At 6:30 a.m., senior Mateo Ramirez-Valentini wakes up, gets ready and drives to school. Arriving by 7:45, he attends a variety of senior electives, such as “Body Politic” and Organic Chemistry.

On Fridays, Ramirez-Valentini stays until 4:45 to lead the Environmental Coalition of Students, better known as ECOS, where students go door-to-door emptying recycling bins. Some of the other clubs Ramirez-Valentini leads include Unity Council and the Latinos Unidos affinity group. Both groups focus on student inclusion and appreciation, a topic Ramirez-Valentini is passionate about.

“ECOS is super fun, and we learn a bit more about the environment while also recycling every Friday,” Ramirez-Valentini said.

Outside of schoolwork, Ramirez-Valentini attends Zoom meetings with nonprofit groups like “Diversify Our Narrative,” an organization which strives for an anti-racist future through education. As the co-leader of a local chapter, Ramirez-Valentini organizes the affinity group guide for hundreds of schools across the country along with senior Aashna Poduval.

He usually arrives home by 4:20 p.m., starts on his homework and preps for the following day. With the added obligation of applications, Ramirez-Valentini was especially busy during the college season..

“It’s difficult to pick a favorite activity, since they are all so different and interesting in their own ways.” Ramirez-Valentini said.

After stopping at the Kolache Factory every morning, senior Turner Edwards drives to school, arriving by 7:45 a.m. to spend time with friends in Flores. To stay productive during the school day, Edwards keeps his phone in Senior Country while attending classes.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, Edwards works as a cashier at a local boba shop called Hella Bubble. He works in order to improve his customer service skills and socialize with others.

“I like to talk to people who come in and make sure that they’re enjoying their time at the shop,” Edwards said. “Lately my favorite drink at the shop has been Thai Tea, it’s unique and tastes really good.”

Recently, Edwards decreased his working hours in order to accommodate his senior year workload. Outside of classwork, Edwards is also one of the Imagination Editors-in-Chief, the School’s creative writing magazine, and enjoys writing stories in his free time.

Edwards centralizes his extracurriculars around the humanities, his favorite academic discipline.

“I plan on making a career out of it. I love that Imagination is kind of there for me, and I can talk with other people who have the same dedication,” Edwards said. “My favorite things to write are stories.”

Junior Libby Agarwal started dancing when she was 2 years old, devoting most of her free time to the art. Most days, starting at 5:00 p.m., Agarwal spends three hours at her studio choreographing and mastering routines. She specializes in contemporary but also enjoys other forms, such as ballet. From Jan. through April, Agarwal competes over the weekends with the West University Dance Company.

“I really like the freedom and the artistry that you get with dance. You get to express yourself and it helps with de-stressing as well,” Agarwal said.

Agarwal also participates in Terpsichore, the highest level of dance on campus. She recently performed in the US Dance Concert in late April and STUCHO in early January.

In addition to competitive dancing, Agarwal tutors students in a combination of dance and math every Wednesday at West U Elementary.

“I have four hours of dance after school alongside the academic schedule every day. So basically, it’s a lot of work, but I have learned to manage.” Agarwal said.

Apart from her dance schedule, her school schedule is also filled. Agarwal takes four AP courses, ranging from U.S. History to Physics.

“I’m happy having dance as my extracurricular. It takes a significant amount of my time, but I still enjoy it.”

As SAC president, sophomore Graham Johnson takes responsibility for “bringing tangible change” to campus and improving student life. Every Wednesday at lunch, he attends meetings and works with other class representatives to implement new ideas, such as “Free Dress Fridays” and a “SAC x Commserve event that will engage the entire upper school.”

Arriving at school by 7:50 a.m. on most days, Johnson spends the morning catching up with friends or working on homework in the library.

“Sometimes when I’m feeling extra productive, I’ll wake up at six and get here early to get ahead on work. It just depends on the week,” Johnson said.

During DaVinci on Days 1 and 6, Johnson heads to the VST to sing in Chorale. He usually spends his lunches in club meetings or socializing with friends. Along with SAC, Johnson participates on the events team of the Black Student Union and plays tennis in and out of school.

In addition, Johnson aids community service organizations, recently earning the title of a regional president at “Second Serve,” a group that collects and distributes tennis equipment to underprivileged communities.

“Even with my work, I’ve found it pretty easy so far to balance St. John’s life and my social calendar, especially with practice. I think it’s really just about organizing,” Johnson said.

Freshman Kayla Bayazitoglu dedicates over ten hours each week to improving her field hockey and soccer skills. She plays for varsity soccer as well as the Pride field hockey team.

During the school day, Bayazitoglu spends her breaks hanging out with friends. She looks forward to the periods, like DaVinci, where she is able to sit down and take a break from work.

Bayazitoglu finds balance between her school workload and sports practices, which sometimes last for hours on end. After school, most days of the week are spent on the field hockey and soccer fields. Most of her practices take place in the evenings, going from 6:30 to 9:30 pm., with the exception of last season’s weekly morning practices for soccer. On Sundays, she has additional evening practices for field hockey.

“One of the best feelings in sports is when you make a really good play,” Bayazitoglu said. “I love seeing my teammates everyday during practice as well; it makes the sport super fun.”

To stay on top of her schoolwork, Bayazitoglu will often start her homework ahead of time. She also makes the most of her free carriers by staying focused and on task.

Most days, Bayazitoglu goes to sleep by midnight after preparing for the following day.

“Even though it is a lot of work, I really love my sports,” Bayazitoglu said.