Upper School Signature Programs

Rowland Hall Senior Recognized with Excellence in Education Award for Work with Navajo Nation

Oliver Jin '18 can't pass up a good filming opportunity. His sophomore year at Rowland Hall, he signed up for the Highway Hiking 12 Interim trip, but a week before their scheduled departure, his good friend Knox Heslop '17 approached him with a request: come help film their cultural exchange on the Navajo reservation.

The Navajo Project is currently a yearlong civic engagement program for Rowland Hall juniors—often regarded as the advanced version of Project 11—focused on building relationships with members of the Navajo Nation, which culminates in a weeklong trip each May to work with students at Montezuma Creek Elementary School, Bluff Elementary School, and White Horse High School. When Oliver accepted Knox's invitation in the spring of 2016, the project was still evolving, and Oliver didn't know what to expect. As an international student from China who moved to the United States to attend Rowland Hall beginning in ninth grade, he simply wasn't familiar with Native American history and traditions, nor the typical stereotypes about their population. Looking back, he believes that lack of awareness benefited him.

I think the documentary became a central focus because of what documentary filmmaking, at least for me, does to power relationships. —Oliver Jin

"If I were to tell you every single statistic about the Native American population that is bad, you might want to do something about it, but you're terrified." He understands how paralyzing it can be to acknowledge the suffering of the Native American population—especially given how the United States is mostly at fault. Because Oliver didn't have those preconceptions or fears, he found his first-year trip to the reservation eye opening rather than paralyzing. He focused on working with Knox, setting up their cameras and listening to people's stories, eventually producing a documentary called The Common Ground.

"I think the documentary became a central focus because of what documentary filmmaking, at least for me, does to power relationships," Oliver said. Instead of showing up in a new community to help with a project, which suggests inferiority in the recipients, the documentary allowed Oliver to provide a platform to share others' stories. It made him feel like he and the Rowland Hall community could empower people by embracing their stories, Oliver said. And the sharing and cherishing of personal narratives matters deeply to him—he believes it's the way to form the human connections that eventually lead to positive change on substantive issues.

The first year was so powerful that Oliver committed to the program for his junior year, even though he technically completed his Project 11 requirement as a sophomore. Motivated to build stronger connections and help promote the longevity of the program, he produced a second documentary: A Film About Why There Isn't a Film. Oliver described the second film as a reflection on the difficulty of storytelling and service and said the title gestures toward the nuance and complexity of the project. Oliver hopes the two films can serve as a better starting point for future Rowland Hall students who might want to participate in community-building work.

"I can only hope that, as I graduate, ninth graders and tenth graders and eighth graders can see the work that we've done—through my lens—and having that awareness, want to go there," he said. As a senior, he spent many hours collaborating with the juniors who participated in this year's trip to the Navajo Nation, and he plans to maintain his connections with the people at the Navajo reservation for years to come. Additionally, he still has "hundreds, if not thousands" of stories in his notebook or on his computer's hard drive. He just hasn't found the right occasion or composition yet to share them. Currently at work on a portraiture project similarly focused on finding the human element at the center of every situation, he said, "I'm pretty far away from ever calling it done."

Institutionalizing these celebrations is really valuable in that it shows you a fundamental level of respect for this type of work. I don't have to win the award to feel empowered. —Oliver Jin

Oliver's success in building relationships with members of the Navajo Nation was the primary reason Rowland Hall faculty members Ryan Hoglund and Sofia Gorder nominated him for the Utah Office of Multicultural Affairs' Excellence in Education Award earlier this year. The award recognizes high school students and educators who facilitate change, embrace intercultural awareness, and advance civic engagement in their communities.

In their nomination letter, Sofia and Ryan also lauded Oliver's work with Rowland Hall's Inclusion and Equity Committee, his contributions to the school's arts department, and his graceful transition to our community as an international student. "Such a rich and evolving cultural identity role modeled openly by Oliver liberates other students to explore conflicting identities and engage with many parts of themselves," they wrote.

When Oliver won the award in March—presented as part of Utah Multicultural Youth Leadership Day—he was unsurprisingly humble about the recognition. Instead, he took great pleasure in the mere existence of the award and the people who coordinate it. "Institutionalizing these celebrations is really valuable in that it shows you a fundamental level of respect for this type of work," he said. "I don't have to win the award to feel empowered."

