It was a rough first week for Emma Watanabe.
The OVS freshman is a full-time boarder due to COVID-19. She recently moved to the campus on August 30th and is excited to experience going to boarding school. She is an avid athlete and eager to propel the OVS soccer team forward.
Unfortunately, Emma sprained her ankle on her sixth day at OVS playing soccer barefoot, so she was not able to do any physical activity for a couple of days.
“I am an idiot,” said Emma, 14. “I should’ve at least worn shoes.”
Emma comes from Fremont Middle School which is located in Oxnard. Emma decided to attend OVS because she hopes to create a college profile to get into her dream university, UCLA. Emma is originally from Arizona but moved to Oxnard, California when she was in third grade. She has lived in Oxnard Beach since then.
“For this upcoming year, I hope to improve myself academically,” Emma explained, “and try new things.”
While she is very disappointed about her ankle, she is excited and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and can not wait for the soccer season when she can play on both the boy’s and girls’ teams.
While it is her first time being a student at OVS, it is not her first time being on campus. Emma’s dad was the girl’s soccer coach three years ago and she accompanied him to many games.
Another new student and avid soccer player is Jean-Michel Lin-Hurtubise. This is his first-ever experience at boarding school, and so far, he likes it. “I’m having a lot of fun and enjoying the freedom” he explained. He is originally from Oahu, Hawaii, and is a talented athlete.
“I placed second place during Nationals last year for his team, FC Hawai’i,” JM said. He is settling into the OVS lifestyle and spending lots of time on the soccer field.
JM decided to come to OVS for the outdoor program, although there has not been much adventuring outside of the school grounds due to Covid-19.
Learning over the computer is not his ideal way of learning. He prefers learning in person, but despite this, JM has already made lots of friends and is happy to be a student at Ojai Valley School.
Another new student is Alana Mollison. She is a junior and a part of the equestrian program at OVS. Ali has had an excellent time so far at school. She has made many friends and ridden many horses. When asked who her favorite horse to ride, she said “Roy.”
On top of equestrian, she has many other hobbies.
“I do mountain biking, horseback riding, skating, and cross-country running,” Ali said.
She is originally from the St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, but lives in Marin County, San Francisco. She is now living on campus after quarantining for two weeks before school started.
Emma, JM, and Ali may be new students, but they are settling in and making OVS their home. While they all have their own stories and interests, one thing they all have in common is the fact that they are loving OVS and are excited to see what the school year will hold.