Class of 2025

Congrats, grads! St. John's School Class of 2025!

Arinjay Basu

Arinjay Basu’s favorite moments in the Upper School were with his classmates in Live Sound Engineering when he helped Mr. Babia set up new equipment all over the school. The experience taught him that hard work is essential in every aspect of life, including school, even if it goes unnoticed. Lessons like these meant that Mr. Babia was the teacher that had the biggest impact on him at St. John’s. Without Mr. Babia holding him accountable and giving him life advice, he would not have grown into the person that he is today. He is planning to attend the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His father is his biggest inspiration, and watching him manage hotels gave Arinjay the confidence and motivation to pursue a pathway in hospitality. He will most miss the lunches, arguments, laughter, and stories he shared with his friends in Mr. Piana’s room. In his final year at SJS, he was the Environmental Club treasurer, the Varsity Golf co-captain, and the Awareness of Special Needs Kids Treasurer (a role he also held in 11th grade). He takes pride in helping to start the first club at St. John’s that specializes in raising awareness for kids with special needs and in helping to coach athletes for the Special Olympics.

Maria Calvo

Maria Calvo describes her favorite moment in Upper School so far to be last year's Sports Day. Maria says, “Our school spirit was unmatched, and it was a great revival of the tradition that we loved so much when we were younger.” After graduation, she will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge where she plans to study environmental engineering and mathematics. She wants to use her education to innovate with purpose. Maria says,“I firmly believe that climate change and environmental degradation are some of the most pressing problems of today, and I would like to do my part in solving or mitigating these issues.” Leaving SJS will make Maria miss the feeling of familiarity at St. John's. Maria mentions that “Going here since kindergarten and growing up with most of my classmates has truly made St. John's feel like home.” Maria’s best piece of advice that she was given is: “To study and do things that you're passionate about.” Mrs. Chua’s IBH Physics class shaped Maria the most because learning about complex physics topics made her want to pursue STEM. Maria was involved with STUCO for all for years of high school and was her class president in freshman year, STUCO vice president her junior year and STUCO president her senior year. Maria was also a member of the Mandaña Club and participated in paddling during her junior and senior year, cross country during her sophomore year, and tennis during her freshman year.

Issac Campus

Isaac Campus’s favorite memory in Upper School is the 2025 Spring Concert because he enjoyed playing in front of the entire school for one last time before graduating. Isaac will be studying computer science at Temple University Japan Campus. Leaving SJS will cause Issac to miss all of his amazing friends he has made. Isaac advises that students “do not procrastinate and get your EE’s in.” Mr. Babia was Isaac’s most impactful teacher because he helped to shape him into the person he is today. Issac has been a major help for the Tech Crew and even served as the president of the club.

Kevin Choi

Kevin Choi has participated in a variety of school activities such as Math Club where he was president, Newspaper Club as web-editor and assistant editor-in-chief, Glee Club, NHS, and Tri-M. While passionate about math and science, he also has a great interest in music and really enjoyed his IB Music class. He saw the class not only as an opportunity to learn about the subject and perform better, but it also allowed him to hone his skills as a researcher and creator. It is certainly no surprise that one of his most cherished memories from Upper School was the IB Music Night, a moment where he was able to showcase his research, creativity, and devotion in a night’s performance. His biggest piece of advice is to “work harder on your passion,” and his hard work has certainly paid off. Kevin will be attending Stanford University where he will study computer science and computational biology. He will miss the little moments at SJS like the unexpected PE class he had to take and all of the amazing teachers and peers that he’ll leave behind.

Dylan Chong

After graduation, Dylan Chong will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a degree in architecture and design. Dylan looks with gratitude to Mrs. Petra and Dr. San Nicolas for their positive impact on his academic career. Mrs. Petra has seen his development since pre-k and provided him with much advice, guidance, and knowledge. Dr. San Nicolas has known him since sophomore year, and he has been learning from her ever since. Both of their recommendations were crucial in his acceptance to his top choice college, but their greatest impact has to be keeping him in line and disciplining him for his wrongdoings. Dylan will dearly miss his friends since they always brightened up his day and kept him going with their undying support and intensely competitive nature. Looking back at his own experiences, Dylan advises that rising seniors should work on their college essays during their summer break, even if the supplemental essays change a bit during every application cycle. As an IB Diploma candidate, he says that you must be willing to put in 3 or 4 hours of work a day to be successful. Dylan participated in the following clubs and activities: tennis, paddling, Environmental Club, where he was secretary in 10th grade and vice-president in 11th and 12th grade, Service Club, where he was secretary in both 10th and 12th grade, Art Club, Math Club, and National Honor Society.

