My name is Olivia Barber, and I am a junior here at Prout. When asked if I would share a little bit about my story, my mind immediately went back to my accepted student night.
I was an eighth grader at Monsignor Clarke and was beginning to think about where I wanted to spend my next four years. And, I’ll be honest, Prout wasn’t really a thought for me. I was interested in bigger schools up north or my town’s public school. I wanted to meet new people and experience as much as possible. It was only then, at accepted student night, that the atmosphere and energy at Prout really caught my attention and made me reconsider my high school choices. That day ignited my flame of Crusader pride, and I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.
The biggest thing that I have gotten out of my experience here at Prout is that the possibility to try new things is endless. Prout has provided me the opportunity to try just about everything…and the stuff I haven’t tried yet, well I still have three semesters to go.
I am a full International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma candidate, vice president of the junior class, a member of numerous clubs, and a three-season varsity athlete (though I’m fairly certain the indoor track team would be better off without me). I am an alto in our choir, and I was the female lead in our winter theater production, despite it being my first show at the school.
And that's what I love about Prout. If you are willing to put yourself out there, and try new things - your high school experience will be unmatched.
In my case, having played soccer my whole life, I was itching to try something new - and I found it with Prout’s volleyball team. In my true indecisive fashion, the day before fall tryouts I switched gears completely and took a leap of faith and tried out for volleyball. I arrived at the gym in running sneakers, no knee pads, and little-to-no skill. And I wasn’t the only one. The first three months of my freshman year set the platform for the rest of my high school career. I had a new group of friends, a newfound confidence, and a coach that encouraged me to continue playing year round on a club team which built my love of the sport. Three years and countless pairs of knee pads later, I was honored to make first team all division in D1 and third team all-state, and I have ambitions to continue at the collegiate level. Prout provided me the opportunity to try something new, and helped me grow into the athlete that I am today.
While participating in all of my extracurriculars, I have worked hard to maintain a 4.0 GPA, and I am thankful for the teachers and staff that have pushed and assisted me along the way. The teachers at Prout produce a curriculum that is both challenging and exciting. By offering different levels of academics, such as CP, honors, AP, and IB, there is a place for everybody. I found that my place was in the IB program, and since Prout is the only school in the state to offer these courses, I am beyond happy with my choice of this school.
In closing, whether it be athletics, academics, or the arts (or all three!), Prout provides high level opportunities to excel at what you know or try your hand at something new. So be open to the idea of Prout. Because, at The Prout School, THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER. All you have to do is just grab your knee-pads, and show up.