Our college counseling program helps students maximize their success.
Students build confidence and become empowered to take responsibility for their own college admission process. They will:
- engage in self-reflection
- commit to an honest and authentic process
- maintain realistic expectations
- build productive relationships
- conduct sound research
- meet all deadlines
College Bound
Congratulations to the Class of 2022 for outstanding college results
What inspires and energizes you?
How can you take your interests to the next level?
What ways can you highlight your individuality and intellectualism?
How can we support your goals and aspirations?
These are some of the questions that Viewpoint School’s college counselors pose to students as they develop skills for success in college and beyond. Honing flexibility, collaboration, and creativity, students become effective communicators and thinkers who thrive in interdisciplinary learning environments. This evolution of excellence is an idea that plays out daily at Viewpoint and culminates for seniors as they apply to college.
Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author of The Naked Roommate series, visits our campus every May to talk to our seniors about post-Viewpoint life. As part of his One of Your People Project, Harlan produced a series of videos capturing moderated conversations with seven Viewpoint alums about their post-high school experiences, including their perseverance amid a pandemic. https://beforecollege.tv/one-of-your-people/viewpoint/
College Counseling Spotlight
![Viewpoint’s Eighth Annual All-School Convocation – A Joyful Start to the 2022-23 School Year]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1662647491/viewpointorg/nc21tjlgzossejwmn2tl/ConvocationPhotos-7.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1662647491/viewpointorg/nc21tjlgzossejwmn2tl/ConvocationPhotos-7.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1662647491/viewpointorg/nc21tjlgzossejwmn2tl/ConvocationPhotos-7.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1662647491/viewpointorg/nc21tjlgzossejwmn2tl/ConvocationPhotos-7.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1662647491/viewpointorg/nc21tjlgzossejwmn2tl/ConvocationPhotos-7.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1662647491/viewpointorg/nc21tjlgzossejwmn2tl/ConvocationPhotos-7.jpg","width":2200}])
On Friday, September 2, Viewpoint’s Eighth Annual All-School Convocation, held in the Paul Family Athletic Center (PFAC), joyfully marked the start of the 2022-23 school year. For the first time since 2019, the whole school was able to gather together in one place, and the jubilant energy of students and faculty filling the PFAC was felt by everyone.
In keeping with past Convocations, the seniors entered the PFAC with a bagpipe player at the lead. The Class of 2023, many of whom were once in Primary School at Viewpoint, then created a human tunnel for the Kindergartners in the Class of 2035 to enter the gym for Convocation. While this was the first of many assemblies to come for the Kindergarten students, for the seniors this event was a welcome reminder of the years of assemblies that helped to define their years at Viewpoint.
Immediately following the National Anthem, performed by the Upper School Concert Choir, and the Pledge of Allegiance, the program began with remarks from Head of School Mark McKee:
“This year, I welcome you and I challenge you to a journey of talking about Honor, one of Viewpoint’s core values and our theme for the 2023 school year. For over 60 years, Viewpoint has been committed to educating students to live lives of character, contribution, and purpose. In the dictionary, Honor is defined as ‘high respect and great esteem—as in a place of honor—and as adherence to what is right—as in an Honor Code.’ It is a noun and a verb. We can honor our parents and teachers; we can honor the law or constitution; we can honor our own commitments. I believe we all aspire to live in honor and dignity as a fundamental human right. And yet, I don’t think we talk enough about the honor, in our personal lives, in our school and community, in our country, and our world. In a moment we will hear definitions of Honor from students across Viewpoint’s grades, kicking off what I hope will be a year of conversations about honor. My dream: that we will talk about how we can become the community we want to be, where all are honored, all feel a sense of belonging, and all can develop their true talents and purpose.”
The highlight of the morning was hearing two students from each division – Rose Partow ’33, Edward Meng ’33, Colin Pan ’30, Usha Sarvaiya ’30, Sydney Gold ’27, Mark Torpoco ’27, Lena Schulze ’23, and Jessica Cao ’24 –share their thoughts on the theme of Honor in their families, in their friendships, in school, and in the world.
Eighth Grader Sydney Gold described Honor in school this way: “… Like Calvin Coolidge once said, ‘No person is honored for what they received. Honor is a reward for what they gave.’ Our school has given so much to every one of us that it truly deserves our respect. We as students use the knowledge, work ethic, and social skills we learn here at Viewpoint as the foundation that the rest of our lives will be built upon. I do my best to honor this school each and every day by trying my hardest in classes, being a good team member during sports, and being a student among students and a friend among friends.”
Convocation also offered the opportunity to announce seven awards for outstanding teaching, “recognizing excellence and contributions above and beyond our talented people.” Each recipient was nominated by their peers. The Handley Chair of American Studies was awarded to Nan Cohen. The William Turner Levy Chair for Inspired Teaching was awarded to Asif Azhar. The Second Levy Chair was awarded to Mary Jane Dority. The Spirit of Viewpoint Award was given to Nicki Thompson. The Excellence in Teaching awards were presented to Carrie Dietsch, Gemma Green, Craig Didden, and Lara Didden. Again, the joy in the room was palpable as each name was announced.
The Convocation closed with a final and moving performance of Viewpoint’s Alma Mater by the Upper School Concert Choir. The students then set off for the day, eager and energized for the exciting school year ahead.
