Testimonials

Cynthia Weaver
SFC Graduate, Yale University Student

I'm not sure if I really could have ever been prepared for college: both its joys and its challenges. I chose to go to Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, which has an undergraduate population of about 6,000. A Christian school in San Diego and an extremely liberal school on the East Coast are a huge contrast, and the transition of course brought a lot of abrupt and sometimes quite unsettling changes. However, while I never could have really been prepared, at SFC I did gain the tools and the knowledge which helped ease me into a completely foreign environment.

Academically, I did feel prepared (or at least as prepared as the other students!), especially in English and more specifically writing because I took all the honors and AP English classes which SFC offers. At Santa Fe I also participated in band for 9 years and Chamber Chorale for 2 years, which prepared me to join my university choir, the Yale Glee Club. Everyone in that group is a phenomenal musician but I felt ready to jump right in and be part of it.

At SFC I was given many opportunities to lead. This helped me to learn the important lesson that being a good leader means being a good listener and being selfless. The Christian principle of putting others before oneself is extremely important in a competitive academic environment such as Yale. I really appreciate that Santa Fe taught me the lesson of being selfless. While I do put a lot of effort into academics, I understand that it is more important to be a good friend who will take time out to listen, even if I do have a midterm the next morning!

Overall I really appreciate the education that I received at SFC. Its amazing teachers and faculty taught me much more than my textbooks ever could've. The opportunities that I had as a lifer at Santa Fe were a huge blessing and gave me the skills which I needed to be successful at the university level.