Page 8 - Menlo Magazine: Summer/Fall 2018

SUMMER/FALL 2018
Menlo grads talk about
how the arts at Menlo shaped who they are, how they balanced STEM and the arts, and the importance of the arts in education for students growing up in Silicon Valley.
The benefits of a rich and vibrant creative arts program are many. Arts encourage balance. Arts require reflection. Arts ask students to look deeply into themselves so that they learn what matters most to them. Arts let students share the unique aspects of their personalities in a way that builds community and lets individuality shine. As recent grad Ari Troper ’18 shared before heading off to college, “When every student has a voice, our community is stronger. I am a firm believer that every person has some artistic inclination whether it be in fine arts, theater, dance, or voice.” Arts are an invaluable and essential companion to Menlo’s academic and athletic curriculum, and indeed, they make the Menlo community stronger.
Being in the heart of Silicon Valley, Menlo is at a unique intersection where arts and STEM flourish. That’s not lost on our students, but many feel pressure to focus more on science, math, and engineering classes. They’re doing so in part because our changing world requires fluency in these skills. And yet, it’s important to keep in mind that the arts curriculum also provides development in many of the areas that are essential for success in STEM-related disciplines as well as valuable lifelong skills.
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