Jenny Wang '20

In your time at Flintridge Sacred Heart, what has been your favorite aspect of boarding life?


The aspect of community. You are not just simply living at a school, but living in a loving community with 55 other sisters. We are not just friends, but real sisters, like a family.  



How have you grown as a result of your boarding experience?


My boarding experience made me an independent woman who is able to take care of myself. It has prepared me for college and adult life. I learned to develop different life skills, including cooking, doing laundry, cleaning up my room, and time management. In addition, my interpersonal skills allowed me to empathize with others’ perspectives and appreciate cultural differences. I saw how my role at school and community allowed me to find a way to cooperate with other passionate minds to preserve and promote diversity.



What is it really like living with 55 "sisters?”


Living with 55 sisters is a very unique experience. You get to meet people from all over the world, such as China, Japan, and other European countries. In the boarding hall, we have different hall activities to bond us together, We celebrate each others’ birthdays at monthly birthday dinners and learn about others’ cultures. This year we organized the mid-autumn festival to celebrate Chinese culture and eat moon cakes. Our 55 sisters make this hall full of fun and diversity.



How does Flintridge Sacred Heart's location lend itself as a way to experience Southern CA?


Living in Southern California has been my dream my whole life. Of course, the weather is super friendly, I love sunny days and there is not much rain for the whole year in California. I also enjoy playing golf, and Flintridge Sacred Heart’s perfect location allows me to do that because there’s a very nice golf course called Brookside Golf course 10 minutes from the school. In addition, the school is built on the top of a hillside in La Cañada, which gives you a perfect view of Los Angeles. I personally think it is even better than the view at the Griffith Observatory. The boarding faculty also arrange various trips to experience the LA area. We have big outings like day trips to Disney and Universal Studio each year. We also have a grand LA tour during the orientation week, plus outings to Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, and Malibu to play around at the beach.



How have you grown as a leader while President of the Boarding Council? What contributions are you most proud of?


This year we worked especially hard as a Boarding Council team under our new boarding director, Dr. James. We’ve started many new changes and tried to create an inclusive, kind, and engaged community. As a leader, I learned that I must actively listen to others’ needs first before carrying out plans. I have met each boarding student, led weekly council meetings and serve as an active facilitator among different stakeholders. My definition of leadership is to engage and demonstrate by doing.



To break the boundary between boarders and day students, I invited the day students to join our boarding hall activities and engaged them with our boarding life. As a consequence, the boarding students in the hall have become more confident and comfortable to interact with the day students, and our hall feels more alive with more diverse voices.



What advice would you give a new Flintridge Sacred Heart boarding student?


Be open to the new environment and enjoy your time here at Flintridge Sacred Heart! Don’t be afraid to reach out whenever you need help! Everyone here is friendly and approachable. 


Why did you and your family choose Flintridge Sacred Heart?


One of my family’s friends recommended the school. We came to visit on our own once during the Christmas break and saw the boarding hall promotion video on the website. Then, I decided that’s the school I want to go to because of its beautiful view and warm atmosphere.