Bentonville Seniors Discuss Education, Challenges Of Future

Sarah Talley, left, a senior at Embassadors for Christ Academy, and Grace Zhang, a senior at Bentonville High School, have been selected to be apart of this year's All Academic Team.

Sarah Talley, left, a senior at Embassadors for Christ Academy, and Grace Zhang, a senior at Bentonville High School, have been selected to be apart of this year's All Academic Team.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Editor's Note: Grace Zhang of Bentonville School District and Sarah Ann Talley of Ambassadors for Christ Academy were named to Northwest Arkansas Newspaper's All-Academic Team. Team members were brought together and asked their opinions on issues pertinent to themselves and the future.

What do you think has been the most important part of your education?

Grace Zhang, Bentonville School District: The International Baccalaureate Program has been the most important part of my education. It has been extremely rigorous.

I think what is unique is there are only 15 students. It has given me a sense of community. It has taught me to be more confident. It has been very academically rigorous so I feel better prepared for college.

Sarah Ann Talley, Ambassadors for Christ Academy: Private schools have prepared me in my faith. Each of my schools have been like family. It has changed the way I view the world.

What do you think will be some of the biggest challenges for your generation?

Grace: I’m really committed to humanitarian efforts. Fifty years ago when you gave to a charity it was local and it wasn’t that much of a moral challenge. Today you have more choices.

Also, advancing technology will make it easier to connect with Third World countries, but the divide between us will be greater.

Sarah: I think one of our biggest problems is going to be apathy because we can have everything we want.

We are so absorbed in ourselves and our technology, we miss what is going on in the world around us. I think we are going to forget about people besides us who need help.

How do you think your time in local schools has prepared you for that?

Grace: I guess I would like to draw back to the International Baccalaureate program. We do place an emphasis on foreign prospective. We get counted points off if we do not bring in outside countries’ perspectives.

They don’t make it a point to help other people, but the program pinpoints the issues with other countries. I think I am more mentally prepared for the challenge.

Sarah: We have community services hours every week at my school. It is one of those things that help build your community, but it makes you aware of things that other people are going through. I have been privileged to be surrounded by that.

What do you think the future holds for Northwest Arkansas?

Grace: I really think the Walmart expansion has made the growth astronomical. Bentonville did not predict we would have 3,500 students in the high school and the district keeps growing.

Because it is growing at such a fast rate we are going to lose a little bit of the Southern hospitality, but gain a little bit more openness.

It will strain infrastructure and cultures, but will foster diversity.

Sarah: I think Northwest Arkansas has potential to be a strong metropolitan area. You can already see the cultures coming. The thing that makes me sad are the small towns and the farm land we will lose.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen at your high school?

Grace: Be very sure, even if your first year is a challenge. There is no pressure to fit in. Have a purpose rather than focusing on fitting in.

Bentonville High School is intimidating because of its size. The great thing is we have a large amount of resources. Every program can be strong.

A lot of the teachers do care. It is important to search them out. I also think it is important to think long-term.

Sarah: I moved here in the eighth grade. It took me a long time to figure out Ambassadors for Christ Academy. Don’t get caught up in trying to be something that you are not.

Make sure to focus on what they are teaching. Learn how to use that to support others. It is not how people see them, but who they are in Christ.

The experience you get from it is what you put in to it. It is very easy to get caught in a bubble and then stay there.