Mission, Vision, & Values

Senior Speech at New Family Welcome Dinner

World ready means something different for every student.

Individual priorities and needs vary. As students embrace their unique goals and interests, it's important to celebrate everyone's steps toward their extraordinary future.

Learn more about our World Ready Promise

Traditions connects us and innovation propels us.

We honor more than six decades of Viewpoint tradition by ensuring that we are rooted and transformed. Rooted in the values and traditions that give us a distinctive identity, mission, and purpose, while transforming to meet the needs of the world where our students will lead.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values Poster (English , Spanish , Chinese )

This is what World Ready looks like.

Head of School Mark McKee sat down for a conversation with seven members of the Class of '22 to hear about their Viewpoint experiences as they prepared for life after graduation.

Read the conversation

World Ready Spotlights

Spotlight Archive

Viewpoint Alumna Wins Best Production Design at 2025 All American High School Film Festival

November 6, 2025

Three outstanding films created by Viewpoint film students were showcased at the renowned All American High School Film Festival (AAHFF), with one earning a top award for Best Production Design. The event, which took place from October 17-19 in New York City, is recognized as the world’s largest high school film festival. The festival featured a selection of 700+ films out of 2,600 submissions, with only 200 films nominated for various awards.

Viewpoint’s films selected for screening included:

Chronicles of Peter and Sean – Samuel Green ’25 (Documentary)
How It Should Be – Natalie Yerelekian ’25 (Drama)
The Backseat – Ben Shore ’25 (Drama)

How It Should Be, written and directed by Natalie Yerelekian ’25, won Best Production Design and was selected for the festival’s exclusive “Best of Fest” showcase, a Saturday evening screening reserved for the top films of the event. The film also earned nominations for Best Drama and Female Rising Star, while The Backseat was nominated for Best Sound Design.

“The audience’s reaction was incredible,” said Monica Hoenig, Film Teacher at Viewpoint School. “To see our students’ work shown in front of hundreds of people and feel the laughter, clapping, and cheering was pure joy. We’re so proud of what our filmmakers are creating and how their work continues to stand out among thousands of submissions from around the world.”

Viewpoint has participated in the AAHFF since 2018 and has received awards for the past three years, a testament to the Viewpoint Film Program’s continued excellence in storytelling, technical skill, and collaboration. The festival also offers students the chance to connect with film schools, industry professionals, and peers.

“It was such a powerful experience for the students,” Hoenig said. “Being there together, seeing their work on the big screen, and celebrating their creativity. It’s something I hope even more of our students can experience in the years ahead.”

Four Alumni Turn Literature into Play with an Original Video Game

September 17, 2025

Last spring, during their senior year at Viewpoint, now-alumni Max Allison ’25, Shawn Ching ’25, Chloe Ramirez ’25, and Julian Dans ’25 took a different approach for their World Literature Honors assignment. Instead of turning in a traditional essay, they built an entire video game from scratch, drawing inspiration from Dante Alighieri’s poem Inferno.

This wasn’t Max’s first time designing a game. Earlier in the year, he had created one for another English project and was eager to take on an even bigger challenge for his final assignment.

“At the start, I wasn’t planning on making a whole team,” Max said. “But it became clear it would be too hard to make the game on my own, so I started recruiting people.”

With a clear vision for the project and who could help bring it to life, Max brought in Shawn to lead coding and game mechanics, Chloe to create the visual art and animations, and Julian to compose the original music and handle sound design.

“It was definitely the most complex game I’ve ever worked on,” Shawn said. “We were troubleshooting things constantly, but it was so satisfying to see it actually work.”

Set in a pixel-art underworld, the game follows a lost soul through the Nine Circles of Hell. Players solve puzzles and face enemies that represent sins like greed and anger, while encountering characters from the original poem.

“It was super fun working on this,” Chloe said. “I was able to really push my creativity with the art and animation. Each level had a different tone, and I tried to match that with the visuals.”

“I wanted the music to match the intensity of each level,” Julian said. “Some of the circles are more chaotic, others are slower and sadder, so I experimented with different tempos and instruments.”

While the four alumni are now heading to different parts of the country to begin their college journeys, each expressed interest in continuing to collaborate on creative projects.

“We’re calling ourselves ‘Milkfruit Studios,’” Max said. “We want to keep making games together, even if it’s just for fun.”

Congratulations to Max, Shawn, Chloe, and Julian. We can’t wait to see what Milkfruit Studios creates next! Bullet Inferno is now available to play on Steam here.