Joshua Chun

Joshua Chun will be attending college at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he plans to study biology and physics with an interest in medicine. Joshua will miss playing basketball, his friends, and his teachers, especially Mrs. Petra. While he describes English as his weakest subject, he wants to thank Mrs. Petra because “I’ve improved a lot and, most importantly, I learned to really like reading and writing.” His best piece of advice is to “get off the phone and stop wasting time.” Joshua’s most significant involvements at SJS were Korean Club and basketball. He served as the secretary during his sophomore year, president during his junior year, and vice-president during his senior year of Korean Club, and he was the team captain of basketball during his senior year and was selected as the varsity all-star player.

Ana-Lourdes Cook

Ana-Lourdes Cook’s favorite memories are watching and playing in Friday night games with her friends and going to late night dinners at Kings afterwards. She is going to be attending San Diego State University and is planning to study business administration or marketing. Ana-Lourdes has been vice president for NHS and both vice president and secretary for the Mandaña Club. She has also been part of the Service Club, Handbells, and Crochet in Chaos. She also played volleyball, beach volleyball, bowling, and soccer. She is going to miss seeing her friends that she’s grown up with everyday and laughing together until their stomachs ached during school. Her advice for younger students is to “Try to say ‘Yes!’ more, especially during your senior year. Try your best to balance it out, but remember you are only in Upper School once, so go out with friends and family as much as possible!” Dr. San Nicolas has had the biggest impact on her at SJS because she greatly enjoyed her history classes, and having her as an advisor had been the best.

Aubrey Cruz

Aubrey Cruz will be attending Washington State University where she will major in biology. She hopes to work in medicine or pharmacology. Aubrey will miss the close-knit community at St. John’s and believes that there is something special about going to a small school. One of her most positive memories was having lunch with her friends. One piece of advice that really stood out to her is to make the most of the unique time in her life and to never change her passions. Ms. Prelosky had a huge impact on Aubrey and taught her the power of kindness. During Upper School, she was involved in volleyball and tennis.

Knessa Davis

Knessa Davis’s favorite memories from her time in Upper School were late night games and dinners with classmates. She’s excited to attend University of Hawai’i at Manoa to study psychology and minor in sociology. Knessa will truly miss the people at St John’s as well as her family. Her advice is to balance academics with having fun to make those four years of Upper School memorable. She credits Mr. Parker, Dr. San Nicolas, and Mrs. McCormic as impactful teachers who helped her grow as a student. Knessa has participated in volleyball, beach volleyball, soccer, Mandana Club, and Environmental Club.

Raylene DeBenedictis

Raylene DeBenedictis has been a prominent force in Saint John’s musical activities, acting as concertmaster in orchestra, president and director of the Handbells Club, and an IBH music student. She has also participated in various other activities such as paddling where she was a steersman, cross country, TriM, and ACB, in which she was also president for all 4 years of high school. However, music has always been her forte, and Mr. Babia’s classes were always an interesting and rejuvenating experience for her. With such passion, it is no surprise that she plans to study classical violin and music production at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music because even if the subject can sometimes be complicated, that means there are always new things to learn. Throughout her high school experience, Raylene has had many fun experiences amongst the natural struggles that come with being a student, such as Rickrolling the entire crowd at the second IB Music Night. While there will be many things Raylene will miss such as her beloved IB music class with Mr. Babia and the paddling team, her future contains many opportunities for her to express the passion that fueled her in SJS. Raylene advises, “Don't stress; you need to enjoy life now instead of studying endlessly for the future.”

