Wisdom and Experience from Graduates at Scottsdale Prep

The college counselors at Scottsdale Prep recently hosted their annual Alumni Panel, where graduates of the academy returned to share stories, antidotes, and advice from their own experience in various levels of continued education. Spread out across several different sessions throughout the day, current high school students had the opportunity to gain insight from those who have gone before them and ask the burning questions they had about life after Great Hearts.

The past scholars spanned from recent graduates who returned from colleges and universities from across the country to professionals who have already put their college years behind them and are actively pursuing careers in their fields. But they all shared the common love for their alma mater and the classical education that they feel gave them a leg up when entering the “real world.”

Emily Stabilito graduated back in 2020 and began her college journey at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. “I did a couple different majors before I settled on civic economicthought and leadership and then I also chose a major in international business and then after that I went straight to Chicago where I worked for a global creative advertising agency,” she shared. “I got to work on a couple cool projects with Stephen Curry and also Michelle Obama. So that was fun.”

Stabilito attributes this amazing opportunity to skills she learned at Scottsdale Prep. “It was because I asked a good question. So, I always trace that back to Humane Letters, the ability to thinkcritically, actually ask good questions and not just surface level things. And they just ate it up. They loved it.” After her stint in marketing, this life-long learner decided to go back to school, returning to ASU to study sports journalism.

A more recent graduate, Parisa Choudhury from the class of 2025, now attends University of California, Berkeley. “They say that it’s a preparatory school because it prepares you for life and I definitely see that. The rigorous nature of our classes here at [Scottsdale] Prep really helped me with college classes, even at a super high level,” she explained. Choudhury can’t say enough great things about her college counselors. “[They] helped me calm down a lot, especially applying to some very difficult schools. I had so much pressure on myself, not only from myself, but my family, my friends, everyone kind of expected something. And my college counselors just walked in with a very open mind. They’re listening to me actively, and I found new avenues to apply to college. And I honestly don’t think I would have applied to the school I’m in right now if it wasn’t for my college counselors.”

This was a common sentiment throughout the day with many of the graduates. Great Hearts is committed to an individualized approach to college counseling that focuses on finding the right fit for each student. The emphasis of the program is on helping students discover who they are as learners and emerging adults. Our college counselors serve our students above and beyond when selecting a college experience.

Karli Crandall also graduated in 2025 and recently finished her first semester at the University of Tennessee. She explained that she still has many ties to Scottsdale Prep. “My sister’s actually a senior here right now still and I know a lot of the people in the in the auditorium as well. I played a lot of sports and clubs with them. So, it’s really fun to see everyone and then looking back at what I wish I had known as a senior and just looking how far I’ve come as well into college,” she said. “So, it was a really cool experience. I am taking a lot of basic classes my freshman year, but I think by going through Scottsdale Prep and its education helped prepare me a lot to make those easier classes.”

Crandall said Great Hearts really helped her confidence in participating in classroom seminars, something her college professors have taken notice of. “I think it prepares you well for learning how to talk to teachers and learning how to talk to other peers in a professional manner. So, I think it just set me up for a lot of opportunities within college and prepared me well for class as well.”

We can tell our students that what they learn at their academies will serve them for life, but it carries even more weight when they hear it from someone who has lived it. We are grateful to every alumnus who returned to share their story, and we extend special thanks to our incredible college counselors, who support our scholars daily as they navigate important decisions about their futures.

Do you have a story or know of one that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts? Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.

Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.