Viewpoint School Celebrated 107 Bright Futures at its Class of 2025 Commencement

June 11, 2025

On Saturday, June 7, under a soft morning mist, the Viewpoint Class of 2025 gathered on Ring Family Field for their Commencement Ceremony, surrounded by proud families, lifelong friends, and dedicated faculty. With cheers, applause, and a few tears, they celebrated the culmination of their Upper School journey — honoring the achievements, friendships, and personal growth that have prepared them for all that lies ahead.

Head of School Mark McKee opened the ceremony with inspiring remarks that reflected on the significance of the day.

“Thank you for joining us as we pause to consider the beauty of the occasion—a moment in time dedicated to them, suspended between the history of their days here in our canyon and the extraordinary futures that await,” shared McKee. “All of us, near, far, and beyond, are united in attention and in celebration of our graduates, our living embodiment of Viewpoint’s world-ready mission.”

Following McKee’s remarks, Salutatorian Samuel Green ’25 reflected on the shared experiences, growth, and opportunities that defined the Class of 2025’s time at Viewpoint.

“One thing I feel is so special about our school is its culture of doing everything,” Green shared. “This is a place where you can play varsity soccer, sing in the choir, and be on the robotics team–all at once.”

Continuing its cherished tradition of inviting distinguished community members to deliver the keynote address, Viewpoint School welcomed tennis legend, Olympic gold medalist, International Tennis Hall of Famer, trustee, and proud parent of a Viewpoint alumnus, Pam Shriver, as the commencement speaker for the Class of 2025.

Adding a personal touch to the ceremony, three-sport athlete Ella Katz ’25 introduced Shriver, sharing highlights of her career and setting the stage for her remarks.

Shriver’s heartfelt address celebrated the strength, humor, and self-awareness of the graduating class, drawing inspiration from her own service as a trustee and the timeless wisdom passed down by her mother. Emphasizing themes of discipline, balance, self-care, and laughter, she encouraged students to embrace independence, stay grounded in gratitude, and carry forward the spirit of service—on and off the court.

“The greatest gift you can give yourself as you leave Viewpoint is the gift of self-care,” Shriver reminded the graduates. “Find balance instead of burnout. Focus on what you can control—and don’t forget to laugh along the way.”

The ceremony also featured several performances, including a rendition of "How to Train Your Dragon" by the Upper School Wind Ensemble, a heartfelt performance of "Forever Young" by the talented Upper School Concert Choir, featuring solos by each graduate, and "I Dreamed a Dream" by the Twelfth Grade Strings.

Following the musical performances, Valedictorian Josh Wang ’25 took the stage to speak about the relationships and defining moments that shaped the Class of 2025.

“To the exceptional faculty of Viewpoint School, thank you for your unwavering commitment to academic excellence and for cultivating an environment where curiosity thrives,” Wang shared. “Your mentorship through hands-on projects in fields from special relativity to politics has challenged us to think critically and embrace diverse viewpoints.”

Later in the ceremony, Head of Upper School Alan Howie presented Samuel Green ’25 with the Arthur B. O’Leary Award. Established in 1986 by Viewpoint’s Board of Trustees, this award honors the school's most outstanding senior. The faculty selected recipient exemplifies the qualities that Viewpoint strives to develop in its students service to others, academic accomplishment, positive spirit, and good character.

Congratulations to our 2025 graduates! May you continue to embark on your unique journeys with courage and determination, making a positive impact wherever you go. The recording of the ceremony is now available for viewing here.

Viewpoint Students to Be Honored at Carnegie Hall for National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

June 8, 2025

Two Viewpoint students will take center stage on Monday, June 9 at the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City after receiving National Gold Medals in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the highest honor in the nation’s most prestigious recognition program for teen artists and writers.

Cedar Cummins ’25 was recognized in the ceramics category for their piece Trans Armour, while Declan O’Bryan ’25 earned the award for one of his photographs. Their artwork was selected from hundreds of thousands of student submissions nationwide, placing them among the top creative talents in grades 7–12.

“I didn’t expect this at all. It’s an incredible way to end my senior year, and it means a great deal to conclude my high school photography experience with such a prestigious honor,” shared O’Bryan.

"Ceramics has been a part of my life for five years now, and 15-year-old me—selling mugs and ceramic pendants at backyard concerts—never would’ve imagined receiving national recognition for my work," added Cummins. "This honor motivates me to keep creating and to push myself artistically in new ways. I’m incredibly grateful to my amazing mentor, Nell Yates; my parents; Scholastics; and my sister Kira, who has always been the spark behind my creativity."

Past ceremonies have featured appearances by luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey, Amy Schumer, Tim Gunn, Tina Fey, and Zac Posen, underscoring the significance of this moment for young creatives across the country.

Viewpoint is proud to celebrate Cedar and Declan’s national recognition and looks forward to seeing their artistic talents continue to flourish in the years ahead.