A Double Legacy: Our Valedictorian and Salutatorian Look Back on Fairmont
As we near graduation and say congrats to our impressive class of 2020, we’d like to shine some light on two of our legacy students, Valedictorian Arjun Marwaha and Salutatorian Matthew Ong. Our “legacy students” are those who began attending Fairmont early in their...
At-Home Special: Interview with Julia Tao, Fairmont Senior and Founder of Agape Belize Cure
We were excited to have the opportunity to connect with Fairmont Prep senior Julia Tao and learn about her organization Agape Belize Cure (ABC). Her dedication exemplifies a level of leadership and lasting impact that inspires us and that we are proud to have within our student body.
Our Students Care for the Community During COVID-19
In the spirit of service and community care, Fairmont students have actively responded to the coronavirus and are working to help our communities through this difficult time. They’ve been making things like masks distributed across the country, thank you cards for first responders, notes to seniors, and even games and exercise videos for families to enjoy and learn while at home. It is so encouraging to see our students Paws for a Cause!
At-Home Special: A+ in ASEP with Ms. Jaya Leslie: A Teacher Spotlight
Fairmont is honored to be rated by Newsweek as Orange County’s top private school for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program in 2019. The recognition is for our Advanced Science and Engineering Program (ASEP), which offers all STEM courses, as well as a number of additional opportunities, within a collegiate approach. The honor is in no small part due to our incredible teachers — all of whom are all trained in STEM, are professionals in their fields, and have a research background — including Ms. Jaya Leslie.
At-Home Special: Leela Gala’s Food Served Here
Fairmont Prep senior Leela Gala has been serving children in shelters and underprivileged communities for many years. In her freshman year, she decided to create an opportunity for other Fairmont students to participate and created a club that provides food for a children’s shelter. With the help of teacher Mrs. Kunkle, the group grew to such a degree that by Leela’s sophomore year, Leela set the group up as a 501(c)(3) called Food Served Here.
At-Home Special: Creating Junior Scientists with Dr. Afsaneh Miller | A Teacher Spotlight
Dr. Afsaneh Miller, Fairmont Schools science teacher and scientist, who helped build a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM-based curriculum at Fairmont, is committed to continually provide more creative and effective ways to educate her students.
Home Away From Home
This month at the Prep, I am bursting with pride when witnessing the compassionate and kind spirits of our school community. As you may be aware, we routinely welcome groups of Chinese immersion students on our campus so they can experience American education...
Five Ways to get your High Schooler Through the Holidays (And Finals Season)
Ah, December. It’s been called “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many of our students the holidays are not yet a thought as all they can see are FINALS. While most of us are getting into the spirit of the season, the high school student in our home may...
Balancing Academic Drive with Self-Wellness
Here at the Prep, our students take advantage of the many academic choices available to them. Whether excelling in our many UC approved College Prep courses, striving for college credit with our Advanced Placement Courses or embracing the global ethos of the...
Alphabet Soup Gets Stirred – The ACT Announces Major Change
Just try to keep up with the alphabet soup of college admissions. There’s the SAT, ACT, and TOEFL. Maybe you want to apply EA or ED or EDII, or prefer to wait for Regular. Are you applying to the UCs or the CSUs? It makes me dizzy just thinking about it. And then, we...
Will the UC Schools Go Test-Optional?
Last week the LA Times asked the question: Will the UC schools drop their SAT requirement? It’s an interesting question and part of a growing movement within higher education and college admission to reevaluate whether or not standardized tests are quality predictors...
10 Ways to Make Freshmen Year Your Best Year
With the start of a new school year it is always a good time to set some goals to ensure that you are ready to take advantage of everything available to you. And seeing as how our freshmen are new to the Prep and to high school in general, I thought that I would take...
Fairmont Counselors Visit East Coast Colleges
By Justin Voss “Summertime and the livin’s easy.” Maybe for most of you (and Sublime), but for some of us at Fairmont Prep we are still going strong closing out the past year and getting ready for the next school year. This doesn’t mean that us college counselors...