Oliver wasn't always engaged with initiatives for equity and inclusion. In fact, he credited a conversation with his sister, Jin, an alumna from the class of 2015, with spurring him to action. After she asked him why he didn't participate in a social media trend celebrating the passage of gay marriage legislation in Utah—she is a gay woman—Oliver recognized that his answer wasn't satisfactory. "I told her, 'You know I love you and support you, but I just didn't feel like it,'" he recalled. "I came to realize it's not enough to ideologically align with a tradition or liberal ideal of inclusivity and equality. I really need to do things instead of staying silent, quietly knowing I am a good person."

Over the past three years, Oliver emerged as a leader on the Lincoln Street Campus, frequently advocating for marginalized or underprivileged members of the school community. He recently initiated a dialogue with Upper School leaders about making sure the flag hallway represents the home nations of all students. He also adamantly supported the creation of an all-gender bathroom and regards it as a critical space, even though he identifies as a gender-conforming male. "Having that space to be used by everyone makes those who actually need it more comfortable to use it," he said. "Going to it shouldn't be sending out any message other than that's a convenient bathroom to use when in certain classrooms."

Over the past three years, Oliver emerged as a leader on the Lincoln Street Campus, frequently advocating for marginalized or underprivileged members of the school community.Oliver will continue to seek out stories to share among people he'll encounter at Sarah Lawrence College next year, where he plans to major in film with a continued focus in philosophy, ethics, and sociology. Regardless of which degree path he chooses, film will remain an essential part of his life and work. At a time when the film industry is embracing stories of inclusion and making blockbuster movies about them—Oliver cited the recent success of Call Me By Your Name and Black Panther—he is optimistic about what he and others can accomplish.

"It's a beautiful thing in our society, where these concepts are becoming accepted, and there's financial incentive to make these films," Oliver said. "And then that reinforces society to be more embracing of these concepts. There's a circle of positive feedback in mainstream culture."

Community

Rowland Hall juniors identify and research a global, local, or internal issue they feel strongly about, then volunteer for an organization associated with their topic. Dubbed Project 11, this experience entails more than clocking service hours. Rowland Hall supports juniors with the resources to design and implement a solution to the problem they’ve chosen to explore.

Faculty designed Project 11 to be experiential rather than cerebral, and personal yet communally relevant. It provides a platform for individuals to hone personal voice and identity and creates a workplace for students to build, reflect, and respond to community issues. It’s a place for students to develop love and respect for themselves and the people in their communities, and to access a deeper sense of place. It’s also a culminating and potentially formative experience for juniors preparing to apply to college.

The History

Several years ago, a team of Upper School teachers assembled to develop a learning program to reach beyond the classroom. The team met and brainstormed for a year before launching Project 11, a real-world community-building experience for Rowland Hall juniors. Associate Director of Community Partnerships and Chair of the Arts Department Sofia Gorder, Physical Education teacher Mark Oftedal, and former Director of Service Learning Liz Paige founded the program. Director of Ethical Education Ryan Hoglund currently oversees it.

Rowland Hall’s service-learning program was originally built around volunteering in local nonprofits. But seven years ago, as Utah grew and changed, the program took on a global perspective. Rowland Hall has always been open to everyone—those inside and outside the prescribed societal, racial, religious, socioeconomic, and familial structural norms. Local growth and increased diversity spurred Project 11 to tackle community partnerships in new and inclusive ways, thus bringing students and teachers together as partners in the evolving culture of education.

Project 11 has gained momentum over the years and has carved a lasting space in our students’ lives. Often, students graduate with hundreds of hours beyond the volunteer requirements. Those who invest wholeheartedly in projects hand them off to up-and-coming community student-activists to ensure their projects endure. 

Global Education and the Navajo Nation as a part of Project 11

After solidifying a number of partnerships with Navajo people in 2016, the Navajo Project is considered to be the “Advanced Placement” equivalent of community building for juniors. Students interested in community engagement, activism, research, developing solutions, and meeting people of another nation can apply to the Navajo Project during their junior year.

