Boarding Student Perspectives

"I really like living in the dorms because I feel like it's a very special experience, especially because I'm the youngest in my family and I am not from America. This has been my first time coming to a foreign country without my family, and all by myself, which has been very challenging. But at the same time, I feel like, I have gained confidence and learned how to take care of myself.

I'm just so happy to be here because OES gives us a good amount of freedom and you have more options, and it's just amazing. I also love that it's so green! I really like that there's a lot of trees, and there's so many cool things to do in Portland. I would definitely recommend hiking for someone who's new to the city."

"I chose to come to OES because I saw how diverse and how many people like have different cultures and different ethnicities here. I thought this would be a great fit for me, and it has been! 

I'm involved in volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse. This year, I decided to do track too. I never did track before, and actually never did basketball and lacrosse before. The coaches were so welcoming, and encouraged me to learn how to play the new sport, so it was pretty easy to get accustomed to.

I feel like I'm more open and more confident. I am more willing to take on opportunities that I won't have taken up if I didn't come to school here."

I tried different sports including soccer, basketball, and golf. It was my first time trying out soccer and basketball, but I was able to learn a lot thanks to my teammates and coaches. Rasley, 9 Boarding, South Korea

I had lots of experience that I never had before. I went out with every single outdoor activities led by Tom Handel last year, including rock climbing, kayaking, etc. I played basketball for fun before I came, but in OES, I can actually be on the team, play the game and build up team spirit. I attend a few clubs and activities, including Mock Trial, MUN, Student Council, that I never had the experience before. Annie, 10 Boarding, China

OES is an open school. Everyone here is encouraged to be open. As a Chinese student, I was taught to be humble. So I might not be as open and extroverted as other students. But here at OES, I really feel supported. During class, I might express something that contradicts what other have said, and they appreciate my words. Danni, 12 Boarding, China
 

I think the academic workload in OES can be quite challenging. It might be hard to balance all the school work, extracurricular, and personal life. However, the challenging environment taught me how to manage my time. I learned how to manage all the work, and also look for help when needed. Rasley, 9 Boarding, South Korea

OES has challenged me to be who I am all the time. Students a space to express proudly to everyone who they are. Kylie, 10 Boarding, Hong Kong



 

I have connected to a lot of teachers in OES. They always make me feel comfortable whenever I reach out to them for help. I feel like I can talk to them not only about the school, but also about my life outside of school. Especially, I feel extremely lucky to have the dorm parents who are like my second parents. I know that they always work hard to make the dorm students feel like home, and I really appreciate their effort. Rasley, 9 Boarding, South Korea

I feel like I have been closely connected to the dorm community where I live every day. The dorm parents, prefect team and dining hall crew are great people whom I am really privileged to have a connection with. And I think I am learning many different values and perspectives on the idea of family. Jeff, 11 Boarding, China

I like to hang out with my friends during the weekends. There are different dorm activities that take place every weekend, so a lot of students sign up for that to try out new activities. Rasley, 9 Boarding, South Korea

Playing board games, ping pong, pool, badminton, soccer, basketball, and watching movies. I like trips to beautiful places like the beach, the Columbia River, ice skating, restaurants, bowling, and tons of other activities. As part of the dorm community, you will have a lot of fun. Maisam, 9 Boarding, Afghanistan

On the weekend, I mainly hang out with my friends. After the school week, I like to unwind and chill out in the dorms, but occasionally we will go out to the mall, downtown Portland, or a good restaurant. Jessica, 12 Boarding, USA

Exploring Portland and find out what the area is like. We have an awesome prefect group that comes up with fabulous ideas for dormies to explore American life. Students are very engaged and appreciative of the hard work from the program. Kelly, 11 Boarding, Taiwan

During the weekends, I usually spend time with my friends and their families at times. I go downtown and visit shops, restaurants, and I occasionally go to the movies. I have also participated in lots of the dorm activities to the movies, go-carting, kayaking, and the occasional trip to Red Lobster. Ian, 10 Boarding, USA

I'm a very outgoing person to say the least so I like to go out and explore the city on weekends. Oren, 10 Boarding, Jamaica

Sleep in without interruptions. Play basketball or play on my xbox. Go out to the movies. Go out to eat with day students or dormies. Simon, 11 Boarding, USA

There is a variety of activities on the weekends, such as food, movies, sports etc. My favorite ones are food activities. Jeff, 11 Boarding, China

One thing that I have learned after coming to OES is that I like learning. Inquiry based learning system and the amazing faculty helped me realize that I am an active learner. All the resources at the school have made me develop further as a learner. Rasley, 9 Boarding, South Korea