What is life like as a Beaver student? We interviewed several students across all grades—from Middle School to senior year—to get a peek into the Beaver student experience. Below you’ll hear from Kaya Deshpande ’29—a rising 10th grader. Kaya discusses working with her hands in Physics, finding her voice in English, and her favorite Upper School event.
Congrats on finishing freshman year! What was it like?
Freshman year went by very fast for me. It was great to meet new people and make connections with older grades.
The first day of 9th grade can be intimidating. What were some things you were nervous about? How did you overcome them?
For the first day of 9th grade I was worried about not going to the correct class and getting lost throughout the day. The way that I overcame that is I found kids in my class that had the same class as me or a class nearby. This made it easier to not be scared about losing my way!
What activities at Beaver helped you find community and feel a sense of belonging?
For me the activities at Beaver that helped me is joining a team sport. I was able to go into the year knowing upperclassmen and see familiar faces in the hall that can connect me to others.
What’s a project you worked on that you really enjoyed?
My favorite project that I worked on was in physics, the circuit build or the arcade game. I was able to test my ability with wiring and push my limit on these projects. I also really enjoy working with my hands, that helps me understand things a lot easier.
Tell me about a teacher who has made an impact on your experience.
Mr. Bollag-Miller (RBM) is the teacher who made the biggest impact on my learning. I have a hard time writing and speaking up because I overthink my answers and RBM’s teaching style is what helped me become more comfortable with my writing and speaking up on what I think during class.
Time for some rapid-fire questions!
Favorite class: Honors Physics with Ms. Coughlin or English with RBM
Favorite lunch: Tacos!
Favorite spot on campus: The window bench near the lunch room
Favorite Upper School event: Dam Day