Graduates talk about hopes, desires as they head off to college
Josie Barker
•Boulder, Colorado, could be this senior’s new home
By Nona Sue Friedman
Josie Barker of Ridgewood Place was very excited to finish Marlborough School on May 15. She started there in ninth grade and it was not an easy transition.
At Marlborough, she liked the facilities, teachers and classes best. But her first year was quite difficult and a big adjustment. Barker said she had a test or a quiz every week, advance placement classes were expected—“just part of the culture”—and the entire experience was “very intense.”
Barker persevered and was accepted to University of Colorado at Boulder, where she is committed to going, at least for now. She is waitlisted at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo (SLO), which was her first choice, until she toured Boulder. Then, the pendulum swung toward the campus near the Rocky Mountains. If she gets off the waitlist at SLO, she’s not sure she’ll change her commitment.
At either school, she plans on majoring in environmental science. She’s really looking forward to “choosing classes curated to what I want to learn” and especially likes that this major doesn’t have a math requirement. She says, “It’s an interdisciplinary study that is humanities based.” A few friends from her former school, Wildwood, are planning on going to Boulder as well.
She’s looking forward to exploring the area, hiking and snowboarding. But she’s most excited about having freedom and learning.
This year is ending just as intense as her tenure at Marlborough began. Barker hada psychology test on the last day of school. A few days later, the entire senior class went to Hawaii for five days. Nothing like completely relaxing by the beach knowing you have finished high school and have somewhere to go in the fall.
When the girls return from their trip, they will don their white dresses, a Marlborough tradition, and graduate.
Matthew Hoegee
•Loyola senior heads to Boulder in the fall
By Suzan Filipek
Matthew Hoegee plans to study business at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The Loyola senior had considered majoring in psychology after taking advancement placement classes in the field, but an internship helped change his mind.
He had worked for a neighbor in his Hancock Park neighborhood who is a political consultant. “She helps people run for local government,” he told us last month.
It was handling the political donations that sparked his interest in business. That and also, “You can get into a lot of things from business,” real estate and finance among them, he said.
Before he heads to Boulder, he will travel to Hawaii this summer with friends and family and play golf in Oregon. It’s a sport he enjoys for fun, and he has also swung a club or two at the Wilshire Country Club (before it closed for remodeling).
Hoegee is a longtime member of the Loyola Cubs baseball team but plans to spiff up his skiing skills in Colorado. When he heard good things about the Boulder school from family who attend there, it helped him make the decision to move to the Rocky Mountain state.
Riley Houlihan
•Art, sports and Cape Cod are on her calendar
By Suzan Filipek
Riley Houlihan is excited about her major—graphic design—and her choice of college.
“I’m really fascinated with logos of companies and album covers. You can learn a lot in graphic design,” the Immaculate Heart senior and Brookside native told us.
She chose the major so that she can pursue a career in art. She loves to draw and sketch and has taken art classes since her sophomore year. Her latest endeavor is learning screen printing.
After graduation on June 2, Houlihan will attend Endicott College in Massachusetts beginning in late August.
When she toured the school it quickly soared to the top of her list of choices for its location and proximity to family on the East Coast.
“I have a lot of family there,” she told us.
She follows in the footsteps of her older sister Zoey, who is attending the same East Coast college. The surrounding Boston area is a place the sisters are familiar with, having spent several summer family reunions on Cape Cod.
Riley is looking forward to another get-together this summer with her extended family, enjoying clambakes and other beach activities. A cousin’s wedding in Ohio is also on her calendar.
Besides art, Riley is athletic and hopes to continue playing soccer in college.
She has played the sport throughout high school and most recently served as co-captain of IH Varsity Soccer.
She started playing the game as young as 3, encouraged by her dad, who was also her coach.
“I fell in love with the sport. I’m going to try out for the school team [at Endicott],” she tells us.
In case she doesn’t make the grade [for soccer], she plans to start a club team or has other ideas.
We’re pretty sure she’ll make the team.
Carroll Jenkins
•Vassar and volleyball are this senior’s dream ticket
By Nona Sue Friedman
Carroll Jenkins was playing volleyball at a tournament in Las Vegas when he was spotted on the court by the coach for Vassar College. They chatted there. The coach wanted him for his team, and vice versa. Although it’s no guarantee of entrance with a college coach gunning for you, it does help, according to Jenkins. He feels “I could have gotten in on my own merits, but it certainly was helpful having the coach on my side.”
Jenkins is thrilled to be heading East and to be a teammate for his favorite sport. He started playing the game as a freshman at Larchmont Charter High School (LCS) and fell in love with it. After his sophomore year, he joined a club team. Between the two, that’s a lot of games per week.
Jenkins likes solving problems and creating things. He is interested in studying engineering mechanics and Vassar doesn’t offer those, so his plan is to study applied math and physics. Before his junior year, he’ll apply for a special program between Dartmouth University and Vassar, where he could earn an engineering degree. Otherwise, he’ll continue with math and physics, get his degree and apply to a graduate program for engineering. He’s got it all figured out.
Jenkins in a native of Los Angeles and has lived near Brookside his whole life. He is a “lifer” at Larchmont Charter, starting in kindergarten. He says, “Connections and friends are what I’ll look on back fondly. I have a small pool of friends that I hang with and want to stay friends with long after high school.”
He commented, “The first part of senior year with applications and SAT testing was hellish.” Now, he has time to kick back and play his favorite video game, Apex Legends.
Lucas Garcia
•Pilgrim senior headed to Pasadena Caltech
By H. Hutcheson
Lucas Garcia is a graduating senior headed to California Institute of Technology in Pasadena to study genetic engineering.
He has attended Pilgrim School since kindergarten-a lifer. One of the oldest schools in Los Angeles, est. 1958, the senior class is matriculating a mere 34 students. Garcia says, “The small size was good for me because I could really develop a relationship with my teachers, and I could continue deep into an interest or topic over the years.”
He was able to do research while in high school at his future college, Caltech, using enzymes to breakdown PFAS- which are forever chemicals.
Students are required to enter the university undeclared for a major, but he has a plan to, “… go the biochemistry route, more biosynthetic tech, genetic engineering in multicellular organisms.” judging by my silence, he clarifies, “animal genetics.”
Garcia’s graduation is this month, and he will celebrate with family, grandparents visiting from Virginia and, “of course, friends!”
When asked about any fun summer plans, he responded “My friends and I are planning a road trip.” It sounds like Garcia will be traveling down many interesting and exciting roads!
Category: People
