Interview with Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Alum, Alexis Gashyna

What I really appreciated about Metro Prep was the staff. Metro Prep staff makes such an effort to get to know you as an individual. Everyone is so passionate about what they do, they really go above and beyond to support students' academic success and personal growth. They ask, ‘What are your goals, your ambitions? What type of career are you looking for?’ I can't tell you how many times Metro Prep staff has stayed late with me at the school to help me solve a math problem, or help me with my code. They care so deeply, and they really do everything they can to ensure you are supported and thriving in that space.

It was actually a Metro Prep teacher who inspired me to pursue a career in computer science. And now I'm a computer science major. He was always available to answer my questions and help me with code and I stuck to it. And recently I was offered an internship as a software engineer at a major bank and it made me so grateful to have this teacher in my corner, always encouraging me, always uplifting me, and I'm so grateful to Metro Prep for having provided me with something like that. Metro Prep's values are to inspire and foster potential within each student.

The Metro Prep environment fosters so much personal growth within its students. It helped me build confidence in myself and in my abilities. It's taught me so many skills that I will utilize for the rest of my life. Things ranging from self-discipline to good study habits to debating skills. For my classmates, I've seen the really introverted ones come out of their shell and become more sociable. I've seen kids who have struggled academically go on to win awards at graduation. It's really shaped us to be our best selves.

There are also plenty of clubs and sports teams that really bring our community together. During my time at Metro Prep, the arts program, called the Smith Program, was very active around the school. We did an annual school play, hosted concert nights and did field trips to the ballet and such. So I would say that an appreciation for the arts is another thing that really connects Metro Prep students.

I've grown to appreciate, since graduating Metro Prep and now completing my first year of university, how thorough and well-rounded our education really was. I'm a computer science major and when I began programming at a university level, I realized that I was one of the few kids in my class who was already familiar with the more advanced concepts, because we had been taught the advanced concepts at Metro Prep. I already knew object-oriented programming and some game development skills, and while a lot of my university classmates struggled, I was getting hundreds across the board. I helped them, of course, but it made me realize how well Metro Prep had really prepared me for university. I walked out of that class feeling so capable and so confident in myself and that was a really great feeling to have. I'm very thankful to Metro Prep for that.

If you are looking for a top-notch education, a supportive, uplifting community, and to really set your child up for success, Metro Prep is the place to be. Three reasons I would recommend Metro Prep would be the passionate and caring staff, the incredible education, and the Principal Wayne McKelvey. He really makes the Metro Prep experience something special.

Something that I think prospective families would find surprising, something that I found surprising when I first walked into Metro Prep, was the amount of diversity. As a person of color, it's so comforting to be able to walk into a place and see people who look like you, people who you can identify with in the student population, but also in the staff, it really made me feel like I belonged there. Metro Prep was so accepting and beautifully diverse, and it's one of those things that I just love about it.

My advice to new students, like I said earlier, is to remember that Metro Prep is a preparatory academy with the end-goal of getting you into your desired university. As a student, you have to work hard, go to class, keep up with your school work, of course. Additionally, I'd recommend joining a sports team or a club. Metro Prep is such an incredible opportunity. I would recommend taking full advantage of that. The school is full of intelligent and ambitious individuals.

Metro Prep does exceptionally well, and there really is nothing that I would change about the experience. I am so grateful to the Principal for everything he's done for me, for the opportunities he's provided me with. My family has been very happy with my decision to attend. I have plenty of friends who've had a great experience at Metro Prep and now all of their younger siblings attend. I just can't recommend the school enough.