Gaius Dulay

Gaius Dulay is highly interested in the management of money and wants to be able to foster his entrepreneurial ambitions. For this reason, he is going to attend San Diego State University and study finance. While he was in the Upper School, he co-founded and served as the vice president of the ASK Club and was an active member of Tri-M. Gaius also participated in basketball, track, and soccer where he played as a striker and wing. Out of the countless memories made throughout the years, one in particular stood out: the first time he was featured in the newspaper for soccer during his sophomore year. He was amazed to see his hard work in soccer had paid off. As Gaius embarks on his journey to a new chapter in his life, he will deeply miss all the friends who became like family to him. His advice to his underclassmen is “Capitalize off of every opportunity you are given and work as hard as possible.”

Nico Flores

Nico Flores truly is a bright ray of fun for the SJS community. He is known for brightening up events with his humorous and witty emceeing and for serving as vice president his sophomore year and secretary his junior. He has also participated in other school activities such as Tech Crew, Japanese Club, Glee Club, cross country, and paddling. He is also an accomplished member of American Ninja Warriors outside of school. While Nico certainly is skilled in many different areas, he has a particular interest in physics, especially since Ms. Chua made the class such an enjoyable experience. It is no surprise then that he will be studying nuclear physics at UMass Boston. While his passion lies in science, Writer’s Workshop remains one of the most impactful classes he has taken so far because he got to communicate more clearly, understand others better, shape his voice for years to come. He’ll greatly miss the tight knit community of SJS where he can know every teacher and say good morning to everyone in the office. Nico advises that you should “Talk to your teachers. St. John’s has the most understanding and responsive teachers you’ll meet. If you’re having a difficult time or going through a rough event, they will usually give you time to recover or work out something to help with your struggle, but they can’t help if you don’t tell them anything.”

Arabella Gayle

Arabella Gayle will be attending Pace University where she will study business management and corporate law. She is excited because Pace was her first choice. She is a pretty tough lawyer in Mock Trial, and she is also a sailing instructor.

Riley Hartup

Riley Hartup will be attending the University of Oregon where she will be studying marine biology and biology. She is excited to be in the Pacific Northwest with her older brother. She is a talented digital artist who has been contracted by several large media companies for environmentally focused campaigns.

Elizabeth Higley

As Elizabeth wraps up her time in high school, she can't help but think about all the awesome moments she had, especially when it comes to sports. Cross country, track, and tennis made her years here so much fun. Captaining the cross country team this year was a major highlight, especially when they snagged 1st place as a team. Individually, she finished 6th in 2022 and stepped it up to 2nd place the next year. Plus, she had a blast in tennis, claiming 1st place in doubles this year. Elizabeth is excited to attend Baylor University and study biology. She’s always been curious about the fascinating processes of life, so it feels like the right choice for her. She is going to miss her classmates and those gorgeous views of Tumon that made everything even more special. One teacher who really stood out for her is Dr. San Nicolas because she opened her eyes to new perspectives and is so dedicated to her students. Elizabeth advises that you should not wait until the last minute to tackle those big assignments. Getting things done early is key, especially in the IB program; it definitely helps keep stress levels down.

Chen Hu

Chen Hu will be attending Seattle University where he will study kinesiology, and he is excited to be near his friend Justin Li. It has been said that Chen is an excellent badminton player, but no one has been able to confirm this for certain.

Christian Hutapea

Christian says that he will miss the time spent with friends in class and the bond they created together. He says “Whether we were stressing over deadlines, laughing at inside jokes, or helping each other out, those everyday moments made school feel like something more than just school.” Christian plans on attending Parsons School of Design (The New School in Manhattan, New York). He wants to study design and technology. Christian likes making things that look good and work well. He likes how “Designs can make people feel something or help them do something easier.” Christian says he will miss the “small, chaotic moments that made everything feel real. Sorting aluminum cans with members of the Environmental and Recycling Club, Handbell practices before school, and class conversations that turned into deeper discussions. It’s those in-between moments that stuck with me.” Christian says as a piece of advice: “Not everything has to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes progress looks like a mess before it becomes something beautiful, and that’s okay.” The most impactful teacher for Christian would be Mrs. Petra. He says that “She's such a kind, intelligent, and spirited soul who makes learning literature actually fun. She brings so much life into the classroom. My favorite line of hers is just one word: ‘Curses.’ It's simple but unforgettable, and it'll stick with me for a long time because it always felt so real and honest.” Throughout Upper School, Christian has participated in the Environmental Club, Recycling Club, and Handbells during his 10th, 11th and 12th grade years. He did Crochet In Chaos (IB Creative Action Service Project) in 12th grade and was president in 11th and 12th grades. During 9th, 10th, and 12th grade, he played volleyball.

