories
Jaydon Faal
"My Walden experience was the most fun time of my life, so far. Walden allowed me to become more emotionally intelligent and helped me build lasting friendships. My favorite memories at Walden were the ponders camping trips, those trips enabled me to form better connections with my peers, outside of a school setting. The bonding that occurred during those trips fostered the relationships between many of my close friends and I. Being at Walden also introduced me to my greatest passions: robotics, and soccer. Robotics with Drew was one of the most fun Walden activities I participated in. I am currently on the robotics team at Harvard-Westlake School, which has won the last two state championships for FTC robotics. At Walden, the community is very close-knit, which allowed kids from all different grades to play with each other. Playing soccer with the older kids grew my love for the sport and encouraged me to play club soccer. Since 6th grade, I've been playing club soccer, and currently, play for my school’s DI team. Walden has given me the tools to make excellent career paths in activities I love and given me friendships I am sure will last a lifetime."
- Jaydon Faal, Class of 2016
Vivian Wheeler
"I attended Walden from Pre-k through fifth grade. From there I started sixth grade at Polytechnic’s middle school. In comparing my elementary school experience with my peers at Poly, I realized how unique my elementary school education was at Walden. From our field trips to our tight-knit community to its nurturing education, my experience at Walden was unlike any of my other classmates’. Walden doesn't just cultivate critical thinkers but well-rounded future leaders and citizens as well. I still remember the lyrics to the Walden agreements songs. I think another special quality about Walden is that it fosters a sense of curiosity and love of learning in its students. I distinctly remember looking forward to all of my classes at Walden. It was also because of Walden’s science class and our trip to Catalina Island that I discovered my love for science, which is what I hope to pursue as a career to this day.
The summer after my junior year in high school, I used connections at Poly to find an internship with a research clinic at the Huntington Hospital. I got to shadow doctors, watch surgeries, and learn how to take patients' vitals. This experience led me to want to pursue medicine. I found out about Case Western Reserve University, a school well known for its engineering, nursing, and pre-med programs. It also was known for providing students with many research opportunities. I was able to get a scholarship to attend and packed my bags in August and headed out to Cleveland, Ohio. I’m currently planning to double major in Mandarin and Biology and am excited to embark on this new stage of life."
-Vivian Wheeler, Class of 2013
Sophia Fuentes
Sophie Collins
"I think Walden shaped me into the person today by teaching me to always be true to myself. The biggest lesson I learned was that it is always okay to be myself and speak my mind. I am a much more confident person because of this and I will always be grateful to Walden for teaching me to be my genuine self."
Sophie Collins, Class of 2012, currently attends Seattle University and is a Theater and Interdisciplinary Arts with a Specialization in Arts Leadership double major. She is a lighting electrician at the Lee Center of the Arts and currently Assistant Stage Managing for SU's production of "The Misanthrope."