No one explains the positive impact of Carden Academy of Huntington Beach better than Rebecca Clopp, one of the school’s brightest star students who is now a freshman at the University of Arizona on full scholarship.
“Carden Academy HB shaped me into the person I am today from Day 1,” says Rebecca, who attended Carden HB from pre-school through eighth grade. “I experienced everything that you possibly can in life at a young age while I attended Carden HB -- from education and social situations to world travel.
“When you’re little, you want to try everything, you want to experience everything you possibly can, and at Carden HB you can,” she adds. “It helped me gain confidence in myself no matter what the circumstances were, no matter what the issue was.
“This is exactly the way pre-school, kindergarten and middle school should be.”
Rebecca’s knowledge and level of maturity was several years ahead of her friends who attended public school. She didn’t realize how much smarter – or how much more mature – she was until middle school and especially when she graduated from Carden HB in 2004 and attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach.
To this day, Rebecca is still more mature and responsible than many of her friends who did not attend Carden HB.
“I matured a lot faster than other kids my age because Carden HB gave me a safe environment to grow up and become who I am,” she says. “My friends who went to public school were very sensitive and constantly talked about peer pressure. I was so different because of my experience at Carden HB. At Carden, we don’t get caught up in all that stuff. We don’t get caught up in drama and all those materialistic things that so many people place emphasis on.”
From an educational standpoint, she was also years ahead of everyone else.
“I had already read Shakespeare and Mark Twain before any of my friends in high school and that put me way ahead,” she says. “I excelled in Literature because of that.”
She excelled in every class – thanks to Carden HB’s challenging curriculum.
The quality of instruction and education at Carden HB is incomparable. The school’s kindergarten students test in the 95th percentile nationally in the SAT 10 in reading, science, math and listening. Eighth graders score in the 92nd percentile nationally in the SAT 10 in reading, math, language, spelling, science, social science, listening and thinking skills. Additionally, 93% of the school’s graduates test into honors Literature and Algebra at top high schools like Sage Hill, Cornelia Connolly and Mater Dei.
“Carden HB provides the finest education you can get,” Rebecca says. “My experience there is so sacred to me and it’s a big point of who I am; I wasn’t afraid of who I wanted to be.
“You cannot underestimate the value of growing up at the school where everyone knows you and you know everyone,” she adds. “Carden HB was my first comfort zone. It was another home. When you grow up in a place like Carden HB, it shapes you unlike any place.
“Plus, at Carden HB, you’re taught from an early age to go out and be a go-getter. You’re always told to do your best. It’s ingrained in you. Going into high school, you have to have that attitude to get out there and be a go-getter. I had the skills to do that.”
Instinctively, Carden Academy HB students develop strong relationships with its high school teachers and college professors because of their special teacher-student relationship at Carden HB.
“A strong relationship with your teachers is a big key to your success,” Rebecca says. “In public school, students seldom talk to their teachers and are unable to develop a good rapport. Most kids just aren’t use to it. But at Carden HB, it’s automatic. So when I went to Marina, it was easy for me to communicate with my teachers. I wasn’t afraid or apprehensive to ever talk to one of them. That’s because of Carden.”
Teachers at Carden HB place trust, loyalty and honesty in students, which Rebecca says is extremely important – “and really underestimated,” she adds.
“They let you explore,” she says. “They don’t have to babysit you like teachers do at other schools. The teachers here trust you to do the right thing because that’s what they instill in you from the beginning – trust, honesty, being true to yourself and your family.”
When Rebecca was at Carden HB, she was fortunate to travel to Italy, France, England, Australia, and New Zealand. Every year, Carden HB travels overseas to various countries to enhance the educational experience for its students. And the students get to share the 10- to 12-day experiences abroad with their parents and siblings.
"Traveling abroad is a great learning experience," Rebecca says. "It complements what you learn in the classroom. Experiencing other cultures first hand is extremely valuable when you learning about particular countries.”
When Carden HB Director Carol Van Asten and the school’s teachers talk about Rebecca, they glow with pride, warmth and excitement.
“She’s a model student and wonderful young lady,” Mrs. Van Asten says. “She is a perfect example of what our school produces. She could easily be the poster child for our school.”
How remarkable is Rebecca?
Here are the academic achievements and assorted awards she received last year at Marina High School:
- The Golden Shield Award – Marina’s annual award to honor top scholars;
- California Scholarship Society Seal Bearer
- ASU Sun Devil Merit Scholarship
- ASU Waterpolo Scholarship
- February Athlete of the Month
- October Student of the Month
Rebecca graduated Marina High with an accumulative grade point average of 4.2.
She participated in waterpolo all four years and was captain of the team in her junior and senior years. She was voted “Best Defender” her sophomore year and “Most Valuable Player” her junior and senior years. She was a named to the All Sunset League Team and the Coastal California Youth National Zone Team.
“I’ve got a lot to be thankful for,” she says, “from my family to Carden Academy of Huntington Beach.”
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