Alumni Spotlight: Valentina Juricek’s Transition from OHS to Stanford University

It’s been a couple of months since OHS’s Class of 2023 started their transition from high school to college, and though the journey is an exhilarating one, it is certainly valuable. For Valentina Juricek (‘23), a former student at OHS who now finds herself at Stanford University, this transition has been marked by growth and new challenges. With this journey in mind, Valentina now shares her insights, reflections, and advice for fellow students navigating similar paths.

Currently, Valentina’s day-to-day life consists of figure skating in the mornings. After skating practice, she attends her classes, which are usually clustered in the morning. She makes an effort to then attend office hours and do homework in the evenings. On other days, classes are spread throughout the day, so she tries to do homework in between them. Since classes are all a walkable distance from her dormitory, she uses her commute to class as an opportunity to “get outside and listen to music, reflect, and relax in between classes and work.” At Stanford, Valentina’s primary pursuit is being a student. Thus, her academics are the main priority. However, skating at Stanford is flexible, as it’s an individual sport without mandatory group training sessions. The main challenge is transportation since the ice rink is around half an hour away from campus. As Valentina expresses, “Between the travel and practice time, the whole trip will take a decent chunk out of your day. All this really requires is extra planning, which OHS prepares us well for, since we also must self-manage studying and homework time around extracurriculars and travel.” As a result, “Balancing academics and skating isn’t much of a challenge since collegiate skaters are only continuing the sport because they truly want to continue it. For me, it’s a nice way of physically and mentally taking myself away from campus life, grounding myself in a sport and routine I’ve known my whole life.”

Reflecting on her transition from OHS to Stanford, Valentina has had “nothing but fun.” With the vibrant and diverse community at Stanford, there’s been a “great variety in the people you will meet and there’s really endless opportunities, projects to pursue, and people to meet.” Stanford's community is both expansive and tight-knit—“At the same time, it’s small enough that no matter where you are on campus, you’re bound to run into someone you know and could chat up a great conversation.” This is the biggest contrast from OHS, which has a more structured social environment since in-person interactions require more planning and coordination to manifest. Nevertheless, Valentina graciously conveys that “It is also this extra effort that makes them so meaningful. It’s really easy to stay in touch with these people as you transition to college because you already had to make an effort to talk with them in high school, so you really surround yourself with people who you want to be surrounded by, and this will continue as you go into college.” Moreover, OHS’s international community is reflective of the diversity in college. Every day in a collegiate community brings forth new encounters and possibilities. As Valentina expresses, “I’ve developed a real appreciation for the small moments I’d otherwise overlook.”

At Stanford, there’s also extraordinary flexibility in what classes you want to take. In Valentina’s experience, it has been “really fun being able to hone in on topics that you want to pursue, or take fun classes that interest you without much stress.” Similarly, while some students know their exact career aspirations, OHS still provides them with an opportunity to explore a lot of interests. For instance, students might want to continue pursuing a specific topic they found interesting in an OHS core class without feeling, as Valentina puts it, “bound to a career in that field or much stress. Obviously, one has to stay committed to their academic pursuits, but it feels very build-it-your-own.”

In terms of academics, Valentina acknowledges the rigorous academic environment at Stanford and credits OHS for preparing her well. OHS follows a very similar format to the college block scheduling, which offers flexibility in course selections. Additionally, Valentina remarks that “OHS is very self-guided in many respects, and between the flipped-classroom scheduling and the online format, OHS really trains you to stay on top of your work, plan ahead, and make an effort to feel connected to your classes, peers, and school culture. Making such deliberate choices at OHS has made me really appreciate the seemingly boundless opportunities and spontaneity of college life.” Not only was Valentina challenged academically at OHS, but she was also “given the space to think independently.” Overall, OHS has instilled a sense of discipline in students that allows the “necessary space to explore and pursue interests outside of the classroom.” As Valentina thoughtfully articulates, “Without a set curriculum or schedule dictating each move, these choices enable us to explore who we are as people, and not just as students.” For OHSers, Valentina advises, “It’s cliche, but I think it’s helpful to recognize that every day truly is a new day and fresh opportunity; today doesn’t need to be the same as yesterday, and trying something new today won’t destroy tomorrow. Embrace change.” Despite the regularity of classes, high school is an opportunity for growth, exploration, and self-discovery.

In the future, Valentina envisions her academic pursuits at Stanford as an opportunity to explore diverse fields and deepen her understanding of subjects that spark an interest in her. Valentina states, “I hope to in some way combine my interests in math and design to help people.” In terms of skating, she looks to continue training and competing, as well as growing the skating club and expanding outreach opportunities for other students on campus. Valentina appreciatively adds that “The sport has introduced me to many of my closest friends and guided me to many of my happiest memories. Through competition, volunteer outreach, and judging, I hope to leave a lasting impact on the sport, community, and broader skating landscape.”

Valentina's transition from OHS to Stanford epitomizes the invaluable experiences gathered in high school. As she traverses the complexities of university life, she remains fueled by curiosity and integrated into a community that fosters self-exploration. Her journey is not just meaningful to graduating seniors but to students everywhere. Every challenge is an opportunity for growth, and we must face challenges with the same gracious attitude that Valentina admirably adopts.