Hello and greetings from the admission office of University High School. Our school year began with 95 new Trailblazers, 69 of those students make up the freshman class—the Class of 2020—a diverse group of students who are already distinguishing themselves in the classroom and on the athletic fields. The Class of 2020 started the school year with a two-day retreat at Jameson Camp. Together with UHS faculty and student leaders from the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades, the Class of 2020 learned much about themselves and the community that is University High School.

The school year began with discussions of our school-wide summer reading—four books that unearthed the essence of empathy. After discussions and activities in book groups made up of freshmen through seniors, the freshman English classes continued the theme. Reading the novel, Of Mice and Men, the teachers and students engaged in discussions about the importance of understanding one another’s stories and how one fosters empathy within oneself.

In athletics, freshman Quentin Berry, an alumnus of Zionsville West Middle School, is a starter on our winning varsity boys soccer team. Varsity cross-country runners, Jada Swearingen, Orchard School alumnus, Noah Laramore, Riverside Junior High alumnus, and Jacob Sager, Clay Middle School alumnus, are setting personal records and pushing their older teammates to succeed. Gillian Monroe, Orchard School alumnus, Elise Nachlis, Hasten Hebrew Academy alumnus, and Kaitlyn Beheler, Sycamore School alumnus, are having a tremendous impact on the varsity volleyball team and are helping to create a winning season for our team. In girls varsity soccer, Lilly Fair, Creekside Middle School alumnus, is our starting goalie, and Tessa Hudson, Zionsville Middle School alumnus, has already scored seven goals.

In addition to athletics, freshmen are starting new clubs and joining existing ones.

Students are looking forward to auditioning for the fall play, The Curious Savage, and freshmen have signed up to audition and serve on crews.

The Class of 2020 just selected their five representatives to serve on our Stewardship Council, a student council group that helps University listen to the voices of all students in all four grades.

The freshmen are not waiting in line to be heard or to “take their turn.” They are already integral members of the student community. The Class of 2020 is ready to host you for your shadow visit—and I am excited for you to meet them!

Our admission office has been busy all summer—and now we are hearing from 8th-grade families who are scheduling shadow visits, signing up for our autumn prospective parent breakfast and prospective family dinner, and marking their calendars for our first open house of the school year on Sunday, September 25. Taylor Newell and I are looking forward to welcoming all of you for an event this fall, scheduling your shadow visit, and reading your application. Shadow visits will begin the week of September 6. Please call or email me to arrange your shadow visit so that you can spend a day with our faculty and our school community that is now 309 students strong! I am excited to have you learn about University High School but am even more excited to learn about you.

Best regards,
Nancy Webster
nwebster@universityhighschool.org
317-733-4475, ext. 102