New Adventures

Summer: a time for family vacations, beach trips, and relaxation. For many Steward Upper School students, it’s also filled with new hobbies, academic pursuits, and skill-building. Steward’s core values of academic achievement, individuality, and inspiration continued to blossom in the summer months for Upper Schoolers, some of whom participated in Steward’s inaugural Summer Quarter classes. 

Below are just some of the other great opportunities that students embarked on. 

Shem Abel ’27 spent two months at Stanford University’s two-month summer session. The program is one of only a handful in the U.S. in which students live on campus, get the full college experience, and receive a transcript upon completion.

Shem took three courses: Introduction to Decision Analysis, in which he learned how to properly weigh uncertainties, probabilities, time, and risk preferences to make the most optimal decision; Minds and Machines, which connected psychology with technology and tasked students with creating a context-free grammar machine as well as train an AI model; and Romancing the Room, a public-speaking course that required students to give weekly speeches on various topics.  

In addition to classes, program attendees were invited to panel discussions hosted by visiting speakers and Stanford professors. In his free time, Shem and his new friends enjoyed exploring San Francisco and Santa Cruz. 

“The Stanford Summer Session experience gave me a firm understanding of what college life will be like, as I was in class with high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students from around the world,” he said. “My independence grew exponentially, as I did not see my family for two months,” he added. “I learned how to prosper in uncomfortable situations.”

Addison Bearden ’27 and Logan Bearden ’27 spent five weeks in Cape Town, South Africa, where they lodged with a family friend. The siblings enjoyed lots of adventures in South Africa, including whale watching and a safari.

“We’d been to South Africa in 2022 and wanted to experience it more in-depth,” shared Addison. She and Logan spent a week working at a local hotel, helping guests check in, reserve tennis courts, and navigate the hotel’s adventure-park ropes course. “We learned a lot about customer service!” said Addison. The two also worked with a local fitness company, Hybrid Kids, by helping to shoot a promotional video. 

“Traveling is a great way to gain a global perspective,” said Logan, who added that he and his sister also spent time in Hermanus, a seaside town, and Langebaan, a town in the Western Cape province. “Our experiences in South Africa were very spontaneous, which led to a lot of adventures and learning opportunities!”

Juliet Forlano ’28 and Gracie Hayden ’27 participated in the High School Diplomats scholarship program, which brings together high school students from the United States and Japan through two parallel experiences. HSD U.S. allows American and Japanese students to meet for cultural exchange at the University of Virginia. HSD Japan is an opportunity for American students who have completed HSD U.S. to apply for a scholarship to travel to Japan for several weeks the following summer.

Juliet, who was accepted into the HSD U.S. program, spent nine days at UVA with students from Japan. The group, guided by alumni of HSD U.S., took part in a variety of activities, including athletics, karaoke, language classes, and seminars. A highlight from her HSD experience was the Bunka No Hi festival. 

She said, “My roommate brought me a traditional Japanese garment to wear called a yukata. During the festival, American students visited stations that included information about martial arts, calligraphy, origami, and a traditional Japanese tea ceremony … we even prepared and tasted our own matcha.” She added, “The Japanese students also performed Sōran Bushi, a folk dance. It was amazing to be completely immersed in Japanese culture through language, tradition, and friendship.”

Gracie completed last year’s program at UVA and was accepted into this year’s HSD Japan program. She traveled to Japan in July for a fast-paced two weeks; program coordinators shared the students’ experiences and photos in a blog.

 

“I had the honor of listening to a special lecture by Keiko Ogura, who was only eight years old and living in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped,” shared Gracie when asked about a trip highlight. “She has dedicated her life to telling her stories of survival and teaching lessons of peace. The conversation with her was incredibly inspirational and taught me so much.” 

Gracie also visited the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, where she chatted with Americans working in Japan and learned about their careers in international business. 

“They talked about their experiences and gave valuable advice,” said Gracie. “This was especially cool since I hope to work abroad in the future!”

Lourdes Olivencia ’27 attended a two-week pre-college course in forensics at Georgetown University. 

“In 2025, I participated in GU’s intelligence and national security course, which I thoroughly enjoyed,” explained Lourdes. “This summer, I learned about different types of forensics, how to investigate a crime scene, and how forensics and criminal investigations are intertwined. Highlights were definitely the lecturers who are experts in their respective fields; each was engaging and made the time we had with them packed with information and a lot of real-life case examples.”

Learning alongside students from the U.S., Egypt, Kazakhstan, and England, Lourdes learned how forensics can assist in investigations. At the end of the two weeks, participants were tasked with a capstone project: creating a crime scene and presenting everything as if they were actual forensic investigators. 

This summer, Lourdes also participated in a week-long FBI Teen Academy at the Richmond FBI field office, which brought together high school students from throughout Virginia to develop leadership skills and explore career options. 

“It was structured as if we were actual FBI trainees,” said Lourdes. “Each day began with physical training; then we participated in activities to explore different areas of criminal justice, including firearms training, water rescue, and defensive driving. It was incredibly challenging, but ultimately rewarding. In the future, I hope to specialize in behavioral science as it applies to intelligence and national security.”

Lexi Turner ’28 attended Syracuse University’s Summer Pre-College program, a two-week college intensive held on campus. Hundreds of students from around the world participated in the program. At SU’s medical school, Lexi took a pre-med and health professions course. 

“Each day included lectures and labs in which we learned about every type of medical field, including those that are clinical- and research-focused, and the amount and type of schooling each would require,” said Lexi. “A typical day included four periods, each taught by a Syracuse professor who specialized in a particular medical degree program.”

Lexi also participated in a group project, teaming up with fellow participants to research a health issue. 

“My group researched the physical effects of skin care on younger generations. We also researched the mental health effects that social media can have on young people in relation to skin care. On the last day of class, we presented our findings to the rest of the class.” In their free time, students enjoyed the campus’ amenities, including a gym and skating rink, and visited nearby attractions such as the zoo and outdoor markets. 

This was the second time that Lexi participated in a program at SU.

“During the summer after my freshman year, I took a course called Becoming Your Assertive Self and really enjoyed the experience,” she noted. “I was thrilled to receive a partial merit scholarship to return to Syracuse this summer.” 

Lexi shared that she has long known that she wants a career in medicine, “but the possibilities can be overwhelming. I’ve learned that there are so many amazing options, such as biomedical engineering, which I am now fascinated with and would love to consider pursuing.”

Lexi’s mom, Jen Turner, added, “Thanks to her participation in the pre-college program at SU, Lexi has the perspective of what college is going to be like both academically and socially. I’m thankful to Heather Jeter [director of Steward’s College Counseling] and to Syracuse for offering those experiences to her!”