![In the Canyon and Surrounded by Family, Friends, and Faculty, the Sun Shone Bright on 115 Graduates Who Were Feeling '22 and World-Ready at Viewpoint School’s Commencement Ceremony]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1655391036/viewpointorg/gpct9byk7gtmx8biz27b/5005-2112_ADJ_Full.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1655391036/viewpointorg/gpct9byk7gtmx8biz27b/5005-2112_ADJ_Full.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1655391036/viewpointorg/gpct9byk7gtmx8biz27b/5005-2112_ADJ_Full.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1655391036/viewpointorg/gpct9byk7gtmx8biz27b/5005-2112_ADJ_Full.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1655391036/viewpointorg/gpct9byk7gtmx8biz27b/5005-2112_ADJ_Full.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1655391036/viewpointorg/gpct9byk7gtmx8biz27b/5005-2112_ADJ_Full.jpg","width":2200}])
On, Saturday, June 11, Viewpoint celebrated the graduation of the 115 members of the Class of 2022. Family, friends, faculty, and students gathered on Ring Family Field for a joyful commencement ceremony, which included performances by the Upper School Concert Choir, Upper School Wind Ensemble, and the Upper School String Quartet.
Head of School Mark McKee welcomed the students and their families and thanked the faculty and staff, “who embody a love of learning and dedication to our students,” for all of their hard work during the challenges of the last few years. He then invited the seniors, who he praised for the gratitude they expressed throughout the year for every opportunity to connect and support one another, and who personify exceptional readiness for extraordinary futures, “to make a memory and take your moment.”
In his role of Salutatorian, Benjamin Meppen, who is off to New York University to study Film in the fall, shared his “17-year-old wisdom” with eloquence and humor and directed his remarks to his fellow classmates:
“To Viewpoint’s graduating class of 2022, may our energy and determination be our greatest blessing. Let us not be satisfied with mediocre and constantly strive for more. May we take on our personal and professional endeavors with the same gusto and grit that we applied to them during our time in high school. May we take on our daily challenges big and small with an open mind and heart. And lastly and most importantly, may we go forth today and take on the world as conscientious, righteous adults who look to make the world a better place with our merits and maybe even a touch of humor.”
This year’s Commencement Speaker, Seth Casden ’91, Viewpoint alumnus, tech entrepreneur, CEO of Hologenix, and godfather of Valentino Devoto ’22, also referenced the difficulties of the last few years and the importance of resilience. He said that “life will bring challenges, and we learn from the things that challenge us… Circumstances are facts that we can’t change, but how we react to them is a skill that we can develop.” He encouraged the students to “take ownership for your happiness and do not give it away freely, and hold it precious and dear.”
The theme of rethinking our relationship to life’s challenges continued with remarks by Valedictorian Clare Williams. The soon-to-be Global Health major at Duke University used the metaphor of evolution, and its necessary mutations to survive and thrive through adversity, as a way to encourage her classmates to accept that “errors are what allow us to be here today in a continuous and dynamic pattern of growth.” She continued, “Collectively, our mistakes enable us to become stronger, resilient, and more knowledgeable by learning from perceived unfavorable experiences…We will never be able to predict the uncertainties of our future. But, it is how we evolve within this uncertainty that allows us to emerge more resilient than before.”
While the themes of the remarks were a bit heavy, befitting this moment in time, the hearts of all in attendance were light. Everyone was thrilled to celebrate this wonderful group of young people together in the sunshine. We congratulate the Class of 2022 and wish them every success in the exciting years to come!
Click here to watch the Graduation ceremony.
![Viewpoint Recognizes Nine Senior Athletes for their Peak Performance and Path to College Sports]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1654205632/viewpointorg/i4qvt3llae1prqnvuu1e/collegeboundathletes2022.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1654205632/viewpointorg/i4qvt3llae1prqnvuu1e/collegeboundathletes2022.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1654205632/viewpointorg/i4qvt3llae1prqnvuu1e/collegeboundathletes2022.jpg","width":616}])
Nine seniors were recognized on Tuesday, May 31, for their extraordinary athletic achievements while at Viewpoint, and their commitment to continue playing sports in college. Our college-bound athletes were joined by students, faculty, coaches, and their families at the Love of Learning Wall, as they received awards and ceremoniously “signed” to their respective schools. Mark McKee, Head of School, Patrick Moyal, Director of Athletics, and Rhody David, Director of College Counseling, each delivered congratulatory remarks and words of wisdom for these seniors.
“This day represents the culmination of perseverance and hard work on a journey that can only happen with the tremendous support of parents and coaches,” said Patrick Moyal, Director of Athletics.
We applaud these students for their passion and perseverance and wish them luck in their college athlete journey.
Fox Ashwood – UCLA, Lacrosse
Peter Boehm – Claremont McKenna, Football
Henry Didden – Bucknell, Cross Country, and Track & Field
Lucas Herman – Hamilton, Baseball
Dylan Hoyt – New Hampton School, Basketball
Kayla Keshmeshian – Nicholls State, Basketball
Grace Rynerson – Chapman, Swim
Vincenzo Terraciano – Brandeis, Baseball
Andrew Younan – Portland, Basketball