ASEP Freshmen Wow Judges at the Annual Nanovation Competition
On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, a team of five freshmen made their way up to the University of California, Los Angeles to compete in the annual Nanovation Competition. But this journey began for these students well before May. Back in January Michelle Chang, Ethan Idani,...
Farewell Class of 2019
By Justin Voss The past week has been a blur of activity for our seniors and our faculty as well and we are feeling a little bittersweet here at Fairmont Prep. On Tuesday our seniors received their caps and gowns and then were recognized in the senior farewell. During...
Life Lab – Fairmont Homestay Students Transform Grand Canyon Into Outdoor Classroom
Picture yourself hiking the Grand Canyon South Kaibab Trail during snowfall. Or, maybe you’re exploring the multifaceted beauty of Arizona’s Horseshoe Bend. Perhaps you’re drawn to the never-ending lights of the Las Vegas strip that create a vibrancy extending as far...
The Husky Howl, May 2019
Spring Sports Update by Numair Razzak, Writer at Large Andrew Pan, Layout Editor Feature Image Credit: Mr. Michael Sarris As school winds down for the year, with seniors eager to graduate, the spring sports teams have officially concluded. The Varsity Boys’ Volleyball...
The Junior Class ASB Invites You to Prom
By Justin Voss In the midst of your binging on Netflix, Hulu, Prime, or whatever you watch you may have come across one of those classic high school movies. You know the ones where the cool kid is rich but mean and the nerd wears glasses but can become cool by taking...
A Kind of Hush
By Justin Voss There’s a kind of hush all over the campus this week where you can hear the sound of students taking tests. If you caught the reference to the 1967 Herman’s Hermits song in there give yourself a gold star. Advanced Placement (AP) and International...
The Husky Howl, April 2019
Soccer and Basketball Update by Arjun Marwaha, Global News Editor Pranav Kantamaneni, School News Editor The Fairmont Prep winter sports teams have performed exceptionally well this 2018-2019 winter season. Under the expert coaching of Robert Viviano, the Boys and...
Important Decisions Don’t Always Come Easily
By: Justin Voss It’s been fun walking around campus this week after Spring Break to talk with our seniors and see if they have decided where they have chosen to attend after graduating from Fairmont. Everyone has such great options, and while for some the choice is...
‘Twas the First Day of Spring Break
By: Justin Voss ‘Twas the first day of spring break and all over Fairmont Not a teacher was stirring, not even Demont The lockers were closed by the hallway with care In hopes that Mr. Romo was not there The students were home all snug in their beds While...
The Real Value of Building a Strong Athletic Program
The value of athletics in schools is undeniable and cannot be overlooked. It has a profound impact on individuals, the school as a whole, as well as the community. Building a strong student-community is an essential component in revitalizing a school and drawing new...
Take a Trip
By: Justin Voss The funny thing about working at a school is that you are constantly learning, and you see first-hand how education never stops. It’s a beautiful thing really. Just last week I learned from Mrs. Leslie that I can’t make a lightbulb illuminate...
Meet Jonathan Dunn, a Certified Educational Planner
Jonathan Dunn has been a certified educational planner for the past ten years, but if you’re anything like me you might be scratching your head on what precisely that credential means? Basically, a certified educational planner is a rigorous credential for college...
March is National Athletic Training Month – Meet Kevinz Carpio Athletic Trainer at Fairmont Preparatory Academy
Keeping student-athletes safe during games is a priority for Athletic Trainer, Kevinz Carpio. During a typical season, he attends over 100 sporting events.
Coach Rob Viviano is Building Better Programs
Coach Rob Viviano joined Fairmont Preparatory Academy as the head soccer coach just a few weeks before practice started in 2018. He’s had experience coaching college, club, and high school soccer, and knew that he would be restructuring the girls and boys soccer...
Around the World Week
By: Justin Voss I was going to start this blog by talking about Johnny Cash’s version of “I’ve Been Everywhere” in which he strings together an incredible list of American cities in a short amount of time. However, I wanted to check my information first and...
Schedule Change
By: Justin Voss In 1971 musician David Bowie released his hit song “Changes.” Throughout his career he became famous for changing his looks, dress, and musical style; his only constant was change. When he changed, it was exciting, interesting, and new. Fairmont...
