During a four-year studentship at Besant Hill, a student will examine each tenet of the Portrait of a Graduate. Each year the principles of individualism, resiliency, environmentalism, global citizenship, critical thinking, and creativity are taught throughout the curriculum and programs of the school. The result of a four-year education designed with this foundation is a student like Akari I. ‘21. She is a well-rounded, intelligent, and humble senior from Tokyo, Japan that has been a steadfast member of the community for her entire high school career and is the recipient of the Fall 2020 Coyote Award. Akari’s curiosity and commitment to studying have led her to not only speak excellent English as a non-native language but also to playing guitar, enjoying chamber singing, running cross country, participating in student government, and joining the cooking club. Of special note, cooking is a passion listed in the first line of her ePortfolio.
Akari has dedicated herself to the school, her learning, and her friends since she arrivedas a freshman. Besant Hill’s community is built on diversity and individuality, two attributes that students bring with them to campus. Akari’s gentle and confident personality makes the Japanese culture a very alluring topic for students and faculty to learn from Akari. As a testament to her devotion to schoolwork, she remained 100% engaged in lessons, even with a challenging time zone difference while in Japan as a distant student for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.
“Students at Besant Hill make international connections and friendships every day with the very diverse student population of Besant Hill School. During our Virtual Learning period last year, Akari was still highly active with the curriculum despite the vast time difference with Japan. We are so proud of Akari and the amazing experience she has had a Besant Hill School.”
- Dave Cosby, Music Chair

From Akari:
Can you tell me about where you went to school before Besant Hill and your ideal plans for after graduation?

I went to a private middle-high school in  Tokyo which focuses on being international. They have many sister schools all over the world, and students have access to visit those schools. When I visited Punahou school in Hawaii as an exchange student, that’s the time when I decided to study in the United States. My plan after graduating from Besant Hill is that I want to study about the human body to become a Physical Therapist in America.

What is the best part of a typical school day for you?

Class doesn’t start until 9 am. I am very much liking the schedule of this year because I have extra time between breakfast and the first class of the day.

If there was one class that you could take again, what would it be? Why?

Dan’s Chamber Singers class. This is my second year in this class, but I regret not taking the class for the first two years because this is the most fun and inspiring class I have ever taken. Dan gave me the opportunity to accept my weakness and taught me how to make it better. I would never think of singing in front of people if I were to not take his class. I still get nervous on the stage, but more than that, I see myself enjoying singing.

Do you have any tips for a new student at Besant?

It sounds like some Math problems but show your work. No matter how bad you think you did something, as long as you show your effort in your work, somebody should find you to help you out. This is a warm community, and it gives you opportunities to fix your problems.

If you want more information about Besant Hill you can read more first-hand examples like this one in their magazines.