Phil's Prep Experience

Swim team, clubs, and courses like AP calculus keep Phil busy. That's just the way he likes it.

I was born in Ukraine and grew up speaking Russian at home. When I was three years old, my parents moved to America for a more promising future.

St. John's is so different from middle school. When I came here and saw people walking across campus between classes, interacting with teachers and other kids on a more personal level, I thought it was exciting. Now that I'm here, there are so many classes I want to take. It's just hard to choose what I want to take most. I'm learning not only what’s necessary, I'm learning the things that interest me. I love the sense of community at the Prep. A lot of alumni come to our big swim meets to cheer for us, and one of my teachers is a Prep graduate. I think it speaks for itself that they love the school so much that they will come back to help the kids here now.

A path for every student

If I had to describe St. John's, I'd say it's like a chameleon because when you come here you make your own experience. Whatever you're interested in, you can do it. If you want to play sports, you can do that. If you want to paint or play music, you can do that. If you want to take advanced classes, you can do that. It's like a chameleon because it adapts to let you choose the path that's best for you.  For more about Phil's experiences, explore the tabs below.

One of the Brother Isidore Scholars at St. John's, Phil thrives on the academic challenge.

The classes here are definitely tough, but the teachers are always here before and after school if you need them. Other kids are willing to help, too. Someone is always there to guide you in the right direction.

Challenges and rewards

Chemistry with Mr. Ford is my favorite class. You get to see how and why things work on the molecular level and that's really interesting. Moving up to AP calculus sophomore year was a challenge, but it's definitely helping prepare me for college. I'm taking Latin because I wanted to try something new, and I'm going to take economics senior year.

Finding the right balance

The biggest challenge is learning how to balance everything - school, homework, swim team, clubs and getting enough sleep - so you're ready to go the next day. But when awards are given at the end of the year, it's worth it. You look back and think about the effort you put into everything and the memories that those awards capture. 

Phil joined the swim team at the YMCA when he was seven years old and he's been doing it ever since. His best events? The 100 butterfly and the 200 IM.

Our coach really knows how to motivate us to work together to achieve a common goal. And obviously, with six state championships, the way he coaches and the way we work as a team has really come together.

What it means to be a team

Before I came to the Prep, I thought of swimming as an individual sport with one or two relays to make it a team sport. At St. John's, I've learned what it means to be part of a team. By yourself, you can't achieve nearly as much as you can as a whole team. Here, you swim your individual events, but as soon as you are out of the water, you're on the deck getting the relays going and getting everybody else fired up and ready for their events.

Bringing it all together

For me, the pool deck symbolizes everything I like about St. John's. It brings every aspect of the school together. It's about great coaching and excellent athletes, but it's also about how everyone wants to be a better individual and a better team player. In the classrooms, we learn about the Xaverian values. It's interesting to see the way they transfer over to athletics. It shows how deeply the values are embedded in our school.

A car buff with a passion for photography, Phil likes the choices he finds at the Prep.

I come from a long line of photographers. My dad’s father has been a photographer his whole life and when my dad was my age, he worked with my grandfather.

My grandfather gave me the camera I have now and he taught me how to use it. I love photography club. We're learning about good composition and how to frame photos. Pulling all of the parts together in the right combination, that's how you get a good photo.

We have tons of clubs at St. John's. If you’re interested in something, you can find it here or you can start your own club. It's great because I've met kids who like what I like, but I've also met people who bring different gifts to the table. I dropped into a few clubs freshman year; I'm focusing on the photgraphy and investment clubs now because with school work and swimming, I'm busy. It's about finding a good balance and meeting people you can learn from and who bring out your strengths. I guess I'd have to say that what I like best about St. John's are the opportunities.

A grandfather's perspective

My grandfather was amazed when he and my grandmother visited St. John's. I can almost quote him exactly. He said, "If you have a school this excellent, you can defintiely be who you want to be. You can grow up to be the best that you can be. You can easily succeed with what you're given here."  Interested in another perspective? Read what Kyle '12 has to say about his Prep expreience.