Reminiscing with the Class of 2026
When schoolwork starts to pile up, we often forget to take a pause, breathe, and consider the silver linings. The truth is, 10 or 20 years after high school graduation, you won’t necessarily look back on the low B you once got on that English paper, but rather on the special moments you created with friends.
Our most recent graduating Class of 2026 can already confirm this truth—their most vivid memories are fountain hopping at Pixel Fest, group study calls, and trying to hold back their laughter in Adobe Connect.
So while you’re chugging down two more Alanis to finish that 5-page assignment, make sure you are still leaving time to rack up some unforgettable teenage lore.
Here’s what some of our CO '26 remember from OHS—feel free to take inspiration!
Justin Guoji
Memorable Moment: The "Louis Vuitton incident" of Summer@Stanford 2024
What you loved most about OHS: Meeting my friend group in-person for the first time, at Homecoming 2023
Future Plans: Case Western Reserve University
Leo Wang
Memorable Moment: Davis and I being voted as best bromance and Disney meetup.
What you loved most about OHS: I liked how supportive the OHS community is. I’ll probably miss the meetups the most.
Future Plans: Stanford University
Alexandra Headley
Memorable Moment: When in Model UN, Germany was trying to argue how it takes very good care of its citizens, and we all proceeded to remind the delegate of the concentration camps
What you loved most about OHS: I love the opportunity OHS has provided, both educational and emotional. OHS has offered me friends that I will never forget, and helped me create a high school education that will launch me into a successful higher education career. However, I'll most miss the people. The friends I have made and relationships I've formed, will all make this transition a little harder. However, I hope to maintain those relationships as we all travel down our own paths.
Future Plans: William and Mary and The University of St. Andrew's through the Joint Degree Programme
Akhila Brahmandam
Memorable Moment: Fountain hopping at night at Summer & Stanford
What you loved most about OHS: The people and community that was built despite it being an online school. I will miss the friends that I’ve made and will always cherish the memories that I’ve made with them.
Future Plans: UCLA
Palma Bejarano Rey
Memorable Moment: All of Professor Kalée Tock's breakout sendoffs in the Astronomy Research Seminar, which went from poems to Star Wars Yoda memes.
What you loved most about OHS: The opportunity to present at NASA Exoplanet Watch through the Astrophysics class thanks to Professor Tock!
Future Plans: UC Berkeley
David Choi
Favorite OHS Event: Summer@Stanford
What you loved most about OHS: The autonomy of OHS is what I loved most. I will definitely miss the interconnected community and the freedom of schedule that OHS has.
Future Plans: The Juilliard School
Liam Foster
Memorable Moment: “I don’t know, man… Nietzsche would probably be a looksmaxxer”—me in CRA
Favorite OHS Event: Model UN 2025 in New York City was about as fun as it gets. Apparently, Italy is a target rich environment.
Future Plans: Stanford University
Mathias Gomez
Memorable Moment: At grad, my friends (Alexander, Jonathon, Maxwell, Johaan, and Amari) were awake at the Sheraton, and this super inebriated dude walked in at like 2am. He walked up to Alexander or Amari (I forgot which), and said "ARE YOU THE PIZZA MAN?" Obviously, we were confused, and we said "No, we're students." Then the guy walked up to Alexander, grabbed his hand, and screamed "I USED TO BE YOU!!!!" And then walked off. Since the boys were planning on going to Denny's that night, we have named this type of person a "Denny" - now, whenever something funny happens with a drunk person we call them a Denny Encounter
Favorite Class: I really loved CRA! One of the most amazing classes, with all of my friends, and an AWESOME teacher (Dr. Hicks!! The GOAT!!), and I was able to celebrate my last year of OHS in a very fun way - one last year of shenanigans with my friends <3
Future Plans: UCLA
Jacob Light
Memorable Moment: Looking at Dr. Beals edits in DFRL
Favorite HS Extracurricular: My EMT class!
Future Plans: Colorado College
Olivia Lee
Favorite Class: CRA, the senior year Core class. Going through the Core series in past years, each one was tied down to another supplemental subject alongside an overarching theme of philosophy: MSB was biology and philosophy (and some stats), HSC was history and philosophy, and DFRL was political philosophy. But in CRA, we seem to get philosophy in its purest form, not attached to any other accompanying subjects. Yet philosophy was never studied in isolation from things like neuroscience, religion, democracy, and other important ideas that come from disciplines outside of philosophy. Because these other subjects still managed to be included in our philosophy-only discussions, it became clear to me how connected philosophy is to everyday life and across all fields of academia in general.
Also, the existentialism in the second semester is particularly meaningful for seniors like myself moving into our next stage of life. We got to consider and respond to important questions about self-determination, radical freedom, absurdity, and the ever so heavy query, "How to live?"
What you loved most about OHS: I cherish OHS for its interesting classes, fun clubs, and culture of creativity, but most of all, for its wonderful people.
Future Plans: Yale University (D1 Fencing commit)
Cici Yuxi Yang
Favorite HS Extracurricular: Fashion tech garments creation
What you loved most about OHS: The international student chat and seeing online friends for the first time
Future Plans: Northwestern University
Connor Decatur
Memorable Moment: I used to wake up at 7am for a Chinese class my Sophomore year with Ms. Bickart (bai lao shi). One day while half asleep, Ms. Bickart played a children's chinese nursery song first thing in class. I will never forget that day and that song will live rent free in my head for a while.
Favorite OHS Event: Gotta be Prom come on now
Future Plans: Amherst College as a Men's Soccer Recruit
Minji Kim
What you loved most about OHS: The classes and the people!
Favorite HS Extracurricular: I worked backstage during school events at my brick and mortar school, that was really fun and memorable!
Future Plans: University of Oxford
