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 Owen Murphy ’31—a rising 10th grader. Owen discussed how he spent his freshman year finding community through athletics, exploring his passion for urban planning, and falling in love with math.
The first day of 9th grade can be intimidating. What were some things you were nervous about? How did you overcome them?
Initially, I was really worried about the general logistics of it all. I was scared of getting lost, being late to my class, and things like that. My advisor, Ms. Coughlin, was a lifesaver. Having someone I could talk to whenever was really helpful, as she told me everything I needed to know for my first few weeks at Beaver.
What activities at Beaver helped you find community and feel a sense of belonging?
Cross country in the fall definitely helped me a ton, especially as a new student. Our pre-season before school gave me a time to see the campus and meet some people before the first day of my freshman year, which was super great. Having just a few familiar faces really made me feel good and connected to Beaver while I was still adjusting.
What’s a project you worked on that you really enjoyed? Why?
The urban planning project in Integrated Math 2 was one of my favorite projects I have done this year. We were tasked with finding a neighborhood, intersection, or other space that was important to us, and redesign it using angles and angle theorems. I have always had an interest in urban planning, and it was great to redesign a space in my town that affects everyone through a project in math.
What was your favorite class? What did you do in that class that made such an impact?
Physics was definitely a highlight of my year. Especially the second term, as it really was hands-on and made me think outside the box. The projects we did, like building an arcade game, were really challenging, but rewarding in the end. It has influenced me to take robotics in my sophomore year, and I am excited to take more physics and engineering classes.
What’s a class or a project you didn’t expect to enjoy as much as you did?
Projects like designing a surfboard fin and improving my neighborhood with geometry changed my view of math and made me look forward to my future Beaver math classes.
The math classes I took this year were probably the best math classes I have ever taken. It was great to be able to learn something in the classroom then take those skills and use them on a project that has a real-life application.
Owen Murphy '31
What would you say is the BEST part of being a Beaver student?
The best part of being a Beaver student is the flexibility within the community. Having time in my day to allocate to different things, like meeting with teachers, joining a club, or just socializing with my friends, has really helped me balance my time effectively. The teachers here at Beaver will always make time if you need help, as they know everyone has a different schedule.
Time for some rapid-fire questions!
Favorite class: Physics Applications: Engineering
Favorite lunch: Chicken tikka masala
Favorite spot on campus: D-Level
Favorite afternoon activity: Cross country
Favorite Upper School event: Dam Day
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