Navigating through a bustling cafeteria after a series of demanding classes, imagine seeking solace at your usual lunch spot, only to find chaos: research articles sprawled across tables, an incomplete presentation awaiting visuals, and a friend desperately seeking interviewees. This scenario unfolds for students in various programs at Francis Lewis High School, prompting the crucial question of which program to choose as the school year progresses.
As the daunting decision looms, understanding the unique demands and offerings of each program becomes imperative. Francis Lewis boasts an array of programs, each catering to different academic interests and potential career paths. Among the high-profile options are Science Research, Robotics, Virtual Enterprise, University Scholars, Journalism, and the Jacob Javits Law Program.
Science Research
In Science Research, students can learn new techniques in the science field and get to design their own experiment.
“A typical day for me in Science Research is working on any assignments assigned by my teacher, doing my experiment in the laboratory, communicating with my teammates, and a lot of independent writing and reading,” sophomore Jocelyn Zheng said.
Unlike following a strict syllabus, students in the science research program have the ability to pursue their individual interests. To an extent, they can follow their own pace. They have the freedom of creating and conducting their own experiments yet, this aspect comes with certain responsibilities.
Unlike adhering strictly to a syllabus, Science Research students enjoy the freedom to pursue individual interests, setting their own pace. However, this flexibility comes with added responsibilities, as highlighted by Science Research teacher Dr. Cohen, emphasizing the need for self-planning and time management.
“They do have a little bit more responsibility of planning their schedules because everyone’s project is going to take a different amount of time,” said Dr. Cohen. “They do have a little bit more responsibility of planning their schedules because everyone’s project is going to take a different amount of time… It gets easier as you move along.”
Certain students enjoy the increased responsibility due to having more educational freedom. On the other hand, others may consider it a bit of a hassle as increased responsibility also comes with the increase in workload.
In addition to foundational skills, students in the science research program gain new abilities and learn more about their interests.
“I’ve learned many valuable research skills such as critical thinking, time management skills, and communication skills,” states Jocelyn Zheng. “It has undoubtedly expanded my perspective on science and helped me be more confident in pursuing a future in science.”
According to Dr. Cohen, the nature of the program heavily prepares the students for college-level material and makes college classes “seem so much less demanding.” Although it may seem tedious in the beginning, the knowledge given by this program has helped many students in their futures.
“If I had a nickel for every time one of my alumnus sends me an email saying that they feel so far ahead in college, I could probably fix everything around the annex,” Dr. Cohen says. “So, it really impacts them because they’re used to a heavier course load.”
Robotics
Much like the science research program, students in the robotics program have the ability to contribute their individual skills onto a project. Skills include coding, manufacturing, and creating potential designs for the robot.
“If you’re not good at one thing, you can do something else,” said Julia Bilik, a junior. “For example, you don’t have to be good at coding, you can instead draw or build the robot itself.”
Bilik advises being “open to learning about new things” in the robotics program. Throughout the duration of the course, she was able to heavily expand her skill set.
“I have learned how to do the manufacturing aspects of the robot and how to excel as a builder last year,” said Bilik. “I’m also learning a new programming language that I haven’t known before, which is Java. I only knew Python before.”
The robotics program requires constant communication and group work with team members. It also requires staying late after school and working on projects, which shows the dedication students in this program have on their projects.
“I enjoy being able to cooperate with so many people because it’s so community based, but then I also dislike it because it can take a lot of my time,” mentioned Bilik. “Sometimes you have to stay until 7.”
Virtual Enterprise
The Virtual Enterprise program involves public speaking and numerous presentations. The program teaches students about maintaining businesses and financial aspects such as investing and taxes.
“In freshman year, there were not a lot of presentations, we just mostly focused on how to present and all those Economics Crash Courses,” said Linyi Huang, a junior. “We only had a total of three presentations, two on your own and one with your group. And this year, being a junior in VE, it’s only been the second month of school and I have already had two presentations.”
While Huang doesn’t enjoy having to present on her own, this requirement allowed her to become a more “confident speaker.” The program also heavily improved the quality of her presentations.
“They were just not professional and it was whatever I wanted it to be,” says Huang. “But, after joining this program, I learned more professional ways and how to actually make good slides in a business and formal way.”
University Scholars
In the University Scholars program, students are also required to be a part of the AP Capstone program which involves taking AP Seminar and AP Research. The AP Capstone courses replace regular English classes and are equivalent to the work done in college, more specifically work done to get a PhD.