Roy Jin

Roy Jin discusses that his favorite moment of Upper School was the field trip to the historical sites on Guam. He will attend Umass Amherst to study sustainable community development to help ensure a sustainable world for future generations. Roy will miss the tight-knit community of St. John’s since he’s spent most of his life here. Roy advises future students to think before they act and to be respectful. He feels that Theory of Knowledge has been the most impactful class for him. Roy participated in golf and tennis and was the founder/president of the ASK Club and co-captain for varsity soccer.

Nicole Johnson

Nicole Johnson will attend University of Hawai’i at Manoa and will study kinesiology and rehabilitation science (KRS), health, and exercise science. She is looking forward to getting into the field of physical therapy. She will miss her friends and her social groups dearly, and her favorite moment of Upper School was Junior Prom night. Nichole says that SEHS class has helped her open up and better express her thoughts. While at St. John’s, she has been a member of Service Club, Mandana Club, and Handbells Club and competed in soccer and cross country. She advises future seniors to not let the expectations of others define them.

Eileen Jones

Eileen Jones has always been fascinated by human thought and believes it is the driving force of many of history’s crucial moments. For that reason, she is going to be studying history at the University of Toronto. During her time at St. John’s, Eileen served as a design crew member for Tech Crew, secretary of both the Chemistry Club and Art Club, and participated in numerous fundraising events for the local ballet studio. She will miss Mr. Harmon's English classes, Mrs. Gayle's history classes, and the events in Dr. Fu's art room. Before she leaves, Eileen offers a final golden nugget of advice: "Worry less and act more to find the best solutions to problems, conflicts, and challenges."

Jiyun Lee

Jiyun Lee’s favorite memory from Upper School is when she was a junior and went to Onward after prom for the Group 4 project. Even though it was for a school project, she recalls everyone having lots of fun at the water park after getting all the data. She is going to attend Temple University and will study math education in the 4+1 Bachelor’s to Master's in Education (Mathematics) program. She became interested in teaching because math has been her favorite subject since 6th grade, and she started tutoring her younger siblings. She thinks of Ms. Lee as the most impactful teacher for her. They were able to spend lots of time together, and she was the one to influence Jiyun to choose math education as her intended major. She was the secretary of Korean Club in 10th grade, VP in 11th grade, and president in 12th grade. She was also part of Art Club, Glee Club, and tennis. She will miss the scenery of the ocean on the bridge on the fourth floor of the Upper School building. She advises that students: “Do not procrastinate because you would have to do it anyway.”

Mia Lee

Mia Lee will be attending University of California Santa Barbara and will study history of public policy and law. Her passion lies in kinesiology; she enjoys studying sport science and the factors influencing athletic performance. She aspires to be an athletic trainer and help professional athletes. A piece of advice she always carries with her is to remain humble and recognize that there is always another level to strive for. This doesn’t mean she shouldn’t celebrate her victories but rather that she should stay hungry for more. Her friends and teachers are definitely her biggest inspiration, and she believes that the atmosphere and camaraderie at SJS are unparalleled. The second semester of AP US History with Dr. San Nicolas stands out as a highlight for her. The class was so engaging that it broadened her perspective on the social sciences, and she was excited to learn there every day. Competitively swimming is her primary focus. She serves as the team captain of her swim team, where she is proud to have broken several age group and national records and made national teams. She played soccer for one year as a sophomore, was president of the Mandana Club during her junior year, and is a member of the Humanitarian Club. Currently, she also served as a senior representative in the Student Council.

Noey Lee

Noey Lee’s favorite memories from Upper School are the many lunches she shared with her friends. They were full of laughs and support, especially during the ups and downs of college decisions. Noey will be attending Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she will be studying politics and international affairs because she wants to make a positive impact. “I want to help change the world,” she explains, and she has aspirations to enter corporate law to support both big and small companies. She will most miss the connections she’s made, especially with the teachers and staff. “I’ll really miss Ms. Em, Ms. Pam, and Ms. Prescy,” she says. Plus, making TikToks with Mr. Kelley has been a blast—her #besttiktokpartner! And she can’t forget her mentor, Dr. San Nicolas, who has taught her resilience and inspired her to be an activist for causes she cares about.