Project 11 students have gone on to reframe the assignment as a global education initiative. The Navajo Nation and its people represent a community that is accessible, already part of our curriculum and community, yet invisible in many ways. To learn more, a selected group of 20 students and four faculty worked in Salt Lake City and on the reservation throughout 2015–2016 on a cultural exchange and community-building project. The biggest takeaway was that we had a great deal to learn from a population of 200,000 people, a mere six hours away. We discovered that environmental sustainability is a huge Native concern; that indigenous languages are a fading link to heritage; art is sacred; heart-wrenching racism is systemic in our state; poor healthcare on Native lands leads to new and alarming diseases; public education on the Navajo Nation is not taken seriously; and that regressive federal and state policies create impassable roadblocks for Native people at nearly every level.

Project 11 Grows Toward the Whole Community

As Project 11 continues to grow, we plan to make all projects visible and accessible enough to involve our entire community. This spring marks our first-ever Community Project Presentation. It will include a student-led fair with all projects and agencies present to share experiences, and to mobilize and motivate our community to get involved. Read on to learn more about recent projects and their impacts.

Rubbish Redemption: This Project Isn’t Trash

1. Team: Alicia Lu, Cindy Shen, and 13 Middle School students
2. Challenge: Confront the issue of waste at our school by entering the Shane McConkey EcoChallenge, a national sustainability competition established in memory of McConkey, a professional skier and base jumper.
3. Process: Ran a waste-collection competition in the Middle School, stuffed plastic bottles with the collected 1,500 liters of non-recyclable trash to make eco-bricks, named and marketed the project, and used the bricks to install a usable bench on the west side of campus.
4. Solution: The McConkey Foundation awarded “Rubbish Redemption: This Project Isn’t Trash” the $6,000 first-place prize. Winnings will be used to endow future student-led sustainability projects at Rowland Hall. Read more about this project in another Fine Print story.

Designing a Meaningful Exchange Between Cultures

1. Team: Keelan Kenny and 19 classmates
2. Challenge: Educate the public on the Navajo Nation and dispel misunderstandings about its people and their culture. Learn about and understand the challenges of the Navajo Nation. The Navajo people are often incorrectly and often unfairly portrayed. Break down stereotypes, and prioritize solutions to large-scale problems.
3. Process: Established a cultural exchange between Rowland Hall and the Navajo Nation. Work included planting gardens, volunteering in clinics, assisting the elderly, and researching water problems.
4. Solution: The team created an informative documentary to portray the Nation’s hardships and challenges, as well as the joys of newfound cross-cultural friendships. Keelan also initiated a letter exchange between fourth graders on the Nation and in Salt Lake City, and is now working with five teachers to launch a year-long letter exchange.

Splore’s Rock On Program—Working with Children with Autism

1. Team: Catherine Rogers and Kenzo Okazaki (mentors)
2. Challenge: Help children on the autism spectrum become comfortable with physical challenges and develop confidence through sport. Aid in the development of emotional, cognitive, and physical skills through eight weeks of rock-climbing sessions at Splore.
3. Process: The children climbed and rappelled a 50-foot-tall climbing wall. The mentors served as belayers and respected the children as athletes facing a challenge. By conquering the wall, the children developed increased self-esteem and became confident climbers.
4. Solution: Developed a training video for Splore’s future volunteers. The video addresses the physical and psychological aspects of rock climbing, and the life skills of conquering fear and enjoying success.

The Common Ground

1. Team: Oliver Jin and Knox Heslop
2. Challenge: Give non-Natives a greater understanding of the vibrant Navajo culture as it exists today. Use filmmaking to tell stories, present issues, and light a spark of humanity in our world.
3. Process: Documented the beauty of the Navajo land, tradition, and people. Instead of simply operating the camera, Oliver was personally drawn into the story of the Navajo people and culture.
4. Solution: Made The Common Ground, a documentary about the Navajo past and present, their interpretation of the world, and their relationship with nature.

Music and Community Building with the Lincoln Street Orchestra

1. Team: Will Matheson and the six other members of the Lincoln Street Jazz Company
2. Challenge: Play live music to provide a routine source of joy in isolated communities. Use Lincoln Street Jazz Company’s distinctive genre of music to connect with older adults.
3. Process: The jazz group sought out opportunities to perform and engage a community isolated from youth yet energized by it, using a playset common to both eras.
4. Solution: Gave performances at senior centers and facilities, taking time to involve and interact with residents. Hope to pass idea along to other creative entities to involve an often-forgotten community.

