Sanchi Vishwakarma ’23 Speaks at Open House

We often ask our students to share their experiences at MICDS with prospective families. Who better to talk about what’s it’s really like to learn here? This year, at Open House, Sanchi Vishwakarma ’23 eloquently spoke about how she feels at MICDS.

Good Afternoon! My name is Sanchi Vishwakarma and I am a junior in the Upper School and came to MICDS my freshmen year from a public school. Two years ago, I was in a similar position as you: frantically studying for the SSAT, writing college-like application essays for admission to high school, and touring schools that I didn’t even know existed. When I visited the sprawling campus of MICDS, I felt an instant connection. It may or may not have been because I was visiting the school as a shadow student in the middle of winter, but as soon as I stepped foot into Olson Hall to meet my student mentor, I could feel the radiating warmth of the MICDS community.

Community is a driving force for our MICDS family, and I call it family because it truly feels like home (which is nice because I am here 7 hours a day, every weekday). The immense sense of pride that we have in being Rams connects kindergarteners, high school seniors, faculty, and alumni alike. From big events like Homecoming games against Burroughs and our Homecoming bonfire, to celebrating exciting news during Upper School assemblies, we show up for each other.

Not only are we well-connected with our fellow classmates, but we also put forth effort towards knowing others in the community. The person who made me feel most welcome on my first day at MICDS was a senior who met me at volleyball practice the day before. The highlight of my day is hearing about my freshmen friends’ day while I drive them to the MAC for cheer practice. The person I go to for the best advice is a sophomore that I met in line, waiting for my food truck tacos during homecoming two weeks ago. My biggest cheerleaders are my sophomore year history teacher and advisor who are always there to celebrate with me on my best days and cheer me up on the worst. The people who make me laugh the most are the 7th graders who I am partnered with in our amazing Peer to Peer program, which teaches middle schoolers about life as an Upper School student and gives them advice on how to succeed in the healthy, challenging environment provided by MICDS.

I won’t lie to you, MICDS is academically vigorous, and I say vigorous for a reason. It requires a lot of determination, but it is not inflexible as the word “rigorous” suggests. I have the freedom to take courses that both challenge and indulge me in my passions. I have even been presented the opportunity to pursue courses that I never knew I would be interested in such as the neuroscience class that I am looking forward to taking next year. You can see the passion that each faculty member has for their field and their eagerness to share their knowledge with their students. Dr. Gaw’s enthusiasm for vectors always brightened up physics class. Proctor, my calculus teacher, lit up when I finally understood derivatives. Dr. Roth’s passionate rants out about Hamilton and its inaccuracies, despite how much she loves the show, make history an engaging learning experience.

Passion fuels our community, and the community fuels our passions. Our Strings program began as a quaint after-school club with six members and has now transformed into an institution-wide course that middle schoolers and high schoolers alike partake in each semester. MICDS has even given me the opportunity to start a club based on medicine which allows me to pursue my lifelong interest in the field alongside my fellow classmates.

I am thrilled to be able to be a part of this magnificent community and to be able to call this campus a second home (with the additional bonus that I don’t feel the need to workout after my daily walk from Olson Hall to STEM each day). Thank you for considering the MICDS community as your future home and I hope you love it as much as I do. Go Rams!