Sujeong Lee

Sujeong Lee’s favorite memory at St. John’s was the morning Tea Club with Mr. Alvarez. At the University of Guam, she intends to study harder than she did in her senior year. Her intended major is civil engineering. Even if she looks forward to graduation, she stated she would miss seeing her friends every day and, surprisingly, our uniform, which she actually doesn’t like. To the younger students in St. John’s, her piece of advice would be: “If you are senior, just relax because you are already late.” She thinks Mr. Alvarez was the most impactful teacher for her because of her position as Chemistry Club president.

Noah Legaspi

Noah Legaspi will be attending Seattle University and study mechanical engineering due to his interest in STEM. Noah has been at SJS since kindergarten, so he will miss the campus that he calls a second home and the teachers. Noah actively participated in various sports and clubs during high school: he played soccer for all four years, ran cross country during his sophomore, junior, and senior years, participated in the Environmental Club for two years, served as a member of the ASK Club for a year, and he dedicated four years to the Tech Crew where he became vice president during his senior year. As a last piece of advice, Noah suggests that all students “enjoy school, school sports, and your classmates and teachers because they all go by really fast.”

Justin Li

Justin Li’s favorite memory from Upper School is scoring a hat trick on his last game against Southern High School in order to help win the game. He is going to attend Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, and he intends to study business management and continue his soccer career. Justin was the secretary of the ASK Club, a member of the Environmental Club, a member of the volleyball team, and was the captain of the soccer team. Even if he looks forward to graduation, he will miss the sports at St. John’s because they allowed him to face ups and downs and meet new people. He advises to “Never do things at the last minute.” His IBH sports science class was the most impactful class for him because the teacher and his classmates made it fun and memorable.

Joyee Lin

Joyee Lin’s favorite memories from Upper School were the lunch breaks when she could casually chat with her friends. She plans to attend Northeastern University where she will study health science. She has always enjoyed hands-on activities like making crafts, and she wants to go into the medical field. She’s held many positions in different clubs: treasurer and president for Art Club, secretary for Chinese club, and treasurer for NHS. She has also been part of the Environmental and Recycling Club, Service Club, Chemistry Club, Handbells, and she participated in tennis, paddling, and volleyball. Even if she looks forward to graduation, she will miss the support and community from our school. To the younger students at St. Johns, her piece of advice would be to “Trust yourself - you know yourself better than anyone else. Don’t let others control your decisions; stand firm in what feels right to you.” The best advice she herself received was to know her worth, recognize her worth, and learn to say no; sometimes, saying no can prevent you from experiencing something worse. Mrs. Chua was the most impactful teacher for her. She’s had her since sophomore year, and the bond they’ve built over the past three years is incredible because Mrs. Chua taught her the greatest science of all time: physics.

Ashlyn Liu

Siai (Ashlyn) Liu will be attending Northeastern University London where she will study philosophy. She is excited to explore London.

William (Billy) Mann

William Mann will be studying mechanical engineering at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Ryan Marutani

Ryan Marutani plans to study chemistry at Kyoto University of Advanced Sciences (KUAS). During his time at SJS, Ryan was the captain of the cross country team and was able to participate in the Asia Pacific Invitational (API) in Japan during his senior year. Ryan’s most memorable moment was attaining a personal record that he thought was impossible at one point. Ryan tries to impart this feeling onto other runners because he sees his younger self in them. In addition, Ryan joined the paddling team in his freshman year and ended up winning second place that year. He also enjoyed the company of his friends during paddling meets. As he departs from SJS, he will deeply miss the close relationships with his friends and teachers. His parting advice to the underclassmen is: “Turn in your homework on time and never give up.”

Riley Miller

Riley Miller will be attending Northeastern University in Boston to study biology with the ultimate goal to become a doctor. She has been an active member of the SJS community: in addition to being an IB Diploma Candidate, she has been a member and secretary of National Honor Society, president of Humanitarian Club, a member of Service Club, and a member of the paddling team. Her advice to manage such a heavy workload is to complete at least 1-3 assignments a day, even if it’s Friday. Riley will certainly miss the small class sizes and close relationships with her teachers that she was able to have here at Saint John’s. Dr. San Nicolas, Manami Gudmundsen, and Mrs. Petra are the teachers she will especially miss once she leaves for university. Some of Riley’s favorite memories include being able to connect with the underclassmen, often being described as a “friend crush.”