Advocacy and Self-Expression Through Writing

1. Team: Isaac Ball
2. Challenge: Positively impact on the Navajo Nation through creative writing. Involve and expose students of Montezuma Creek Elementary to basic creative writing concepts that may get left out in favor of traditional composition-class curriculum.
3. Process: Used academic experience in Rowland Hall’s creative writing classes and the school’s literary magazine to channel passion and develop writing class for younger Navajo students at Montezuma Creek Elementary.
4. Solution: Create a year-long workshop to support personal storytelling through writing. View writing as a creative art form—provide an outlet for personal expression and a group platform for sharing Navajo cultural expression.

Refugee Student Tutoring Program

1. Team: Anna Greenberg and Eleanor Mancheski
2. Challenge: Meet the needs and struggles faced by refugee youth learning English. Implement a tutoring program at Hartland Partnership Center (HPC).
3. Process: Used and improved a space where previous Project 11 students created a makeshift library. Added resources, taught reading skills and problem-solving, and built relationships.
4. Solution: Expanded the library with books from Rowland Hall’s upper and middle school libraries. Forged relationships at HPC—encouraging both the students and Project 11 participants to continue building this partnership.

Experiential Learning

For this year’s debate team, there may be one thing that feels better than claiming Rowland Hall’s second consecutive region and state titles.

Doing it in person.

After two years of online-only competition, debaters from across the state were able to gather in person once again for the 2022 regional and state tournaments. After numerous Zoom-room competitions, said Mike Shackelford, Rowland Hall debate coach, these in-person gatherings were a welcome change.

"A return to in-person debate was rejuvenating,” said Mike. “Sure, it meant more planning and earlier mornings—but it also meant pep talks and motivational speeches, real-time collaboration, bonding and playing together between rounds, and supporting one another by watching final rounds as a group. It allowed our students to be truly seen and heard by their opponents, judges, and teammates." And it was especially exciting for the team members who hadn’t yet experienced in-person debate events. “They didn't even know what they were missing,” said Mike.

Sophomore Zac Bahna was one of these students. He experienced his first year of competition—where he placed third in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking at state—on Zoom, and now understands the contrast between the two settings.

We were able to foster an environment in which everyone was willing to help each other out and push each other to succeed.—Zac Bahna, class of 2024

“The in-person experience is a lot different but more fun,” said Zac, who, with fellow sophomore and partner Harris Matheson, took third place in this year’s Public Forum event. “You get to talk to debaters from other schools and hang out with your teammates between rounds. Although last year’s debate season was still a great experience, the team felt more isolated and disconnected when we were all debating from our own homes. The state tournament was one of the first times that I could really feel the good energy of a team environment.”

That energy makes a difference for Rowland Hall not only because the team plays up a division into the 3A classification, pitting them against larger schools, but also because they had to spend a lot of time preparing for individual speech events—an area they don't practice during the regular season—to be competitive.

“It was so awesome to see so many Rowland Hall debaters come together and push themselves to compete in different events than they normally would and work together to achieve a common goal,” said Zac. “We were able to foster an environment in which everyone was willing to help each other out and push each other to succeed.”

As a result, the team walked away from the state tournament with their second consecutive 3A state title (their total score, 108, was 33 points higher than the second-place team) and an impressive list of performances:

• Senior Samantha Lehman took first place in National Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in which debaters are given a domestic affairs question and have 30 minutes to research, write, and deliver seven-minute speeches.
• Senior teammates Ella Houden and Kit Stevens took first place in Public Forum, an event that includes short speeches interspersed with three-minute crossfire sections, on the topic of the pros and cons of organic agriculture. Senior Samantha Lehman and junior Micah Sheinberg as well as sophomores Zac Bahna and Harris Matheson closed out the top three spots, giving them a co-championship.
• Junior Layla Hijjawi and sophomore Joey Lieskovan took first place in Policy, an event in which teams advocate for or against a policy change resolution, for their take on the best proposals for water resource protection. Juniors Ruchi Agarwal and Julia Summerfield also went undefeated in this event, giving them the co-championship, while senior George Drakos and sophomore Gabe Andrus, as well as sophomores Marina Peng and Logan Fang, tied for third place—a clean sweep of the top four spots! (Learn more about how debaters across the state, including Rowland Hall students, prepared for this topic in The Salt Lake Tribune.)
• Freshman Aiden Gandhi took fifth place in Lincoln-Douglas, a solo debate event, for his speech on journalistic ethics.
• Junior Zachary Klein took third place in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in which debaters are given a foreign affairs question and have 30 minutes to research, write, and deliver seven-minute speeches.
• Freshman Andrew Murphy took fifth place in Student Congress, a competition in which students lead and participate in a simulation where they debate different pieces of national legislation.
• Junior Micah Sheinberg took fourth place in Impromptu Speaking, an event in which debaters are required to prepare and deliver speeches on a random topic, with only one to two minutes to prepare.