“AP Seminar, which is an English course, is very different from English honors,” says Miura. “You get to talk to different people who have a better understanding or more of a dedication to the subject.”
The University Scholars program also allows students to take two language courses at once without having to handle multiple additional classes. Sometimes students are able to skip levels depending on their skills.
Journalism
The Journalism program is another elective, which teaches students essential skills surrounding reporting and publishing stories. Students start off with the course “Introduction to Journalism ” where they learn essential skills and are then able to move onto the courses “Journalism Writing” and “Multimedia” where they are given more creative freedom.
“A major skill I learned was the importance of connecting with community, either large or small,” said Yasmeen Persaud, an alumnus of the Journalism program and a current NBC editor, “Francis Lewis was its own close-knit, diverse community of students. The program definitely shows students how to exercise empathy — especially when reporting on difficult subjects.”
Yasmeen Persaud feels as if she isn’t “finished learning” and every day “feels like taking the first step” in her career.
“It’s also difficult to know the truth in an age where we have access to so much information,” added Yasmeen Persaud. “Definitely in the beginning of my journey I learned the importance of reading everything to know both sides of the story, and to know the importance of sources. It’s also imperative to understand the impact your words will have on audiences everywhere.”
As a result of the journalism program, Yasmeen Persaud majored in journalism and creative writing while in college as well as wrote for Baruch’s newspaper. She was then able to join NBC news and become one of the editors.
“As an Assignment Editor for NBC News, I feel prepared to cover a range of stories because of my experience interviewing so many different people throughout high school and college,” said Yasmeen Persaud. “I don’t aim to be a perfect journalist and understand that there is always room for improvement. In realizing this, I aim for truth, understanding and clarity in my reporting. I am willing to learn from all of the amazing colleagues I work with everyday.”
Jacob Javits Law
In the Jacob Javits Law Program, students participate in “hands on” projects, mock trials, and moot courts. Students cooperate with each other as they mimic the roles of lawyers and judges in a courtroom.
“My year two students, in criminal justice, right now they’re working in teams of eight,” said Mr. Buckley, a law teacher. “They’re working together to prepare a case to conduct a mock trial, so there’s a lot of collaboration, teamwork, and communication required.”
The law program provides students with college credit, and therefore a lot of the material is as rigorous and can be just as challenging as a college class. Additionally, the program includes many presentations which serve as assessments and depend on how well you perform.
“If you’re uncomfortable presenting or performing, you’re going to get a lot of practice at that and you’re going to become comfortable,” said Mr. Buckley.
Pretima Persaud, an alumnus of the law program and current law student, recalls how the program allowed her to get ahead and learn about significant topics.
“As a proud product of the public school system, the law program is a memory that I often share with so many people because at the age of fourteen I was learning the material of first year law students,” said Pretima Persaud. “At the age of fourteen I was learning about the United States judicial system and my rights as an American citizen, something many adults never learn.”
Persaud adds that the law program prepared her to be “a model citizen of society” and recalls the many other benefits that the program brought her.
“The law program helped me build character and presence,” said Pretima Persaud. “I grew out of my shell and became confident that my voice mattered in a room full of strangers. In addition, the law program taught me public speaking and advocacy skills. I learned how to brief a case, something many first year law school students struggle with. Most importantly, the law program taught me to always consider both sides to a situation before I speak or act.
Persaud advises students to “approach this opportunity with an open mind” and take advantage of all the opportunities that the program provides.
“Lastly, take advantage of the many opportunities the law program has to offer. Ask your questions, attend the field trips, and learn how to make connections. Learn how to find our voice and confidence in a room of strangers. Allow yourself to make mistakes because those are the lessons that will remain with you throughout your career.”
Like other programs at Francis Lewis, the law program serves to give students a bigger insight about their future and potential careers.
“I think for some students, it encourages them and allows them to want to go deeper if they really like the work,” said Mr. Buckley. “For others, it’s a sort of process of elimination. It helps them realize that they don’t want to be a lawyer, and that’s equally valuable.”
For Persaud, the law program gave her a bigger insight about her career.
“The Jacob Javits Law Program solidified my dream of becoming an attorney, more specifically, becoming a voice for those who feel silenced,” said Persaud. “From my internships to the various conversations with my teachers, I was confident that I wanted to go to law school and become an advocate in New York City.”