Vinh Nguyen

Vinh Nguyen will be attending Washington University in St. Louis and studying biochemistry and healthcare management. The island’s suffering from mismanagement, inadequacy, and lack of accessibility in our healthcare system has inspired Vinh to pursue medicine and become a doctor. He wants to use his passion and skills to make the world of medicine a better place. He was involved in a wide variety of activities at St. John’s: 9th grade STUCO representative, 11th grade president, 12th grade vice president, member and historian of Mandana Club, member of Pre Medical Club, member of Environmental Club, and member of JV volleyball in 9th and 10th grades. Vinh faced some difficult academic challenges like cramming the entire APUSH course in a little more than one quarter. While it was certainly challenging, he thanks Dr. San Nicolas for teaching him the time management strategies he has now. He more broadly wants to thank the amazing faculty and staff of SJS who don’t get nearly enough credit as they deserve. He advises that students “stress less about perfect grades and college decisions. I’ve learned to be much kinder to myself in my senior year, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Rina Olsen

Rina Olsen can be described as the living, breathing definition of accomplished. In addition to being a published author of several books, she has also served as the editor-in-chief and head of promotion & revenue of the Newspaper Club, treasurer and vice president of Model UN, member of the Japanese Club, vice president of the Korean Club, and head of Stage Design Club (which is a branch of Tech Crew). Her hard work and passion has earned her a bright future at Princeton University where she will major in comparative literature and minor in creative writing. She hopes to not only improve her writing skills, but to also better use her craft as a tool for social advocacy. Dr. San Nicolas has been a prominent inspiration for this passion because she taught her to question the status quo, look closer at what is going on in the world, and to amplify her voice against social injustices, especially for the people of Rina’s own culture: zainichi Koreans. Another important lesson that Dr. San Nicolas has taught her is that “Your internal bias is not the truth;” there is a balance between making sure to stand by our own principles while acknowledging that they are not perfect and can be flawed. Being self aware in this way helped Rina to strengthen the connections she had with her classmates and teachers, whom she will dearly miss.

Ava Ouhadi

Ava Ouhadi’s favorite memories were when she and her sister were both in the Upper School. She enjoyed her freshman volleyball season when she was managing because of the pre-game cafe runs, late-night drives home, and team bonding events. She will be attending Boston University where she will study biology on the pre-med track. Ava is a dedicated officer to her class and was a STUCO representative for grades 9-12. She has also been part of National Honor Society, Pre Medical Club, Service Club, volleyball, beach volleyball, and bowling.
Ava genuinely likes coming to school every day to see her beloved teachers, faculty, and friends, and she will miss this environment at SJS. Her piece of advice for underclassmen is: “Time management is super important if you want to participate in extracurricular activities or just have a life outside of school.” She thinks it’s important to start things early and work on them over time instead of cramming them into the last moment. However, she wants to remind everyone that you should also take breaks and do things you enjoy most, especially if it keeps you motivated. She thinks her IB teachers were the most impactful teachers for her. Her favorite class would probably be year 2 of IBS SEHS. Even though “junior Ava” kind of hated this class, she now thinks that she has an eventual love for it, and it has left a lasting impact on her.

Sydney Packbier

Sydney's favorite moments in Upper School have been events where the whole school comes together, like Sports Day, prom, and Senior Sunrise. She will be attending the University of Southern California in the Bachelor's to Doctorate (OTD) Occupational Therapy program, pursuing a career in pre-health, child development, and kinesiology. Sydney will miss the family she has built here at Saint John’s, as this school has been her home for her entire life. Her advice for future students is to stay on top of assignments and to find a balance between school and personal life. She encourages them to manage their time wisely and cherish their relationships. Dr. San Nicolas has been a great support for her during the college application process and has been an engaging teacher. Sydney was the president of National Honor society and a member of Mandana Club and ASK Club; she joined the paddling team for her junior and senior years. In sports, she was the girls singles #1 player on the varsity tennis team, winning MVP and an All-Island Championship.