Samantha Lehman also made school history by being the first Rowland Hall student to win an individual state championship in three different debate events over her high school career. The senior said the accomplishment showed her that she can successfully debate on both national and state levels—and reminded her of what she’s learned over four years.

Debate has made me more confident in my voice.—Samantha Lehman, class of 2022

“Debate has made me a more confident person,” said Samantha. “I’ve always been willing to put myself out there, but debate has made me more confident in my voice, in my ability to convey ideas. I know how to speak to a specific audience, to use my research skills and cater arguments to different groups. I know how to speak efficiently and clearly, in a way that’s not pedantic. I know more about the world: criminal justice issues, arms sales, international relations, water, climate change—subjects you would never find out just in school and reading the news.”

This perspective was echoed by ninth grader Aiden Gandhi, who emerged as a team phenom in his novice season, taking fifth place in Lincoln-Douglas at his first state tournament.

“The season allowed me to grow and learn about topics and ideas that I never would have explored otherwise,” said Aiden. And though he is thrilled about the accomplishments of this year, he’s even more excited about his personal growth. “I think I am most proud of achieving the growth that I did this year in debate. It means that I will be better equipped for next year and future debates.”

It’s this kind of attitude, found across the team, that promises continued excellence for Rowland Hall Debate. Even after graduation, said Samantha, she’ll be keeping an eye on the team—she’s that excited about what lies ahead. Zac and Aiden, also looking forward to what's in the team’s future, have already promised to contribute to ongoing success by challenging themselves and their teammates, cultivating a positive and fun environment, and building community.

“I am excited for the opportunity that next year's season brings to connect, grow, and improve,” said Aiden.

Debate

Despite its pandemic-related challenges, 2020–2021 was a banner year for the Rowland Hall debate team, which embraced the sport's virtual format to excel in both individual and team events—including the state tournament, where they won the title of 3A Speech & Debate Champions for the first time in the school’s history.

“It's been a historically challenging year for all schools, but we turned it into a historically successful one,” said coach Mike Shackelford.

Rowland Hall competed virtually in more than 40 local and national events in 2020–2021—more than double the events in a non-pandemic year—including the Utah Debate Coaches Association tournament, the most prestigious local regular-season tournament, in November, where the team won the sweepstakes award for the top school, and the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) state tournament in March, where the team won the championship title.

Debating at the state tournament was a great opportunity to bond as a team after a year of separation, and winning the championship wouldn't have been possible without the dedication from each member.—Emery Bahna, class of 2022

Earning the state trophy is an especially impressive feat for Rowland Hall, a small school that plays up one classification level and has, in previous years, been unable to assemble a large enough team to be in the running for the state title, due to tournament timing, travel, and other event-related challenges. Team size matters at state because while all students compete for individual titles, their performances also count toward a school’s overall score: students who place in the top 25 percent of an event earn their schools five points (a “Superior” rating), and points descend until the bottom 25 percent, which earns no points. While Rowland Hall has long won individual championships, its previous rosters of 12 to 15 students meant the team had to take zeros in categories they didn't enter. Thanks to this year’s virtual format, however, which made it easier to participate, they could finally set their sights on the championship.
 
“The whole team came together to conduct research, participate in practice debates, and share information about our opponents,” said junior Emery Bahna, who, with junior Mahit Dagar, took first place in the UHSAA Public Forum event. “Debating at the state tournament was a great opportunity to bond as a team after a year of separation, and winning the championship wouldn't have been possible without the dedication from each member.”
 