Athletic Huskies
If you know anything about Fairmont Prep, you probably know that we are a small school with a lot of different opportunities. Students can choose to take a variety of courses that suit their needs, which may include AP and IB courses along with advanced programs. You...
Sweet Advice
By: Justin Voss At home this week my children have been filling out Valentine’s cards for their classmates and attaching some, shall I say, less-than-delicious candy to them. I flashed back to my school days and writing my Valentine's cards. I would carefully...
There’s More Than One Path to Success
Somehow I found myself raising my hand a few weeks ago when my daughter’s baseball team was soliciting for an assistant coach. Mind you, the last time I played baseball I was wearing neon, and it was cool, so my baseball experience is limited. But I love to watch...
From Straightforward to Complex, College Applications
Parents, let’s be honest with ourselves here: it’s been more than a few years since we applied to college. We got our applications mailed to us, typed out some answers, requested transcripts, and we were on our way. It was a simpler time when colleges only had to...
3 Fantastic Reasons Why You Should Attend Fairmont Prep’s Winter Open House
Fairmont Preparatory Academy’s Winter Open House is this Thursday, January 24, 2019, from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. All families are welcome to discover everything Fairmont Prep has to offer. Our low student-to-teacher ratio provides students with unlimited access to...
Party Hats and Horns
Did you break out those party hats and weird buzzing horns to ring in 2019? We’ve made another trip around the sun! For our seniors, this means they are now second-semester seniors and have just months left in their high school career. But after our much-needed winter...
Fairmont Prep Boys’ Basketball at STAPLES Center
Come witness basketball history as the Fairmont Prep Huskies battle the San Gabriel Academy Eagles on Monday, January 14. For the first time ever, Fairmont Prep has the opportunity to play at STAPLES Center, home of the Los Angeles Clippers and the LA Kings. We sat...
Winter (Break) is Coming
Do you remember 122 days ago when we started the school year? All that hope, optimism, and potential? Well, here it is the end of the semester and we finishing finals so that we can go off to winter break and enjoy some much needed time off. Students have worked hard...
Finals are Coming
Can you feel that weird mix of stress, relief, anticipation, and worry? It can only mean one thing–that finals are coming soon and there is a major break on the horizon. Fairmont Prep students are coming up on quiet days next week where no new tests or assignments are...
Meet the Homestay Ambassadors
Meet the Fairmont Homestay Ambassadors; their job is to help students from different countries acclimate at Fairmont Preparatory Academy.
Fairmont Prep Basketball Teams Make Top 25 List
For the first time in Fairmont Prep history both the boys and girls basketball teams made the Orange County Top 25. The Lady Huskies came in at number three in the county! The Orange County Register wrote, “The Huskies will be one of the most experienced teams in the...
Giving Thanks
Next week brings Thanksgiving, which means a five day holiday for our students and a little break for our teachers as well. We get to wake up to some giant balloons floating throughout New York in the freezing cold. Time to gorge on turkey, roll ourselves out with...
The Power of a Voice
This past week we all held a lot of power- the power to vote. The United States was founded on this ideal that a country works best when everyone has a say in the goings on within the country. Admittedly, it took quite a while for that to actually happen for all...
IQ vs EQ Why You Should Care
No matter how many degrees a person may possess, if he or she doesn’t have specific emotional attributes, they are more unlikely to succeed.
Peace, Love and Understanding
Students at Fairmont Preparatory Academy stood together on Monday, October 22, to end bullying at their inaugural Peace Summit.
Spirit Week
Fairmont Prep has been a hive of activity recently as Spirit Week and Homecoming have come once again. The Student Government (ASB) spends months planning a week unlike any other on campus for students to enjoy which culminates in the Homecoming football game and the...
From Prep to Lab, Fairmont Student Paves Her Path to Success
Only a freshman at Cal State University, Fullerton, Dani Nguyen has been accepted to conduct research in the Bio-organic/Biochemistry research laboratory.
