Student Spotlight 4

Education is part of life for all sentient beings. Of course genetics plays its role in providing some intrinsic knowledge which is passed on from one generation to another, but even the young in the animal kingdom are taught by their elders. The process of education for young humans has been a matter of debate for millenniums, and continues to this day. The increasing trend in standardized testing which is supposed to create a comparative analysis of grammar and high schools is meeting another trend from colleges which are beginning to down play these scores; and the proponents of homeschooling continue to increase in numbers and influence.

The difficult efforts to establish an analysis based on statistics is exhibited in the tale of a recent NYC school that was praised by the Mayor, school board officials, and parents as being a model for improving efficency and student education. Members of the school community were obviously a bit shocked when the “school report cards” came out and they received an F. The increased reliance on standardized testing seems to be going the other direction with regards to college admissions. The National Association for College Admissions Counseling is now recommending that colleges place less emphasis on what is considered the sacred cow of standardized test, the SAT. Even the College Board, which owns the SAT, says high school grades are a better predictor of college success. According Harvard’s Dean of Admissions, William R. Fitzsimmons, the best predictor of college success is not the SAT, but rather tests that examine knowledge of a standardized curriculum. “The clear message to students would be to focus on their subjects in school…rather than spending enormous amounts of time and money trying to game the SAT and ACT,” is Fitzsimmons stance. This approach would also level the playing field for students who cannot afford supplemental SAT prep courses which boost their scrores.

The issue of “homeschooling” has also gotten a lot of media attention as the practice grows around the nation and proponents become more organized and vocal. There are a variety of reasons why parents choose to educate their children at home. Some make their decision based on religious reason, some for matters of health, while others simply believe they can provide a better education at home than the school system can. This issue faced a serious threat in the spring of 2008 when a California court ruled that children who are homeschooled must be taught by a certified teacher. The wording of the original decision of the court outraged the parents who were told “they had no constitutional right” to home school, and “A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation..”, which apparently only the state of California could provide. It was obviously a blow to the parents of over a 150,000 children who were being homeschooled. The onslaught of protest by the public, and threats of legislative intervention, seems to have played a role in the recent court remedy offered this August.

The Journal spotlights the accomplishment of Oakland resident Hena Choudhry, who, amongst a litany of other accomplishments, is a competitive figure skater on the national level.

What were some of the rewards and challenges of being Home-Schooled?
I became home schooled when I was two weeks into fifth grade. Balancing skating and school just wasn’t working out with my schedule, and I needed more training time. Home school allowed me to use a flexible schedule, so I was able to have more time to train and traveling to competitions was a lot easier as well.
However, home school was not without its cons. I didn’t get to make friends as easily as I would have been able to if I had gone to regular school, and being an elite competitor in figure skating was tough because of the bitter rivalry that is usually present between skaters. While I feel like I missed out on enjoying a proper social life, I was able to meet and work with many interesting and diverse people from all over the world, and I learned a lot about different cultures.

Did you take any supplemental courses to prep for the SAT? And do you have any thoughts on the SAT in general as it has come under scrutiny with regards to the weight it is given in college admissions?
I did take a few supplementary courses for the SAT subject tests and for the regular SAT. However, while I believe that the SAT is an important exam, I also think that you cannot measure one’s intelligence based on a three and a half hour exam; a person’s talents and intellectuality are much better represented by their work in school (which is gives more consistent evaluations) and their extracurricular activities.

Do you plan on continuing skating after High School?
I have been figure skating for the majority of my life, and I feel as if it is now a part of me.
My training takes up a better part of my day, and, usually, I find that after school, practice sessions, off-ice training, homework, tutoring, and charity work, I have little time to do anything else!
However, I don’t think I will ever stop skating because it has become an ingrained part of me, and after high school, I do plan on continuing training and competing.

Do you plan on attending college? If so, do you know where yet and what major you wish to pursue?
I would like to attend Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and I would like to like get a degree in cellular/molecular/developmental biology.

Who has been an influence or inspiration as far as your charity work is concerned? skating? Interest in medical field? teaching?
In skating, I have drawn inspiration from all of the incredible people I have worked with. One of my coaches, Nina Petrenko, is an internationally acclaimed Olympic and World Champion coach, and she has been the driving force for my determination throughout my career. For my charity work, I found inspiration in the story of an 11-year old Canadian boy who was forced taken away by his family for forced chemotherapy. I have always had an aversion for blood cancers, and I could not stand hearing about this boy. I wanted to be able to help anyone who had to face a debilitating disorder, and when I came across The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night organization, I signed up to become a Team Captain for the organization. Rememdium (my team) and I have raised $1000 in less than three weeks by holding Family & Friends Raffles, bake sales, and simply going door-to-door and asking people to look into the organization’s cause.
I also work at Valley Hospital in Paramus. I used to work in the neurology department, and I have recently been promoted to working in the emergency department. I immensely enjoy working at the hospital, and I am reminded exactly how much I would love to be a doctor every time I am there. I draw inspiration and strength from the many patients that I meet, and I find their innate courage and determination ineffable.
I have also found the time to support and promote The Hunger Project, and I am very excited to be working for their annual gala this year, The Africa Prize 2008.
I am the founder and president of the Unite for Sight’s DePaul Catholic/Oakland chapter, and I recently completed an online eye course and exam for the organization. I am looking into doing seminars at elementary and secondary schools in our area to raise awareness about the causes and concerns of eye disorders/diseases and on how to prevent them.
I also began tutoring elementary school children around four years ago, and I am an English as a Second Language tutor at Wayne Public Library. I teach because I like to see everyone succeed and I believe that everyone should be given aid when they cannot be entirely successful on their own. In return, I have also learned a fair share of knowledge about other cultures and I am now able to appreciate how different they are from ours. I would like to continue teaching/tutoring after I finish high school.

How long have you lived in Oakland? Do you have siblings?
I have lived in Oakland for almost five years now. I have two older sisters, one attends Rutgers University and one who attends Harvard University.

Do any family members have athletic talents? Who are the strongest supports in your life?
The funny thing is, I’m the first athlete in my family’s history! No one in my family was ever involved in a sport, and I was the first one to step out of the unspoken boundary. Now, nearly twelve years after I first stepped on the ice, I not only enjoy competing in figure skating nationally, but I also take the time to coach young children in the Basic Skills program at Ice Vault Arena, and I trial judge for the United States Figure Skating Association at local testing sessions.
My entire family has been so supportive of me. My mother, and father, my sisters. My fondest memory is of when I was eleven and I had not skated so well at a competition. I emerged from the arena to find my sisters crying outside. When I asked them why they were crying (I never cried at any competitions), they answered that they were so upset for me, that they were crying! I found the whole thing really funny for some reason, but I didn’t miss the point; my sisters loved and supported me so much, that when I skated and I was successful, they felt successful. When I skated badly and fell, they fell and were upset as well. Maybe even a little more upset than I was.