As a young admissions representative for a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, I first set foot on UPrep’s campus 25 years ago. While chatting with students during school visits and then reading their applications, I learned the strengths and value of a UPrep education. I remember my predecessor in this role, the remarkable Arlene Prince, discussing how the school was founded by public school educators who did not want to produce students who were academic automatons. Rather, our pioneering Founders worked assiduously to create a school where students generated their own ideas, embraced global perspectives, and built a caring community. For the past 18 years, it has been an honor to work on campus and champion our students and community.

Almost 50 years after its founding, our faculty and staff continue to enhance our mission of graduating students who are intellectually courageous, socially responsible global citizens. Our students are self-aware and oriented toward helping others. They understand the growth that unfolds from leaning into significant conversations and the rewards that transpire from taking extracurricular risks. Due to the core academic and character foundations our students possess, they are well prepared for the ever-changing world. Still, as our news feeds show us articles about ChatGPT, our community is talking about the impact advances in technology will have on learning and the career paths of our Pumas.

While I do not claim to know the future that is coming, if history is any guide, new technologies will continue to become tools that are part of our everyday lives, and we will use these tools to enable humanity to achieve ever more remarkable achievements. While learning to use these tools and adapting to focus on skills that are useful in our new economy is vital work, I believe schools will need to keep teaching key personal attributes. Empathy, compassion, ethics, and interpersonal skills will always be essential. I also think humans must be able to withstand setbacks, take criticism, and implement feedback as they work to make positive changes in our communities.

No matter the work environment or professions where our students will find themselves, the critical thinking, communication, and quantitative skills they have gained at UPrep will enable them to meet the challenges of our rapidly evolving world. 

We face the future with the confidence that our focus on the growth of each student, our exceptional teachers, and our mission will allow us to continue to graduate citizens of the world who are ready to make the most of new technologies to help advance humanity.