A Jump Start to Life at the University of British Columbia
Planning for university comes with stress, but planning for university as an international student brings with it even more pressure. Earlier this year I committed to attend the University of British Columbia north of the border in Vancouver. On top of registering for classes, getting housing, and figuring out how to get all my belongings onto a plane, I was also investigating how to get health insurance, choose and sign-up for a new cell phone plan, and set up a new bank account. The emotional aspect was also a big factor because leaving the country you’ve called home is a daunting thought.
Fortunately, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC gives the opportunity for international students to adjust and figure out everything they need to. On August 14th, I left San Francisco and flew to Vancouver’s International Airport to join over 1,100 international students from over 150 countries to begin my orientation (in total there are 7,927 freshman in the UBC Class of 2017, with 2,082 attending from outside Canada). The program I attended is called Jump Start, a two-week program specifically designed for international students.
Immediately upon arrival at the university, I was greeted by multiple smiling faces ready to help me get settled. I was assigned to a learning community (a group of students with a similar major) that I would meet up with almost every day. I also learned of my jam-packed schedule of activities that would help me feel connected and at home in UBC.
A Freshman’s Perspective on her First Week at Dublin High School
Alex in Front of Dublin High
I made a fabulous first impression on my first day of high school: I was not late to first period – almost. You would think that arriving an hour before school started would give me enough time to get my picture taken and then find my classes. Unfortunately, half of the school also had a similar train of thought, so things didn’t exactly go as I had planned. For instance, I was apparently not supposed to save the I-Finished-the-Paperwork-Online receipt, but to have it with me, as well. Long story short, I almost tortured my dad before his morning coffee. I was lucky to escape in one piece.
The rest of the day went more smoothly. I will admit, however, that I had a few more false starts. This included circling a building several times, before realizing that I was looking for a classroom that didn’t actually exist. And, being extremely pleased with myself to be on time, for once, I found that I might have overdone it a bit; I was one period too early.
Congressman Swalwell with Emily
Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Every high school student dreams about obtaining a job that they will thoroughly enjoy. Whether the dream job may be about becoming the next big NBA basketball player, groundbreaking scientist, or Grammy award-winning actress, passion and focus are vital for career success. However, high school life can be overwhelming and the thought of what the future may hold leaves feelings of dread and self doubt. Some students may be clueless or unsure about what career to pursue in the near future. Internships provide a valuable way for high school students to experiment with different career opportunities and determine the career area that is suitable for them. In addition, students can develop life skills such as perseverance, teamwork, social skills, responsibility, and time management. Dublin High Senior Ben Sher, Dublin High School Class of 2013 graduate and University of British Columbia freshman Emily Morehead, and I describe our valuable internship experiences that helped us develop important life skills and determine careers suitable for our individual passions.
This past summer, Ben Sher was an intern for Vendini Inc., a ticketing software company. Vendini provides dependable and easy-to-use ticketing, marketing, and fundraising solutions to any-sized organization. Located in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district, Ben chose to ride BART at 6:15 am in order to start working at 7:00 am. Ben worked around 33-35 hours per week and had a 2 hour total commute each day. A typical day for Ben consisted of helping patrons who were experiencing difficulties with software and helping create a system that would assign account manager territory. There were also times when Ben would have to do miscellaneous tasks such as assisting with the festival ticketing area of business. Throughout Ben’s experience, Ben learned that he prefered working in open, casual atmospheres like Vendini’s where he could easily connect with coworkers. Ben found connection with coworkers and enjoyment of the work environment crucial to a business’s success. When asked about the major perks of obtaining an internship, Ben replied, “You will grow your network through your coworkers and gain some nice resume experience.” Through his internship experience at Vendini, Ben has developed his passion for working together with others in a friendly, casual atmosphere. Ben can now carry out out his new teamwork skills positively as this year’s Dublin High School Student Body Vice President.
