Quotes from SAS graduates and their parents
“As an institution of learning, St. Andrew’s Upper School teaches young men and women about the world as it was and it is in the hope of what it can be. It exposes these students to all walks of life through the humanities, the arts, the sciences, math, religion, and athletics. As an institution of learning, it must endeavor to impart this knowledge without prejudice and without seeking to influence their students’ perceptions. That is the job of St. Andrew’s Upper School and of any institution of learning. And, as an extension, St. Andrew’s Upper School must try to prepare their students, through learning, to live and work on this highly diverse planet called Earth. We offer you our admiration and our staunch support of the quality of St. Andrew’s Upper School curriculum and faculty. St. Andrew’s Upper School is a learning institution worthy of the name.”
Mark and Louise Michaud
St. Andrew’s parents of 2004 St. Andrew’s Graduate, Nathan Michaud
University of Texas, Liberal Arts Honors Program
“I did not spend my high school years with my nose stuck in a grammar book or a boring literature textbook. I was exposed to functional writing and asked to think about it. Through the process of reading others’ thoughts and writing about mine, I learned more than any book could have taught me. The St. Andrew’s curriculum was all encompassing and I am profiting from that…”
Ashley Voticky
St. Andrew’s Class of 2004, graduate of University of Michigan
“During my most recent study break, I took out my yearbook and began to reminisce about my days at St. Andrew’s. I began comparing my high school classes to the ones I take here. At first I managed to convince myself that high school was a snap compared to Williams, but then I turned to the page that has the faculty on it and I realized I was being silly. In actuality my high school classes prepared me extremely well for the work here, especially senior English class.”
Elizabeth Kohout
St. Andrew’s Class of 2004, graduate of Williams College
“St. Andrew’s prepared me academically for a challenging college. Without the strong foundation I received in high school, I would seriously struggle in some of my college classes—I still have all my notes from St. Andrew’s and refer to them often.”
Liz Ketner
St. Andrew’s Class of 2004, graduate of William and Mary College, currently attending Medical School at U.T. San Antonio
“I think SAS really helped academically, especially in writing. So far all I’ve taken have been creative writing classes... and a poetry class and both teachers have been impressed with the way I write. I would definitely say that SAS and its teachers made that possible for me.”
Sarah Bradford
St. Andrew’s Class of 2002, Colorado College
“I guess the most important thing in terms of academics that I learned at SAS was how to write. Literary analysis and solid essay writing are skills I know I walked away with after leaving St. Andrew’s. I’ve found here, at a rigorous and competitive college, that my writing skills are as good if not better than most of my peers, not that there’s much time or want to compare, but I know I’m not struggling in that department. And overall, I feel like I received a comparable if not better education than my peers here.”
Barbara Breckinridge
St. Andrew’s Class of 2002, graduate of Haverford College, taught at St. Andrew's Upper School, and is now working on her Masters at U.T. Austin
“The curriculum I encountered in high school not only engaged my mind, but it helped me figure out my own personal beliefs. Education is not just about the material that is being taught in school; it is about the process students must go through when they read, analyze and ultimately come to conclusions about that material.”
Susannah Marble
St. Andrew’s Class of 2002, graduate of Lewis and Clark University
“I came in with valuable AP and SAT II hours that most don’t have. I have a classical education background that has exposed me to a broader area of study than most of my classmates at UT. I have not once felt academically inferior to any other Freshman I have met at the University level.”
Will Weaver
St. Andrew’s Class of 2002, graduate of the University of Texas, currently an assistant coach in the Men's Basketball Program at Sam Houston State.
“If St. Andrew's taught me anything it was to love school. The biggest problems I see people having in college are that they don't know how to read, write, think, and work well (but that's other people.) “The Humanities faculty”…. taught me how to read correctly and closely. They also really helped me understand how to write a paper and use transitions (twelfth grade). In my first year classes, it was clear that I had gone to a mini-plan 2 in high school and if anything, college was less work.
Thanks for not giving us busy work. Thanks for requiring that we think instead of memorize. Thanks for taking time on each of us.”
Anonymous,
St. Andrew’s of Class of 2002
“We read Joan Didion’s On Self-Respect in one of the towers on Southwest Parkway. If I were asked to place a red flag on my personal chronology, this would be where childhood ended and adolescence began. It was the first piece of literature to which I would be exposed that was out of my comfort zone. For this reason, I was forced to look closely at this very small, well-delineated space in which I had been quite comfortable for 15 years. I look back on that sophomore year and feel frighteningly lucky—the way one feels when they realize, after the fact, that they were very close to danger and something small and unexpected was there by chance to save them, like a hairpin, or a flashlight, or a teacher.”
Ellen Heck
St. Andrew’s Class of 2002, graduate of Brown University and the Art Institute of Chicago
Quotes from parents of current St. Andrew’s students
“When we enrolled Callie in first grade we knew that SAS was a unique and special place. I think back to my 13 years at St Johns in Houston. When my mother passed away during my 10th grade year, the faculty and staff of St Johns made me feel safe and loved. I feel that SAS would do the same if any of my kids found themselves in that position. I sent my kids to SAS knowing I could trust the faculty and staff to make good choices. I completely trust the school to educate my kids in the right way. It has and always will be a special place for me and my family.”
Betsy Clemons
St. Andrew’s Parent
“We feel that our three children have received an excellent moral and academic education at St. Andrew’s and we thank you and the staff for the positive influence you have had on their lives.”
Michele and Joe McCall
St. Andrew’s parents of Lily, Quinn and Connor