MEMORIES THAT STICK - Harbor Day School

Nine years ago, I entered the gates of
Harbor Day School as an eager Kindergartner
to embark on a thrilling voyage.
In the past nine years I have grown, both
physically and mentally. I have learned
about the world and the laws that govern
it. I have seen the magnificence within
numbers and shapes, the elegance of patterns, and the order
that exists within randomness. I have learned the power of
language and discovered how to speak it, to write it, to wield
it as a tool. In nine years, Harbor Day School has given me
knowledge, and I intend to use this knowledge as best I can.
Already, I have accomplished several achievements
for which I feel great pride. I have
succeeded in math and science at Harbor Day
School; my teammates and I received an honorable
mention in the ExploraVision science competition,
and I tied for first place at the chapter level of
MathCounts. My MathCounts team received fourth
place overall and progressed to the state level.
Furthermore, I recited 4,030 digits of pi this year on
March 14, also known as “Pi Day”; I rank seventh
among all of the pi digit memorizers in the United
States. Skilled English and literature teachers at
Harbor Day School have encouraged me to write
and have assisted me in my endeavors, which allowed
me to earn such honors as a Silver Key award in
the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest’s California
division. History and geography teachers, informing
me about the past and its effects on the present
and the future, have filled my mind with learning.
I have partaken in the Harbor Day School Latin
program as well and received the first place academic
and first place overall middle school awards at last
year’s California Junior Classical League. Without
Harbor Day School, all of these accomplishments
would have occurred only in my dreams.
More than my academic successes, however,
I appreciate the enthusiasm that I feel
every day when I arrive at school. At many
schools, students fear learning and consider education
to be a mandatory agony that they must endure.
At Harbor Day School, however, the teachers make
learning an enjoyable process. True success lies not in
trophies or plaques but in laughter and a passion for
learning. Pride exists not in accolades or honors but
in the quality of one’s character. Throughout my nine
years at Harbor Day School, the teachers and staff
have greatlyimpressed upon me the important values
of life. Every day I wake up with a feeling of pride
and contentedness in my heart. For this pride I owe
Harbor Day School, my home of nine years, the place
in which I learned the true meaning of success. n
TOP: BEN DONS HIS CROWN AS PI KING FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A ROW.
BOTTOM LEFT: BEN WITH ENGLISH TEACHER MRS. SNIFF.
BOTTOM RIGHT: BEN CELEBRATES WITH HIS MOM AFTER RECITING 4,030 DIGITS OF PI.
BEACON — SPRING 2012 PAGE 7