Skip to content

Seattle Culture

Preparing Middle and High School Students to Lead a Life of Learning | Sponsored

Students find their voice, passions, and potential at UPrep

By UPrep September 7, 2023

University Prep First Day of School 2022/2023
University Prep First Day of School 2022/2023

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.

At UPrep, a 6–12 private school in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood, extraordinary faculty and staff are devoted to each student’s potential. ​At a school founded by teachers to nurture true leaders, passionate educators who possess deep expertise in their disciplines work collaboratively and strive to provide the best educational experience for students. The average class size is 18 students.

“First and foremost, we really get to know the students,” says Director of Middle School Brian Johnson. “Our aim is that every kid here feels like they have their people, both adults and peers, that students have a lot of positive interactions with their teachers, and they are getting to know their teachers.”

Getting to know students well means that the leadership potential in each student is seen, supported, and nurtured. From leading student government and facilitating affinity groups to captaining a sports team and tutoring peers in the Math Helpers Club, students are encouraged to stretch and grow. At UPrep, leadership is not about a title.

Instead, our Pumas are offered a range of opportunities to find their voice, their passions, and their purpose during a shared journey of joyful self-discovery. Senior Kyan R. says UPrep has taught him to be inquisitive.

“The offerings at UPrep are one of my favorite aspects of being a student here,” Kyan says. “I have discovered courses that stimulate my interest in business, like an Entrepreneurship intensive class where I crafted an entire business plan over three weeks and pitched it to real investors. UPrep has always been a place that recognizes every student’s potential and arms them with the resources, tools, and opportunities to succeed.”

Students are challenged academically in this compassionate and thoughtful community.

“UPrep’s high school is a place where students go from good to great, because we meet them where they are at and help take them where they are hoping to go,” says Director of Upper School Susie Wu.

Wu believes students step out of their comfort zone because they feel it’s safe to try new things at UPrep.

“They are taught by adults who really care and see them as people,” Wu adds. “Students bring a lot of themselves to what they do here. The adults and students in our community are multidimensional people, and our community nurtures a range of interests, strengths, and leadership opportunities.”

 

Follow Us

Daring Women: It’s Never Just About One Person

Daring Women: It’s Never Just About One Person

Perkins&Will’s Marie Henson calls collaboration ‘critical’ to effective leadership

Architecture captivated Marie Henson at an early age. By the time she was 10, Henson had accompanied her history-buff father on visits to all eight Virginia presidents’ homes. It left a lasting impression: She decided on a career in architecture before she graduated from elementary school. Today, the Seattle-based Henson is the firmwide health practice…

Dollars & Sense

Dollars & Sense

Youth Finance University helps kids think logically about money

Princeton Lock likes to tell the story of a third grader who learned money management through Youth Finance University, a free, student-led financial literacy program created by three 16-year-old students at Bellevue’s Newport High School. “(She) successfully saved for her first major purchase instead of spending on impulse buys, exactly the kind of behavioral change…

Crossing Generational Streams

Crossing Generational Streams

Teens create art, receive insightful life advice

Kids look toward the future. Older people often relive the past. Those two worlds collided in the best of ways recently when the Woodinville Teen Arts Alliance collaborated with residents from Fairwinds Brittany Park Retirement Home to create beautiful art inspired by residents’ lives. “Our conversations made me appreciate the value of human connection and…

Moxie on Monday: Open Your Presence This Christmas

Moxie on Monday: Open Your Presence This Christmas

Practice being mindful, kind, and savor each moment

The holidays can feel like a whirlwind — our to-do lists grow, our calendars overflow, along with the pressure to create the “perfect” Christmas atmosphere. But what if the best gift wasn’t wrapped in ribbons or bows? What if the most meaningful gift we could give was our presence? I’ll bet you’ve met someone in…