Amelie Perez-Terlaje

Amelie Perez-Terlaje will be playing D1 tennis at the University of St. Thomas where she will be a legacy student. She is intending to study sports health sciences.

Landon Rickman

Landon Rickman will attend UMass Boston and study psychology because he has a strong passion for the subject and wants to become a psychiatrist. One of his favorite moments at St. John's School was the Eighth Grade Promotion since this was some of the most fun he ever had with his classmates. He will miss the kind faculty and amazing friends he made here. He advises students to have a partner you can study for tests with. Landon recalls how the Writer’s Workshop class taught him how to write more cohesively and creatively. Landon has been a part of the Tech Crew for two years now. For most of that time, he has been the treasurer/delegator. He recommends the Tech Crew to every student at St. John's.

Malia Rozycki

Malia Rozychi will be attending the University of Hawai’i at Manoa where she will study kinesiology. She wants to study Kinesiology because she has been “active my whole life, and knowing how the body works has always been interesting to me.” She plans to be a pediatric physical therapist, saying that this “will allow me to spread my interests with them at young ages in hopes of helping them use their abilities to the fullest.” Her favorite moment in Upper School would be going on her senior trip to Japan. She enjoyed spending time with her friends every day doing fun activities. She says that “Quality time is so valuable as I recognize it will probably be a while after we go to college until we’re all together at the same place again.” Leaving SJS will make her miss the many relationships she created with others at the school. Malia advises, “There will be a time where it feels like school is a never ending chore that you dread, but faster than you know, it will come to an end, and you’ll be grateful for all the experiences you have had. So push through, and I promise it’ll be worth it.” The most impactful class for Malia, especially during her junior year, would be drama class because it was a class she could look forward to when times got hard or when days felt long. Drama helped her find a way to relax or have fun. Malia says, “Ms. P welcomed us with open arms, and we always had a good time in that class which I’ll never forget.” Malia has been a part of the Mandaña Club, which she is the historian of, Environmental Club, Service Club, Humanitarian Club, Handbells, soccer, and volleyball. She says that “I learned control, patience, teamwork, guidance, and received so much love. The volleyball team has been so impactful to me in so many ways which I will forever be grateful for.”

Rehana Sachdev

Rehana Sachdev’s favorite moment in Upper School was her junior year prom because she thought that “the Class of 2024 got along well with the Class of 2025, and overall the dance was a great bonding experience.” Rehana plans to attend San Diego State University where she will study political science with the hope of attending law school. She will miss the community at St. John’s because “The relationships you make with your teachers as a student, as well as with other students, are truly one of a kind.” As a piece of advice, Rehana says to put yourself and your mental and physical health above your schoolwork. IBH Physics has been her most impactful class because “It opened a world of mechanics that had never been introduced to me prior.” Rehana has participated in basketball, paddling, volleyball, and soccer. She was also in ASK, Mandaña Club, and NHS and was the president of Service Club.

Alex Shin

Alex Shin will attend UIUC (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign) to pursue an environmental engineering degree. His first paddling race was one of his favorite moments at St. John's School. He will miss hanging out with his friends, paddling, and chatting with the faculty. His advice is to not believe what others say but only yourself. Mr. Sawyer’s IBS English class was the most impactful for him because he had so much fun. Alex participated in Math Club as a vice president, Chemistry Club, tennis, and paddling.

Ray Suplido

Ray Suplido will be attending the University of Texas at Dallas to pursue a degree in computer science because of his great interest in computers. He’ll most miss seeing and talking with his friends. One of his favorite memories was getting an unexpectedly long summer break in 10th grade when the rest of the school year was canceled due to Typhoon Mawar. His advice towards the underclassmen is to not procrastinate—especially on the CAS hours—and always take notes. He found College Guidance to be the most impactful part of his academic journey because it helped him get through applying to colleges and prepare for life beyond high school. During Upper School, he was involved in the Academic Challenge Bowl, where he was particularly strong with computer and science questions, the Programming Club, and Environmental Club.

