Orcas seniors are poised for success The Islands' Sounder, December 4, 2002 By Diane Cooper Part 1 of a 3-part Series on the commitment being made at Orcas High School to prepare students for success. Photo by Diane Cooper Orcas High School students (clockwise from upper left) Julie Garriton, Stephen Humes, Lyria Shaffer-Bauck, and Kathleen Kline. For most Orcas Islanders, the month of December means holiday festivities and cheer, but for 50 Orcas Island High School seniors, it means stress. Not only are rough drafts of the students’ mandatory Senior Project papers due this week; deadlines for decisions about “life after OHS” are also rapidly approaching. For the many ambitious students with sights set on higher education, December means putting the finishing touches on a college preparation process that began four years ago. Most college applications are due Jan. 1. “If it were just the school work, it would be easy!” laughed OHS senior Julie Garritan, who in addition to carrying a full course load including AP Spanish and an American History independent study, is applying to eight of the country’s most competitive colleges, dancing lead roles in Northwest Ballet Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker, directing an up-coming play for Orcas Center, and serving as president of the OHS chapter of Key Club. “The college application process isn’t what we remember,” confided OHS guidance counselor Nancy Wrightsman, who is helping many of the school’s college-bound students and their families navigate the course. Today, in addition to stellar academic performances, students are expected to demonstrate leadership and passion in a variety of interest areas, including significant contributions to their communities. The list of colleges and universities receiving applications from Orcas Island High School seniors this month will read like a Who’s Who. Orcas students are applying to top universities, among them Harvard, Yale, Brown and Stanford, and the nation’s most selective liberal arts colleges, including Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore and Vassar. With an outstanding 66 percent of this year’s seniors boasting a “B” average or better for their four years of high school, the class of 2003 is well prepared. Wrightsman acknowledged that the colleges are extremely selective, and that the competition for admission is extreme. But she believes that the Orcas kids have a legitimate shot at being admitted. "We have students with multiple AP classes, high SAT scores, and high grades. They have as good a shot as anybody, it seems to me," she said. “This class does school,” recognized Barbara Kline, principal of Orcas Island Middle School and High School, and one of the architects of the curriculum that has allowed such academic success. “It’s simply not OK to be a member of this class and not take school work seriously. They push each other.” In fact, the accomplishments of the Class of 2003 read like a fine resume—highest cumulative GPA in Orcas Island history, highest percentage of class members in High Honor Roll each semester, and greatest number of participants in community service projects. Senior Kathleen Kline, prime contender for Valedictorian this year, has tried to take advantage of all that OHS has to offer. With four Advanced Placement classes on her transcript, two independent study courses through Johns Hopkins University, community leadership experience from Girls State and Key Club, and a host of academic honors including a National Merit Commended Scholar award, her application will compete with the best and the brightest from across the country. Orcas Island High School, though small in size, is large in opportunity. A thoughtfully designed curriculum of increasingly challenging courses has paved the way for a strong, thorough Advanced Placement program, begun in 1989. Though there are only 197 students in the entire high school, OHS offers seven year-long AP classes in a broad range of disciplines, a stunning number for a tiny public school. With careful schedule planning, a well-organized, forward-thinking student can select from AP English, AP Calculus, AP European History, AP American History, AP Chemistry, AP Physics and AP Spanish, not to mention unlimited correspondence and web-based independent study options offered by colleges across the country. “I knew I needed to demonstrate a strong effort my senior year,” shared Stephen Humes, a student in both AP Calculus and AP English this year and an “Early Decision” applicant to Stanford University. In addition to a heavy senior year course load, Humes exhibited his willingness to tackle challenging material early on by successfully completing AP European History in tenth grade and AP Physics in eleventh grade, and by actively participating in the school’s World Travel Club. For Senior Class President Lyria Shaffer-Bauck, OHS has provided an encouraging platform to test out her interests. In addition to maintaining a near-perfect 3.99 GPA and participating in rich extra-curricular activities, Shaffer-Bauck has logged innumerable hours participating in service projects with committed Orcas Island adults. “I’ve gotten involved in sustainable agriculture, and I chaired a project that collected two tons of clothing and household goods for the residents of Kosovo. I’ve really tried to utilize this small community, in hopes of learning leadership and independence.” It is now December, just six months prior to graduation. The next month or so will be spent finishing up the grueling college application process and preparing for finals. Then, the waiting will begin. It could be as late as May 1 before these and other students know where they will be next year. But one thing is sure. The kids know that they have prepared themselves to compete against the nation’s best for spots in the most rigorous colleges. “I’m prepared,” Kathleen Kline admitted modestly, as she reflected on her list of seven excellent liberal arts colleges. “In fact, I know I’m better prepared than many students from huge schools.”