Sophomore Advice
The other week, we advised the freshmen who were starting off their high school careers. Now it is time to move up the ladder and speak to the next class. No longer the newest students on campus, sophomores are in a unique position. By now, they should have figured...
Hexagon Project, Transforming Conflict Through Art
The Hexagon Interdependence Project is a worldwide art project where young people are invited to explore global issues through the arts.
Fairmont Private Schools Named Best
Fairmont Private Schools is named winner for Best Private School for Elementary, Junior High, and High School by Parenting OC for the fourth consecutive year.
Prep Pride: Freshmen Advice
Freshmen, the time has come. You’ve completed years of education and now you are here on the big stage, high school. Now you get to see first-hand if all of those movies about high school will really come to life in the halls of Fairmont Prep. If you’ve ever seen...
Back to School at Fairmont Prep
How can you not love the first day of school? Sure, it does signify the end of summer and some beautiful carefree days here in Southern California, but the start of school brings so much potential. There is that eagerness to see old friends, meet new teachers, and...
Prep Pride: Start of School
After a quiet, somewhat dormant summer at Fairmont Prep, the campus has come alive this week as teachers have returned to prepare for another great school year. The campus has some new improvements, most notably in the gym with a new floor, scoreboard, and the...
PREPing For a Great Season
Fairmont Preparatory Academy is known for its excellence in academics. However, their sports program is also thriving which can be attributed to their top-level coaching staff and student athletes. An example of this is Joedy Gardner hired in 2016 as head coach for...
Debate Doubles Up the Tourneys
Last weekend, your Fairmont Prep debate team competed in tournaments concurrently. Locally, we debated at the Orange County Speech League (OCSL) Spring Invitational. Away, we competed at the Golden Desert Debate Tournament in Las Vegas. In total, 27 competitors from...
Fairmont Prep Debate Earns Another Bid to Tournament of Champions
Last weekend, your Fairmont Prep debate team competed at the 2018 Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Invitational, hosted by Arizona State University. Fifteen Prep students competed in this octofinal bid tournament, which awards bids to the year-end Tournament...
Fairmont Debate Students Win Another Bid to Tournament of Champions
Last weekend, your Fairmont Prep debate team traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to compete at the annual Alta Silver and Black Invitational. The students were there to debate the merits of increased gun control in the United States. Eight students from Fairmont Prep...
Fairmont Prep Earns More Bids to Tournament of Champions
Last weekend, your Fairmont Prep debate team competed at the 32nd annual MinneApple Debate Tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ten of our Fairmont Prep debaters traveled to this octofinal bid tournament, which awards Tournament of Champions (ToC) bids to the top 16...
Fairmont Prep Student Honored by Korean American Community of Los Angeles
Fairmont Prep junior Scott Hong was recently awarded a certificate of appreciation from the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles for his recent contributions to the community. Hong is currently working as a high school fellow for a nonprofit...
Debate Students Succeed at Claremont Bargain Belt Invitational
Last Saturday, your Fairmont Prep debate team competed in the fifth annual Claremont Bargain Belt Invitational. Four teams competed in Public Forum Debate, 12 debaters competed in Congressional Debate, and novice Ishika Kanakath competed in Original Oratory. The...
Boys Basketball Coach Honored As “Coach with Character”
Congratulations to boys basketball coach William Rosary III, who was honored by Fairmont Prep and the Orange County Athletic Directors Association (OCADA) as a "Coach with Character" at the fall meeting on October 9, 2017, at the Anaheim Convention Center! Coach...
Fairmont Prep Debate Breaks Previous Record
It was a record-setting weekend for Fairmont Prep debate. Last weekend, your Fairmont Prep debate team competed simultaneously in tournaments at California State University, Fullerton and the Bronx High School of Science (aka Big Bronx). In total, seven teams competed...
Debate Team Wins Trophies in Long Beach
Last week, your Fairmont Prep debate team competed in the National Debate Invitational at CSU Long Beach, which comprised more than 1,400 competitors from all over the country. Eight teams competed in Public Forum Debate, eight debaters competed in Congressional...