Mike agreed, noting that he views that dedication as the students’ way to balance a year in which they were unable to enjoy normal aspects of debate, like socials, bus rides, and even being in the same room during final rounds to root for each other. “There was a real commitment to achieve something collectively,” he said.
 
This they did, together earning a final tournament score of 122 points. Second-place school Providence Hall, the 2020 state champion, finished with 74 points.
 
“We nearly lapped the field,” said Mike. “The state championship reflected our collective desire and commitment to be a part of something larger than ourselves. Winning state was a product of 25 students rallying for a cause, and each doing their part.”

Below are the top individual championship performances at the UHSAA tournament, which contributed to the state title:

• Seniors Sophie Dau and Maddy Frech took first place in Policy, an event in which teams advocate for or against a policy change resolution, for their proposal for criminal justice reform. Three other teams—seniors Auden Bown and Ty Lunde, sophomores Zachary Klein and Micah Sheinberg, and sophomores Ruchi Agarwal and Layla Hijjawi—went undefeated in Policy, giving them a co-championship.
• Sophomore Ane Hernandez took first place in the Impromptu Speaking event, which requires debaters to prepare and deliver five-minute speeches on random topics, with only one to two minutes of preparation. Sophomores Anna Hull and Maile Fukushima were also finalists in this event, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
• Junior Samantha Lehman finished in first place in National Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in which debaters are given a domestic affairs question and have 30 minutes to research, write, and deliver seven-minute speeches.
• Juniors Emery Bahna and Mahit Dagar took first place in Public Forum, an event that includes short speeches interspersed with three-minute crossfire sections, on the topic of the pros and cons of the Space Force; this dynamic duo also qualified to the national Tournament of Champions and will compete at the National Speech & Debate Tournament in June. Senior Hattie Wall and junior Julia Graham, as well as juniors Ella Houden and Kit Stevens, closed out the top three spots, giving them a co-championship. Juniors Casey Maloy and Lizzie Carlin finished fifth.  
• Sophomore Maddie Carlin took second place in Student Congress, a competition in which students lead and participate in a simulation where they debate different pieces of national legislation.
• Freshman Zac Bahna took third place in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, an event in which debaters are given a foreign affairs question and have 30 minutes to research, write, and deliver seven-minute speeches.
• Freshman Marina Peng took fifth place in Lincoln-Douglas, a solo debate event in which she spoke on the ethical necessity of universal child care.

Congratulations, debaters, on an impressive year!

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Update October 29, 2021: This month, debate coach Mike Shakelford received a letter from J. Scott Wunn, executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association, notifying him that Rowland Hall earned the 2020–2021 Leading Chapter Award in the Great Salt Lake (UT) District. Out of 3,000 member schools nationwide, Rowland Hall is one of only 108 to receive this award.

"This coveted honor, based on student participation throughout the school year, is the highest recognition your school can receive from the National Speech & Debate Association. Only the top school in accumulated members and degrees per district earns this designation each year, and each school must wait at least five years before being eligible again," the letter read. "Your award reflects 725 members and degrees over 10 years. In that time, several hundred students have been taught communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills through speech and debate. The Leading Chapter Award serves as an indication of your relentless dedication to these students and to speech and debate education. Your efforts truly embody our mission to empower youth."

For Coach Mike and his students, this award is indeed the cherry on top of a fantastic season—as well as a powerful example of why our debate program has been recognized as one of the strongest in the Intermountain West.

"This is a special award because it reflects sustained excellence, longevity, and collective effort," said Mike. "Unlike many individual tournament achievements, this award recognizes the contributions of every single debater at Rowland Hall over the last five years. Every practice speech, every article researched, every creative argument idea; it all adds up!"

Debate

Rowland Hall’s class of 2022 is a group of 80 hardworking, resilient, and kind individuals who have inspired those privileged to teach, learn with, and know them.

Like the two classes that came before them, their high school experience occurred during a time of unprecedented challenges, which they not only faced but deeply examined to better understand themselves, others, and the world around them. There is no doubt, based on their achievements, drive toward lifelong learning, and demonstrated care for one another, that this class will use the knowledge built during these years to truly become people our world needs.

There is no doubt, based on their achievements, drive toward lifelong learning, and demonstrated care for one another, that this class will use the knowledge built during these years to truly become people our world needs.

