Ocean Lakes’ competitive Math and Science Academy (MSA) selects approximately 125 students out of the roughly 600 who apply every year. The academy guides students towards a promising future where a passion for the sciences and math cultivates into a desired field of work.
The program is incredibly beneficial for students before and after graduation because it pushes students to a higher standard than others and builds advanced skills in research and problem-solving.
“The MSA helped put me in a position to get lucky. Having an advanced course load in math couldn’t have hurt, as well as being surrounded by peers who pushed me to do my best,” alumni and Harvard graduate Noah Siraj said.
Going into a math or science field in college may be difficult, but that is exactly what the MSA prepares scholars for. Classes required by the MSA, like AP Calculus and AP Physics directly translate over to college courses in mathematics and science. The coursework is rigorous and sometimes overwhelming, especially with all extracurricular activities a person might participate in, but it also teaches teenagers how to balance their time and builds confidence in taking on challenging problems.
“They’re going to learn soft skills like project management, time management, communication, research, problem-solving and professionalism,” academy adviser Allison Graves said.
A huge part of the MSA is the senior project, where students research a topic of their interest that relates to math and/or science and create a project around the topic. The senior project seems scary during sophomore year when Graves kicks off the process, but students trust the process as they know it will build their confidence and experience with huge projects that may show up in other contexts.
According to Graves, Alumni have emailed her for her help and sharing their experiences in college, how the senior projects have helped them be more confident in class and how unique opportunities have been presented to them. Students like Corinne Scott have been invited to research opportunities as freshmen in college, because they invested in their senior projects and learned requisite skills while in the MSA, carrying with them the self-efficacy they earned in the program.
A variety of classes related to math and science gives students the freedom to explore any field they wish to pursue. Some classes offered alongside the required courses are marine biology, meteorology, astronomy and organic chemistry, which cater to a student’s preferred studies.
“I think what has stuck with me the most is the passion so many of the teachers at Ocean Lakes had for their subject matter,” Noah said.
MSA teachers such as Jeremy Schratweiser and Susan John are always willing to help students better understand coursework while still pushing students to be better and make them their best selves while learning.
Many scholars from the program have pulled off astounding feats, and current scholars can as well if they use their resources within and dedicate themselves to hard work.