Dublin Unified School District 2013 API Improves to 904
The Dublin Unified School District’s overall API in 2013 rose slightly to 904, with Kolb Elementary School leading the way with a gain of 19 points to 939. Green Elementary School continues to lead the District with an API of 963, while Frederiksen Elementary School (API 904) and Wells Middle School (API 874) built on significant gains made last year. Across the District, every school reported an API score above 860 with 7 of 9 schools reporting an API above 900.
“Dublin Schools continue to make progress with standardized tests,” Superintendent Stephen Hanke said. “The district’s efforts to infuse best practices at all of our schools clearly have been effective. While we are very pleased with these results, we also recognize that stubborn achievement gaps continue to exist. We will be making a major effort this year with specific interventions at all of our schools to close those gaps. We will also have a laser-like focus on continued preparation for implementation of common core standards and smarter balanced assessments in 2014.”
Building upon more than a decade of improvement and further cementing Dublin’s status as one of the state’s most successful school districts, Dublin Unified posted its highest-ever score in the Academic Performance Index (API), released by the State Department of Education today.
The District achieved a 904 on the API, a score based on the standardized testing that took place across the state last spring. The district-wide cumulative score represents the 11th straight year of growth. Dublin scores have increased every year since 2003, and the district has experienced an improvement of 123 points since 2002.
District-wide, more than 80 percent of students tested proficient or advanced in English Language Arts and Math. As districts across the state struggled this year to match scores reported in 2012, Dublin continues on an overall path of improvement, despite modest setbacks for sub-group populations.
A detailed breakdown of all Dublin Unified School District API results is available here.
Note that Valley High School (API 561) is considered a small school by the California Department of Education (less than 99 students), and as a result API results are not considered as reliable.
The Dublin Unified School District’s API results broken down by subgroup are as follows:
1 Closet Founder Laura Graham
Bishop O’Dowd High School senior Laura Graham and her successful charity, 1 Closet have helped over 6,000 teens in need of basic clothing. Starting at the age of 14, Ms. Graham, with the support of her family, has collected and distributed over 15,000 gently used clothes to organizations throughout the Bay Area. Along the way, Ms. Graham has been recognized with numerous awards and media attention, after struggling early on to get her organization off the ground. For students wanting to make a difference in their community, but aren’t sure where to start, read on.
OneDublin.org: What inspired you to start 1 Closet?
Laura Graham: “1 Closet stemmed from a simple dinner conversation. My dad was telling me about how a co-worker who had adopted a teenager and as a family we spoke about all the troubles you would go through as a teen in foster care, how little money there would be for items like clothing, and I thought ‘I can do something about this’. I have a lot of clothes I don’t wear, and so do my friends.”
OneDublin.org: Why is clothing so important for the teens you are helping?
Graham: “I find clothing to be an expression of who I am, and the way I’m feeling. I also find that clothing can bring a lot of confidence. I see that teenagers who don’t have nice clothes, who are wearing hand me downs that are torn or stained, have less confidence, and that could be one reason they don’t want to go to school. I think it is important we make it easier for teens to fit in.”
OneDublin.org: Since 2011, you’ve collected over 15,000 garments valued at $105,000 and helped over 6,000 teens. What advice do you have for other students looking to make a difference in their community? Where did you start and how did you get to where you are today?
Hannah with Westmont Professor Dr. Marten
by Hannah (Sievers) Reynolds, Dublin High School Class of 2008 and Westmont College Class of 2012
Staying on track in college can definitely be a challenge. Things like taking Advanced Placement (AP) or community college courses can help prepare you for university classes because of their structure, and can even place you ahead of your peers on the way to a four-year degree. However, if you haven’t taken AP or community college courses, or don’t plan to, there are plenty of other tools out there to help you succeed in college and get you ready for post-grad life.
There are two things that really help when trying to finish your degree in four years instead of five or six: forming relationships with faculty and planning. Getting to know and building relationships with the faculty at your institution will be instrumental in your development as an educated individual. They can offer insights into their field that you may not get in the classroom, and they know the system at your institution better than you do. They can also help you get internships or summer jobs in your field of interest, whether it is at your school or in industry.