The class of 2022 has amassed an impressive list of academic achievements. The group includes a winner, two honorable mention recipients, and a Utah finalist of the National Center for Women in Information and Technology awards; a winner of the University of Utah Science & Engineering Fair; and several top-tier debaters, including six individual state champions, four national qualifiers, two Academic All-Americans, and the captains who led the team to its second straight overall 3A state title. They enrolled in extracurricular studies, in subjects from calculus and digital media arts to comparative religions and Arabic. They dove into chemistry, physics, and fiction writing at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and artificial intelligence with Inspirit AI. Some pursued summer studies at schools like Harvard, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, or in programs offered by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the School of the New York Times, and the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Through internships, members of the class of 2022 explored fields such as health care, auto repair, and production accounting. Organizations that supported our seniors in building real-world knowledge included Huntsman Cancer Institute, McNeill Von Maack, the Submarine Force Museum, Survivor Healthcare, the University of Utah, the Utah House of Representatives majority staff, Utah Spine Medicine, and the Yellowstone Wolf Project.

The class includes various creators, from a University of Utah Youth Theatre's Conservatory actor to several musicians—a pianist recognized as superior by the National Federation of Music Clubs, several members of local jazz bands, two violinists for the 2022 Utah All-State Orchestra, and a trumpeter, and former first chair, for the 2021 and 2022 Utah All-State Band.

Winged Lion seniors led our athletics program to top-five finishes in the Deseret News 2A All-Sports Awards each year of their careers. They were instrumental in the capture of 26 region and eight state titles as teams, and also earned several individual region and state championships. Twelve seniors were named All-State, 13 earned All-Region honors, two were selected to play in postseason All-Star games, and five signed athletic commitments with NCAA Division 1 colleges. Seventeen Academic All-State and 29 Academic All-Region honorees led their teams to top-three GPA rankings among 2A schools over the past four years. Rowmark Ski Academy's eight graduating seniors achieved career-best performances this winter, including 25 top-10 finishes, 11 top-five finishes, and five podium finishes in Fédération Internationale de Ski races. The class also boasts a three-time state wrestling champion, a member of the US Ski Team, a dual-sport athlete who competes in the Enduro World Series, and a member of the Utah Girls Tackle Football League, as well as rock climbers, club lacrosse and soccer players, and local crew, water polo, water skiing, and hockey team members.

The class of 2022 created welcoming spaces, and their care for each other is apparent.

The class of 2022 created welcoming spaces, and their care for each other is apparent. They honored varied lived experiences by leading affinity groups and Dinner & Dialogue conversations, and represented Rowland Hall at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. They normalized mental wellness discussions as founders and members of the Mental Health Educators group, as well as served as tutors, Zoom buddies, and writing consultants. Most importantly, they worked to build back community after remote learning, connecting as teams, friends, and supporters, and cheering on one another’s achievements, big and small.

They also gave back to the wider community, donating hundreds of hours to organizations like the Alta Environmental Center, Crossroads Urban Center, the DIVAS Mentoring Program, Grassroots Law Project, Guadalupe School, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, the National Ability Center, the Park City Kimball Arts Festival, the Park City Police Department, Salt Lake Community Mutual Aid, the Utah Food Bank, and Utah Refugee Goats. Two members traveled to Washington, DC, to further causes they believe in, one as a delegate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, another to lobby for the protection of LGBTQ+ housing and employment rights. A member of Salt Lake’s YouthCity Government spoke on a panel discussing the importance of teaching Black history in schools, while a Decoding Dyslexia advocate discussed hybrid-learning challenges on Good Things Utah and a mental health educator talked about attending high school during a pandemic on the Utah House of Representatives Podcast.

Congratulations on your graduation—just the beginning of the next chapter of your extraordinary lives.

This class earned admission to 128 colleges and universities, with 58 percent of them receiving at least one merit scholarship. A few have chosen to take a gap year to work or pursue interests. Whatever comes next, we know their lives will be filled with purpose. Congratulations, class of 2022, on your graduation—a major achievement and just the beginning of the next chapter of your extraordinary lives.

Students

Though the pandemic affected their plans for events, summer internships, study abroad opportunities, and athletic competitions, these students still found ways to learn, to connect, and to share joy.