Taisei Tagami

Taisei Tagami will attend Vanderbilt University to study computer engineering. One of his favorite moments at St. John's School was the karaoke at the beach during paddling races. He said he would miss his friends, Ryan Marutani, Jayden Tan, and Dylan Chong. To the lowerclassmen, his advice would be that the biggest obstacle to good grades in St. John's is mental health, so it should be prioritized. Taisei said that Ms. Lee and the IBH Applications class had the most impact for him. He spent the most time with Ms. Lee, and her class took up a proportionally large amount of time after school with homework. Taisei was the vice president of Tech Crew, founder, president, and vice president of the Programming Club, captain of the golf team, and a member of Handbells and paddling.

Nina Taitano

Nina Taitano has loved her journey through the Upper School because “Together we have grown so much as individuals and students, and I am very lucky to have formed many friendships and inspiring connections with my teachers, giving me the tools I need for the real world!” Nina’s favorite event would have to be Prom or Freshmen-Senior initiation. Nina will attend the University of San Diego where she wants to study human resources or business management because working with people is one of her passions. She hopes to ¨be able to give back to the island that raised me in the form of a business targeted to help the people of Guam.” Nina says that she will definitely miss the SJS community because “The bond that is created here is one of a kind and something I will never take for granted. I feel as though this can be often overlooked, but once you are in the college mindset, it definitely hits how the opportunity for a clean slate is right around the corner.” Nina wants to let others know that time management is key. This allows her to map out her days and ensure that she has time for school, activities, family, and friends, and for herself. Nina says that one of the most impactful teachers for her is Leung Lao Shi because “Her rigorous coursework has encouraged me to always push myself to do the best I possibly can, while testing my ability to manage my time efficiently. Leung’s class is full of opportunities for self expression and is a safe space for making mistakes and learning from them.” Throughout Upper School, Nina participated in National Honor Society, Mandana Club, Tech Crew- Stage Design Branch, and in the Chinese Club. Nina has been involved in many leadership positions such as being class vice president in 9th and 11th grade and class president in 10th and 12th grade. Outside of school, Nina has been a dancer since the age of 3. She is currently a Senior at SKIP Entertainment. She also has been assisting with teaching dance classes to kids ages 5-16 years old. Nina says that “I have also had the blessing of spreading the joy of dance and creating relationships with people from other countries that center around our love of dance.” Some other reasons why Nina loves dancing at SKIP are performing for non-profits such as Make A Wish and United Airlines Fantasy Flight.

Jayden Tan

Jayden Tan will be attending Purdue University to study nuclear engineering. Spending time with friends and bonding under harsh conditions like paddling meets or being at school by 6 AM are some of his favorite moments at St. John's School. He said he will miss hanging out with his friends and sharing the pain of school together. His advice to the lowerclassmen would be not to know one’s limits and to make sure not to take on too much since having fun is a big part of surviving a heavy academic workload. Ms. Lee's math class had been the most impactful for him because she really cared about their education in math and made a great effort to torture them in the most loving way possible. Jayden took roles in the Math Club as a secretary and the Programming Club as a secretary and vice president. He was also a member of Service Club and paddling.

Helmuth Wuerch

Helmuth Wuerch, seeing the shortage of doctors on Guam, plans to study biology at Seattle University and become a doctor to lend his hand to Guam. During his time at SJS, he served as the treasurer of the Environmental Club and Chinese Club, secretary for STUCO, and was the center-back for the soccer team. Among the many joyous classes he’s been a part of, one particular class stood out the most, Dr. San Nicholas' class. She changed and broadened his perspective. Graduating from St. John’s also means that he will be leaving behind all of his cherished friends. He wants to advise all up-coming seniors to “Start on their college essays early” to avoid stress.

Damon Yu

After graduation, Damon Yu will attend NYU to pursue a degree in liberal studies with the intent to declare pre-dentistry in 2 years . One of his favorite moments at St. John's School was when he passed freshman year. He said he would miss the broken-down restroom. His advice to the lowerclassmen going through school right now would be not to miss homework. Damon says that teachers like Mr. Parker, Mr. Harmon, and Mrs. Lopez have had the most impact on him. One of Damon’s most prominent activities was acting as the secretary of Tech Crew during senior year.

Nicole Yu

Nicole Yu’s favorite moment of Upper School was being able to collaborate with her classmates and advisors on the kindergarten backdrop because the final product was very beautiful and a great success. She is going to study international business at University College Dublin. She is looking forward to life in Ireland and the chance to explore Europe. She will miss her friends at St. John’s and advises other students to manage their time.