Fairmont Preparatory Academy to Host 14th Annual Open House & College Fair for Local Families and Students on Oct. 10 at Anaheim Campus
Students and parents interested in Fairmont Preparatory Academy are invited to attend its 14th Annual Fall Open House & College Fair on Tuesday, October 10, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Attendees can gain the competitive advantage in college admissions by meeting...
Fairmont Prep Debate Sweeps Novice Tournament
Last month, your Fairmont Prep debate novices competed in the annual Orange County Speech League Novice Tournament. Five students competed in the Congressional Debate category and debated topics such as improving U.S.-Latin American relations, how to improve the U.S....
Debate Students Secure Bids to Tournament of Champions
Last weekend, your Fairmont Prep debate team traveled to the National Speech and Debate Season Opener at the University of Kentucky. Six teams competed in Public Forum debate, and one speaker competed in extemporaneous speaking. The students debated whether or not the...
International Baccalaureate (IB) Turns 50
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). In recognition of this milestone, the IBO is launching a worldwide birthday celebration this fall. Fairmont Preparatory Academy has been an IB World School since 1995 and is...
Fairmont Prep Student Wins Congressional Award
Fairmont Prep senior Esther Park was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by California Congressman Ed Royce of the 39th District. The highest honor Congress can impart upon young Americans, the Congressional Award involves the completion of at least 100 hours in the...
Fairmont Prep Students Help Beautify Anaheim Neighborhood, Teacher Wins Art Award
Over the past two weeks, a group of Fairmont Preparatory Academy students has been working to beautify the area around the Anaheim campus. The students, members of the National Art Honors Society and led by teacher Heather Soodak, have painted over mass stretches of...
Fairmont Prep Teacher Awarded National Commendation
Fairmont Preparatory Academy is proud to announce that English teacher Jennifer Collison will receive a national commendation by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in Atlanta, Georgia, this November. Collison is being awarded this special honor for...
Fairmont Prep Wins “Best Private High School” in Orange County
Parenting OC readers have confirmed what our Fairmont family has known all along — that Fairmont Preparatory Academy is the best private school in Orange County! After winning "Best Private School" in 2015, Fairmont was eligible to win three categories this year,...
Fairmont Prep’s Visual Arts Department Shines As Students and Teachers Receive Top Honors
During the weekend of April 30, Fairmont Prep students Cameron Ostroot and Nick Palmer received first place and honorable mention, respectively, at the CAEA’s (California Art Education Association) Youth Art Month Show, Southern Division. Ostroot and Palmer’s winning...
Fairmont Preparatory Academy Hires Joedy Gardner As New Head Boys Basketball Coach
Fairmont Preparatory Academy is pleased to announce the hiring of Joedy Gardner as its new head boys basketball coach. Gardner served as the head boys basketball coach at JSerra Catholic High School for the past seven seasons, leading the team to the CIF championship...
Prep Alumna to Be Featured at the LA Times Festival of Books
Fairmont Prep alumna Sonali Kohli will be featured as a panelist during the 2016 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. A member of the Class of 2009, Kohli is now a journalist for the LA Times, reporting on education topics. After graduating from the University of...
Fairmont Prep Debate Team Continues on Path to Success
Over President's Day weekend, the Fairmont Prep debate team traveled to the University of California, Berkeley to participate in the 2016 California Invitational Debate Tournament, the second-largest high school speech and debate tournament in the country. Nine teams...
Fairmont Alumna Researches Past to Help Future
Sarah Cole, member of Fairmont Prep’s Class of 2010 and Class of 2014 at Oberlin College, is currently working for the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. An organization dedicated to...
Fairmont Prep Teacher Works to Improve California Students’ Educations
Fairmont Prep English teacher Jennifer Collison currently serves on the executive board of the California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) and is the chairperson of the CATE 2016 Convention. Held in Costa Mesa this February, the convention will feature dozens...
Prep Senior to Attend Westmont College on Athletic Scholarship
Congratulations to Fairmont Prep senior, returning starter, and 2015 all-league honoree Maud Ranger for signing her official letter of intent to attend Westmont College on a girls basketball scholarship! Maud will be one of several Fairmont Prep student-athletes...