The class of 2021 is a diverse and talented group of young adults. During their time at Rowland Hall, they have grown academically and personally by embracing challenges, pursuing their passions, and committing to productive, responsible, and thoughtful lives. They’ve also shown impressive resilience, particularly during their junior and senior years, which were greatly altered by COVID-19. Though the pandemic affected their plans for events, summer internships, study abroad opportunities, and athletic competitions, these students still found ways to learn, to connect, and to share joy.

Members of this class took opportunities to expand their learning. They explored careers through internships—both in person and virtually—at organizations like Better Days 2020, McNeill Von Maack, the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office, the University of Utah, and Utah Spine Medicine. They attended programs at The School of the New York Times and the National Security Agency, studied abroad in England and Ireland, and immersed themselves in languages and cultures in China and the Dominican Republic. They expanded their studies at the college level, enrolling in courses like numbers theory, 1700s American civilization, and introduction to architecture, and they partnered with Rowland Hall teachers to craft independent study courses when COVID-19 canceled classes. The class of 2021 also includes several students recognized for their academic prowess. The group boasts several top-tier debaters, including six individual state champions, three national qualifiers, two Academic All-Americans, and the captains who led the team to its first overall 3A State title in school history. Multiple young women in this class received Aspirations in Computing awards from the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Another took home first prize in the Federal Bar Association’s 2020 civics essay contest.

This class has no shortage of artists bringing beauty to the world.

This class has no shortage of artists bringing beauty to the world. Its musicians include a winner of the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music, a principal violinist for the Utah All-State Orchestra and the Utah Youth Orchestra, and a pianist who earned several superior rankings from the National Federation of Music Clubs. One actor is a member of University of Utah Youth Theatre’s Conservatory, and one dancer attends Ballet West Academy. A promising writer honed her skills at a Brown University creative nonfiction writing program, while others wrote editorials on topics like homelessness reform, the importance of grieving lives lost to coronavirus, and the number of women in leadership, all of which were published in The Salt Lake Tribune.

Winged Lion seniors led our athletics program to top-five finishes in the Deseret News’ 2A All-Sports Awards each year of their Upper School careers. They captured 28 Region and nine State titles as teams, and four individual Region and State championships. Five seniors were named All-State, with one awarded 3A Swimmer of the Year; four earned All-Region honors; and one was selected to play in a postseason All-Star game. Fifteen Academic All-State and 25 Academic All-Region honorees led their teams to top-three GPA rankings among 2A schools over the past four years. All three seniors in Rowmark Ski Academy finished this season with career-best performances, including 10 Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) top-20 and two FIS top-10 finishes. In addition to school sports, this group pursued diverse athletics interests: they participated in rowing, figure skating, and club soccer. One is a national-championship-winning equestrian. Two are ski mountaineers, one of whom competed with the US National Team at the World Championships and Youth Olympic Games, and another who is a member of the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team.

This class has left their mark on Rowland Hall: they founded clubs like Mental Health Educators, created safe spaces for peers including the LatinX affinity group and the Queer-Straight Alliance, and helped drive necessary conversations via the student Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee.

This class has left their mark on Rowland Hall: they founded clubs like Mental Health Educators, created safe spaces for peers including the LatinX affinity group and the Queer-Straight Alliance, and helped drive necessary conversations via the student Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee. They’ve devoted countless hours to the larger community, supporting causes like Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives, and volunteering for organizations including Circles Salt Lake, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Mission Math, the National Charity League, People's Health Clinic, Salt Lake Peer Court, the Sunnyvale Community Center, YouthCity Government, and YWCA Utah.

Many students held down jobs while in school, working as servers, referees, lifeguards, swim instructors, and babysitters; a couple entrepreneurs even started their own companies. And while balancing school, service, and work, these students spent time on passion projects, whether that meant joining the American Regions Mathematics League, examining area histories and geology with the National Outdoor Leadership School, earning a private pilot's license, or giving a TED Talk on microplastics for TEDxParkCity.

The future is bright for the 65 seniors in this graduating class. Our graduates earned admission to 131 different colleges and universities, and 74 percent of them received at least one merit scholarship to attend college. A few have chosen to take a gap year to work or pursue personal interests. Whatever their next steps, we know these experiences will serve as stepping stones on their journeys to living lives of purpose and impact.

Congratulations to the class of 2021. You have achieved many great things, and we are eager to watch you continue to change the world for the better.

Students