Emma Moriarty

During my years at TPA I have learned so much about what it means to be a participant in the world. Everyone, rightly so, boasts about the curriculum and academics. However, the relationships which I have made at Tempe Prep are what made my experience unique. It was an exceptional experience to be surrounded by a diverse group of peers with so many goals and interests, especially at such a young age. I have learned just as much about my own character from my interactions with others as I have about them. Every day, I am challenged to view problems in different ways because of all of the perspectives which I have been exposed to. What made my five years special was the amazing, creative, dedicated, and passionate students. The way in which I view the world has been changed by them and I am so grateful to bring what I have learned with me throughout the rest of my life.

Rachel Dinh

Seven years at TPA is a lot. But to be fair, seven years at any place is a lot. Tempe Prep seemed intimidating on my first day at school in sixth grade, but now it’s become a home. I’ve made lifelong friends who taught me to be dedicated, different, and selfless. And it’s rare to find such encouraging and committed teachers as the ones we have here. Through Humane Letters classes, I learned how to read books in depth and share my ideas. Through French class, I realized how much I loved to speak a different language and learn about different cultures. I don’t know what the next years of my life will bring, but I am grateful that TPA has played a part in shaping me into who I am now.

Carter Sampson

I remember my first day at TPA. A tiny little sixth grader walking through campus, gaping at the colossal seniors, lugging a backpack twice my size, and admiring a locker I could’ve climbed into. I was scared of the new classmates and teachers. I was excited to make new friends and be a “grown up” junior higher. Now, as I prepare to leave for college, a lot of the same feelings are spilling through my mind. Except this time, I face the challenge and excitement with Plato, integral calculus, and balanced chemical reactions in my store of knowledge. I’ve had more experiences. I’ve met more people. Girls seem less icky now. The world seems less scary, although in some ways it’s just as frightening as it was in sixth grade. I am thankful for the education and the life that TPA gave me. I’m happy to again be entering a new phase of life, because my time here has shown me how well it can turn out.

Lindsay Newfeld

The time has finally come for me to leave Tempe Prep, where I have spent seven hours a day, five days a week, for the past seven years. In the fall I will be attending my dream school, Stanford University, to study Political Science. While I may have spent a good portion of these seven years complaining about the clogged toilets in the girls’ bathroom and how much homework I was assigned, I know I could never have made it to Stanford without Tempe Prep. It has given me a strong work ethic, a determination to succeed, and a high tolerance for gross bathrooms. No matter how much I’d like to pretend I won’t, I know I will miss this school when I am gone and I am extremely grateful for all it has taught me. To the underclassmen: Don’t waste your time at Tempe Prep because before you know it, you’ll be pushed out into the real world, and hopefully you all get the bathrooms remodeled soon!

Jasmyn Genchev

After enduring six years at TPA, I’ve realized that all my experiences have been unbelievably eye-opening in developing the mental character I have today. My first years at this school were overwhelmingly difficult for me. Coming from a Montessori school I lacked probably the most important aspect in being able to move on to the next stage in life, that being confidence in myself. But as I persisted through the years, being challenged in rigorous academics and meeting committed and passionate people, students and teachers alike, I’ve gained the confidence to express to others the words and thoughts I’ve had bottled up inside me for so long. Not only has TPA given me the platform to develop many strengths, but it has encouraged me to be myself and seek understanding in everything I learn. Now, I feel confident both academically and emotionally for the life ahead of me.