Faculty and staff at your school can also help you plan what your years in college will look like academically. Knowing ahead of time what classes are available and when is key to making sure that you won’t get to the end of your senior year missing a credit or two. Building those faculty relationships can also give you that information before it is available to the general public. It is also a good idea to have a plan “B” and “C” in case the classes you want fill up.
Introducing Alicia Tran – OneDublin.org’s Newest Writer
Alicia Tran
With the addition of Dublin High School incoming junior Alicia Tran, OneDublin.org welcomes its 30th contributor of articles covering a wide range of topics that celebrate education excellence. OneDublin.org welcomes contributions from the community and from student writers looking to showcase their writing ability. Contact onedublin@comcast.net for more information.
“I’m excited to help my community by writing about, and raising awareness of, important causes and events. My passion for volunteering started at Dublin High School and I look forward to giving back to the community,” said Ms. Tran.
City of Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti on Leading California’s Second Fastest Growing City
City of Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti
Dublin grew at a rate of 6.8 percent last year, outpacing every other city in California except Santa Clarita, and compared with California overall which grew by 0.8 percent. With rapid growth comes both opportunities and challenges. I recently met with City of Dublin Mayor (and Dublin High School teacher) Tim Sbranti to hear his perspective on the state of Dublin today and what lies ahead.
James Morehead: How has growing up and going to school in Dublin helped you as Mayor?
City of Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti: “I think knowing Dublin’s history, understanding where we came from and a sense of where we are going, gives you pride in the community. My parents still live in the house I grew up in and we’ve chosen to live here; Dublin is a great community and has kept me grounded. Growing up and going to school here has given me an infinite amount of pride – I’m connected to the schools, connected to the city as I’ve seen it grow, and have a stake in the community.
“Dublin was historically looked down upon by neighboring communities and I believe that’s given me an edge. I want to see the city and schools thrive. Even though the perception of Dublin has changed dramatically over the past twenty years, I’m still driven to make Dublin the crown jewel of the Tri-Valley and the East Bay. I have extra motivation to get things done.”
Morehead: What are you most proud of in your tenure as mayor?
In what has become an annual ritual, the Dublin High School Irish Guard conducted a week long band camp that concluded on Friday. This was a week that was filled with students meeting new band mates, learning marching routines and music, a review of what it means to be committed to the band effort, fellowship, sweating out hot afternoons and simply a lot of fun. The days started at 8:00 AM and did not end until 4:00 PM. However, it was a week that none of the musicians will forget.
Band Director Paul Everts spoke to families that attended the end of camp assembly in the Student Union. Upon his arrival at Dublin High in 2008, Paul inherited a group of 56 committed band members. The band program was as its early stages of development and he wondered aloud what the future might hold. In part, due to the great leadership of Erik Bertelson at Wells Middle School and Lee Carpenter at Fallon Middle School, nearly the same number of musicians will enter Dublin High this year as incoming freshmen, which takes the total number of membership in the Irish Guard to the 140-150 range. This remarkable growth truly speaks to the popularity of the band movement and music within this District. The general assembly discussion also included comments on the importance of fundraising and the Guard’s desire to participate in the Chicago International Music Festival in April 2014.
At the end of each summer, an annual meeting is conducted with the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and the DUSD Board of Trustees. The purpose of this meeting is to review the general bond obligation rating, to discuss the overall project scopes and then to visually drop in on active construction projects. This event occurred on Monday. Senior Director of Facilities, Kim McNeely, led most of the discussion/updates.
The CBOC is chartered to oversee the utilization of Measure C. This bond measure was passed in 2004 and encompasses $184 Million of site improvement funds for the entire district. To date, approximately 85% of these funds have been expended to modernizing facilities, electrical, plumbing and HVAC improvements to many of the sites. A majority of the funds have been devoted to creating an almost complete makeover of Dublin High School. One of the centerpieces of the redevelopment is the new Performing Arts Center.
In addition to the CBOC and Board of Trustees, key district personnel and project members embarked on a physical tour of Murray Elementary, Wells Middle and Dublin High School. Some highlights:
OneDublin.org 