What do you most value about what you learned at Foothills?
I value the sense of community at Foothills. I value that as a kid I was able to grow there and understand that one of the most important things in life is to love what you do. That’s been a huge thing for me. I try to do things in a way that shows that I love them and that they’re important.
     ~Becca Ballenger, Senior - Interlochen Academy of Arts

What advice would you give someone about how to do well on standardized tests?
I’d say it’s really important to focus on learning and figuring out how to learn. It’s that whole wisdom versus knowledge thing… wisdom will help you improve the quality of your life experiences. It’s important to learn how to reason and think, rather than just memorizing facts. You can’t just memorize information if you want to create something new.
     ~Tynan Smith (far left), Freshman - MIT
     (Received perfect scores on the PSAT and SAT)

What do you miss about Foothills?
I miss a lot of things, being in an environment where teachers know you and care about you and your future. It was nice to get a lot of attention from teachers and to be able to discuss things with them and your classmates. I think I most of all miss the opportunity for analysis and going deeper into projects and ideas. I miss the discussions at FSAS.
     ~Quinn Olbrich, Sophomore – Wesleyan University

What are your main passions in life?
I’m passionate about art. I had two pieces selected for Higher Grounds, which are on display at the Boise Art Museum. The one piece was a portrait of Billy Joe (pictured at right), lead singer of the band Green Day (I like his ideas more than his music right now); the other is called Heartbreak Wears a Uniform (it’s reminiscent of 50s style cartoons).
     ~Sarah Hovren, Sophomore - Seattle Art Institute
     (Artist of the Year at Boise High 2005)

What do you most value about what you learned at Foothills?
I think FSAS really stresses accepting and learning how to get along and work with other people. I felt like I was important and made a difference at FSAS. We learned to ask questions, to ask the right kind of questions, to get at the heart of things.
     ~Tara Sipiora, Sophomore – Boise State University

What do you most value about what you learned at Foothills?
I think learning how to think is the most valuable thing that I learned. That’s the basis for everything. It’s like that saying about the fisherman being taught how to fish so that he can feed himself. I think that independent thinking helps with everything in life; it’s a lot more than just teaching information – it’s how to use information. That’s what I like about skateboarding. There’s freedom to do it the way that you want. You can just have fun with it.
     ~Hawk Sahlein, Freshman – Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design

Do you have favorite memories of being a student at Foothills?
All the trips were really fun. While I was here I went on spring trips to Spain, California, Canada, Boston and Philadelphia. The trips are great because you learn a lot and get to have fun and hang out with friends and teachers outside of school. I liked the closeness of the community at FSAS. It’s nice to know everybody, to know the teachers so well, and to be able to develop strong friendships with people.
     ~Josh Enterkine, Freshman – Colorado College

How have you continued to challenge yourself after Foothills?
In applying to colleges, I’ve put myself out there because I’m ready to try something totally different. I’d love to go to school in New York because it’d be a totally new experience and represents the greatest change. I scored pretty well on the SATs and that should help me get into some colleges. Some schools, like Juliard, base admission solely on the audition, which I want to apply to for the experience--it’ll be pretty intense but I want to do it.
     ~Casey Crowley, Sophomore – New York University

What do you value most about what you learned at Foothills?
I value the need for everyone’s input into making decisions. Like in election years, I think everyone’s voice counts. I learned at Foothills that there are a lot of problems in the world and that if you don’t educate yourself, then you won’t be able to solve problems.
     ~Allyson Woodard, Freshman – Scripps