Recap of the 12th Annual College Fair and Fall Preview
Thank you to all who attended the 12th annual College Fair and Fall Preview! On Tuesday, representatives from more than 90 colleges and universities from around the country packed into the Fairmont Prep gymnasium to inform not only Fairmont students but high school...
Husky Vision Alum Shines in CSUF Communications Program
Arthur Garcia, a member of Fairmont Prep’s Class of 2013, is now pursuing a radio-TV-film (RTVF) degree at California State University, Fullerton. Entering his junior year in the program, Garcia is now the studio manager of Titan Communications, CSUF’s digital media...
Fairmont Prep Students Cheer Participants of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
On Sunday, September 27, 100 Fairmont Prep students attended the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Newport Beach. Acting as cheerleaders for more than 14,000 racers, Fairmont Prep students were there to greet and congratulate the runners as they crossed the finish...
Fairmont Prep Alumna Uses Technology to Foster Global Citizenship
Fairmont Preparatory alumna Chloe Ma spent her summer working as an operations intern at the Global Nomads Group, a nonprofit organization that uses technology to establish cultural exchange between young people around the globe. A self-identified "global citizen," Ma...
Prep IBP Member Mixes Beats with Business
Fairmont sophomore Marcos De La Riva is an active member of the International Business Program and makes up half of the Wolf & Riva music duo. De La Riva and his music partner have recently released their first remix to Calvin Harris and John Newman’s Blame. Their...
“We’re all math geeks here” — Fairmont Junior Journeys to MIT
In June, Fairmont junior Tara Falt participated in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MathROOTS program, an 11-day invitational academic camp that hones advanced students' math skills with math Olympiad-style problems. Following the camp, Falt was featured in...
Collaboration Helps Fairmont Student-Athletes Achieve Academic Success
Behind the exuberance of students' achievements in sports — such as Fairmont Prep's Michelle Lee finishing eighth at the CIF State Diving Championship and earning All-American honors from USA Diving — is the responsibility of maintaining a strong GPA. Balancing heavy...
Helping Student-Athletes Give Back
In concert with helping student-athletes manage rigorous academic coursework, Fairmont Preparatory Academy's community service program provides these active students opportunities to foster social responsibility and compassion to serve others. Community service also...
Fairmont Students Explore Global Perspectives on Entrepreneurship in Malaysia
The International Business Program at Fairmont Preparatory Academy launched its first excursion into international business with Startup School Asia under the direction of Startup Malaysia. A select group of Fairmont students are spending this week in Kuala Lumpur,...
Fairmont Debate Teams Score Significant Wins at National Debate Competition
Middle school team places second in the country, and high school team finishes in the top 48 among 270 teams at the final tournament of the 2014–2015 season Students at Fairmont Private Schools performed admirably at the 2015 National Speech & Debate Tournament...
Fairmont Preparatory Academy Celebrates 2015 Commencement
Watch the 2015 Preparatory Academy Commencement Fairmont Preparatory Academy graduated 170 seniors on Thursday, May 28, 2015, during the school's 2015 commencement ceremony at Pearson Park. This year's senior class follows the trend of previous years in that more than...
Fairmont Prep Debate Teams Shine at Prestigious Debate Competition
Student debate teams from Fairmont Preparatory Academy competed at the 44th annual Tournament of Champions held on the campus of the University of Kentucky from April 25–27. Participating in what is known as one of the most difficult and prestigious debate...
Fairmont Prep Freshman CIF Runner-Up in Diving
Congratulations to Fairmont Prep freshman Michelle Lee on her second-place finish at the CIF Division 4 Diving Championships held at Riverside Community College on Tuesday, May 12. UPDATE (5/27/2015) — Michelle Lee placed eighth at the inaugural CIF State Swimming and...
Fairmont Prep’s Chin Ecstatic Over Record-Setting Win
Edgar Chin powered his hands into the wall, turned toward the timing board and unleashed a primal scream of colliding emotions. The promise the Fairmont Prep swimmer showed early in the CIF-SS Division 4 finals Friday night had been realized, and his worries washed...
