Sydney Stipe '22

What clubs, organizations, sports, service projects are you involved in?

I'm a second-year boarding student from San Jose CA. In the boarding program, we do all sorts of things from taking field trips (which we call outings) to anywhere we want to go, to participating in activities that count for our service hours, even without having to leave the boarding hall. We do blanket making, baking, cleanups, and more. We go on little outings like to the mall and big outings like to Universal Studios. We have prayer services and birthday dinners. The boarding program really keeps us participating and having fun doing it. I have also been contemplating if I should join the peer tutoring program as a math tutor.

What is your favorite spot on campus and why?

The octagon is by far the best spot on campus, day or night, it's beautiful. You have a full view of all of downtown, with the mountains on either side. I've never been so amazed than when I first saw the sunsets from the octagon.

As a boarding student, what's the best thing about living on campus?

The people. If I had to pick just one favorite thing, I would pick the people. We have such a generous, understanding, caring community. We can request outings with a time and place, go on ice cream runs, and honestly can do whatever we decide to do, as long as we ask. We are the kind of school where if someone has a problem, everyone is on board and there to help any way they can, in the boarding hall, and at school. You will never feel alone or find a dull moment at Flintridge Sacred Heart.

I also love the beautiful view we have, especially at night. The entire city lights up all around you.

And roommates are so much fun. I've been best friends with my roommate since the day we moved in freshman year, and we have decided to stay roommates this year and for upcoming years.

What is your career aspiration?

I am very fond of math. I love every kind of math and find challenging problems really fun. Math always puts a smile on my face and makes a lot of sense to me as a logical and analytical person.

What do you love about Flintridge Sacred Heart?

The people. If I had to pick just one favorite thing, I would pick the people. We have such a generous, understanding, caring community. We are the kind of school where if someone has a problem, everyone is on board and there to help any way they can. You will never feel alone at Flintridge Sacred Heart. I also love the beautiful view we have, especially at night. The entire city lights up all around you. The education couldn't be better. The work can be challenging, but that just means we are learning new things. And if you feel like you can't get it done, don't understand what to write or do, or are just very busy, the teachers are all very understanding and will do anything they can to help. They actually encourage participation and active learning, wanting us to ask questions and send them an email or come to them when we don't understand something or just simply don't think we have as much understanding as we could have.

What advice do you have for someone applying to Flintridge Sacred Heart?

At first, I didn't want to come to Flintridge Sacred Heart. I thought it wasn't modern enough and that it would be too hard and that the people wouldn't understand me or be there to help me every second, but don't judge a book by its cover. Give it a shot to surprise you. Coming to this school was the best decision I ever made. On the outside, we may not look super modern, but on the inside, we balance tradition and contemporary values, perfectly. We may seem like a super difficult school, but the teachers accommodate everyone to their own pace and will drop everything and work with you however they can if things get too difficult. And the community here has become my family, understanding me with every action and every word, and being just an email away from compassion and support with anything and everything I need.