Conversation with Avery McCall
Avery McCall is a recent graduate from Stanford OHS (Class of 2016). She is a rising star in the modeling world, an active humanitarian, and plans to attend Stanford at the end of her action-packed gap year. Pixel Journal catches up with all Avery had been up to since graduation in the interview below.
Pixel Journal: After graduating last year (class of ’16), what have you been up to?
Avery: I decided fairly early in my senior year that I was going to take a gap year. I planned on spending at least the first half of it in New York City, so since graduating in June, that is where I have been! I’ve continued my work merging modeling/the fashion industry with my goals and interests in the human rights arena (as I type this, I am in the midst of the utter chaos of fashion week’s runway shows). I am also the co-host of two podcasts produced by the State of Women Radio Network: Women Investing in Women and Be the Change, and have continued my work with resettled refugees. Additionally, I spent the summer working for the Fashion Partnerships team at Instagram in the New York Facebook offices, and will continue to work with them into the fall.
PJ: What are your plans for the future? (College, career, philanthropic and humanitarian pursuits - where do you see yourself professionally and otherwise?)
A: I am taking a year off to travel, work, and enjoy the world before attending Stanford in the fall of 2017. At school, I am looking forward to delving into the subjects that interest me – international relations, human rights, comparative religious history, French, and way too many more! One of the things that particularly excites me about Stanford is the culture of innovation. Having worked to merge my modeling career and human rights the past several years, I have been increasingly interested in how business and philanthropy can come together to create impact. I hope to explore that in school and beyond.
Related to that, while I know that I will certainly continue to work in the humanitarian field in some capacity for the rest of my life, the shape that will take has become increasingly open-ended. I used to think that I would move straight into non-profit or diplomatic work, but now find myself drawn to the power that the for-profit sector can have in shifting the way in which the world’s issues are tackled. We’ll see!
PJ: How do you think your OHS experience has prepared you for this, academically and personally?
A: OHS has completely transformed the way in which I approach the world. To be successful at OHS you have to be motivated, self-directed, and know how to manage your time when you have a multitude of responsibilities. These are all skills that are critical in the real world. I have no doubt that I have gotten a head start in developing them in comparison to the experience I would have had at a brick-and-mortar school.
Beyond this, OHS has taught me how to challenge the ideas I find in the world around me and think critically about arguments and solutions. Whether it be speechwriting, ideating with organizations/publications, or simply discussing topics (academic, humanitarian, or otherwise), I am far more deliberate, effective, and confident in my ability to hold my own (in debates and in writing) in an increasingly noisy world. All necessary talents regardless of the profession one enters!
PJ: What has the unique nature of the OHS allowed you to do in pursuing your goals, and what led you to the OHS?
A: I was drawn to OHS for a host of reasons, most that are likely similar to many other OHSers. I had attended a traditional brick-and-mortar school for the entirety of my academic career. I found myself bored in all of my classes but so consumed by busy work that I was unable to fully pursue the things that interested me outside of the classroom. When I began my freshman year, these issues increased exponentially, and I began looking for other options. I explored the idea of boarding school and decided to see what I could find about online education. I happened to come across OHS on a random Google search and the school fit exactly what I was looking for – flexibility in my schedule, rigorous coursework, human interaction… Attending was without a doubt the best decision I have ever made.
There is no possible way that I would have been able to do the things I have without OHS. Spending two months living in New York and travelling throughout Europe for fashion shows, studying genocide and humanitarian intervention with Stanford professors (through OHSx), or meeting with world leaders in the middle of a Tuesday would have been impossible if I were in a traditional school. Not only that, but I am also convinced that many of these interactions would not have happened without the shift OHS produced in the way I think about and approach the world.
PJ: Looking back on your high school career, is there anything that you would change? Any tips for current OHS students/high schoolers?
A: There really isn’t a lot I would change about my high school career. On the whole, I think I probably could have stressed a little bit less (and I know that goes for a lot of OHSers and high schoolers, in general). I know that the OHS workload can be onerous and is often times vastly greater than other schools, but truly try to enjoy the process as much as you can.
One of the biggest pieces of advice that I have to offer is to attend Office Hours and form relationships with your instructors. To begin with, they are amazing people who not only know a lot about their fields, but also have exceptionally broad and diverse interests. Beyond that, they are there to help and want to see you succeed inside and outside of the (virtual) classroom. But they won’t seek you out if you don’t take the initiative to reach out to them. Keep them in the loop about what you are juggling outside of school and use them as resources when you are struggling with, or just interested about, something in the course. I was always blown away by how supportive my instructors were, and am beyond excited to keep in touch with them once I am back on the Stanford campus.
Most of all, know that whether it be grades, college, your social life, or the million other things that contribute to the chaos of the four years that are high school, everything works out the way that it should!
