When it comes to cultivating an extremely culturally enriched, diverse, lively and youth-friendly environment for any child to grow up in, the City of Redmond puts forth its best.
As someone who has spent the better three quarters of my childhood living in Redmond, it’s been a journey not only to see the city grow and expand but also refine its already phenomenal youth programs and opportunities. In additional to extracurricular involvement, Redmond boasts a highly involved and well-known educational platform, with a number of high-ranking Montessori, pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools.
As a toddler, I attended the Sammamish Montessori school in Redmond, developing a strong foundation and learning from strong staff and supportive teachers. There, I not only learned all my continents and perfected my multiplication tables, but when I asked my teachers for a harder challenge, I was always greeted with a “yes” and an “of course.”
Later, I went on to study for five years at Einstein Elementary on Education Hill and had my final year of elementary school at Redmond Elementary. Throughout these years, I colored my world with various activities, ranging from art to yearbook club to choir to participating in the school science fair. In my sixth and final year of elementary school, with all the wisdom that a sixth-grader could have, I felt prepared and ready to take on the world. Although this was far and still is far from the truth, in a way I am still thankful that all the new experiences, whether it be starting an event for Project RED or writing letters to my own pen pal in Afghanistan, gave me the sense of confidence.
All three years of junior high I attended Redmond Junior High (now Redmond Middle School) and currently attend the STEM High School, also situated in Redmond. Both these schools have only further pushed me to explore what I enjoy and what I have yet to find I enjoy. If you were to speak to me personally, you would probably hear me go on about the fantastic music programs or the phenomenal student governments, but each individual student has their own reasons for getting involved and making themselves part of the community at their schools.
The reason why I speak of these schools with such a positive outlook and respect is because each and every one of them molded me and my adolescent journey (which still continues) to not only learn more about the world, but apply what I have learned to real-life situations.
I think that it’s this combination of passion and involvement that makes Redmond so special. Through top-notch sports teams, charity programs and clubs all the way to intensive drama and music programs, Redmond offers youth the opportunity to find their areas of excellence and excel even further.
Whether you want to get involved at a community level with RYPAC (Redmond Youth Partnership Advisory Committee), enroll in a summer camp or get involved in recreational soccer, the city becomes your canvas and you are the painter. For this reason, when it comes to reaching beyond the educational aspect, as I mentioned previously, Redmond has created an intensely rich culture among youth, only furthered by city events such as Derby Days in early July to Redmond Lights in the winter to summer night plays and art-inspired competitions held at the library. Whether it be the annual TEDxRedmond youth-for-youth conference held each year or simply seeing kids hang out around the skate park or at work volunteering, it goes without saying that Redmond has a place for every adolescent.
Christina Dias served as STEM High School’s Associated Student Body president last year.
