Strath Haven offers a wide variety of classes in various subjects, but some students still go above and beyond. Seniors Caleb Young and Jai Rastogi are just two of them. 

Last semester both Young and Rastogi took online math courses through Johns Hopkins University. Young took Differential Equations, while Rastogi took Intro to Abstract Algebra. This semester, Rastogi is enrolled in a Harvard Extension computer science course, Data Structures and Algorithms.

In order to take these classes, Young and Rastogi had to get them approved by the school administration. Part of that process is completing Strath Haven’s curriculum in the respective fields.

“I had to complete all of the math classes to take Abstract Algebra,” Rastogi said. “To do Data Structures and Algorithms, I got a 5 on the AP [Computer Science A] exam and that was enough to take it.”

Both students took these classes as an independent study block, doing most of their work in the library.

“The study was great,” Young said. “It was very nice to have over an hour each day to totally dedicate to my class, and since it was self-paced, I was generally able to make the most of that time. I always felt like I had proper resources at my disposal which was in large part due to Mr. [Jason] Torregrossa and Mrs. [Lysa] Rieger who let me ask questions sometimes and use whiteboards.”

Young and Rastogi both said that the classes they took at Haven helped build a foundation for success in their college courses.

“There was a lot of linear [algebra] in Abstract Algebra,” Rastogi said.

With this great opportunity comes great responsibility, though, as students should be prepared to study on their own efficiently.

“It’s pretty easy to get distracted sometimes,” Rastogi said. “So you got to stay on top of your work.”