Diving deeper into our research of Olive Grove Academy and completing our coding, we noticed some very prominent themes crucial for our research on the relationship between Olive Grove Academy and how it prepares its students to become democratic leaders. The two themes that we found consistent among all of our transcripts were different characteristics of Olive Grove academy that encourage their students to have democratic mindset as well as take democratic action. Looking at the different factors of the curriculum that enforce democratic ideals within the schools culture. For democratic mindset we looked at areas that displayed critical thinking, social awareness, student values, future goals, social class, and student pressures. For democratic Action we looked at civic engagement, student leadership, and cultural diversity. These two themes are both areas in which Olive Grove academy provides opportunities that encourage democratic characteristics within their curriculum and culture.
Democratic leaders have charisma, strong communication skills, and level-headedness. From this, I was drawn to the idea of nature vs nurture, asking myself many questions. Are democratic leaders created through nature being born with traits like charisma, strong communication skills, and level-headedness which make them strong leaders? Or does it involve nurture through their socialization, education, life experiences, and mentorship that shape them into strong democratic leaders?
While I believe that nature plays a role in being a strong democratic leader as it provides the tools that leaders must display, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be effective as leaders. In a democracy, building consensus, gaining trust, and advocating for your people is essential for the territory. These are all skills that can be learned and nurtured.
Overall, when comparing the idea of nature and nurture, I think you need both to be a strong democratic leader. Different experiences in your life shape you into who you are as a human being, and other traits you are born with provide you with strong skills to help you be a democratic leader. I think that Olive Grove Academy and the experience of going to an international school in the US will prepare you and give you the experience to be a democratic leader. Still, I also think natural skills like temperament are necessary for a democratic leader.
How Olive Grove Academy Prepares Students for U.S. College Life
Globally, elite schools play a significant role in preparing their students for success in international college especially in a globalized world . After reviewing the transcripts of alums who attended Olive Grove Academy in Jordan, I was intrigued by the prominent patterns that arose. The three alums transcripts I analyzed attended Olive Grove Academy before moving on to participate in prestigious colleges in the United States. The students attended Colby, Bates, and Johns Hopkins three academically rigorous schools displaying acceptance rates below 13%. While Olive Grove has an esteemed reputation, all the students discussed academic and social challenges they faced during their transition to college in the USA.
For instance, the student who attended Colby shared that his journey was particularly tough due to his prior experiences at Deerfield for high school and then returning home for a gap year at Olive Grove Academy. He shared that academic rigor was less intense at Olive Grove. Ultimately, his gap year at Olive Grove between Deerfield and Colby affected his motivation, but eventually, he regained motivation when he discovered his passion for Art History.
Conversely, an alum who attended Bates experienced a much smoother transition. She credited the smooth transition to the similarities between Olive Grove and Bates in that they both offer small class structures. The Bates alum also emphasized how Olive Grove offers Advanced Placement courses, which allowed her to be exempt from introductory classes at Bates, allowing her the freedom to focus on courses that she had a genuine interest in. The last alum who attended Johns Hopkins explained that he encountered significant challenges because Johns Hopkins focuses on self-directed learning. In order for him to thrive in this new academic environment, he had to adapt his learning style to what Johns Hopkins offered.
Throughout these interviews, I noticed themes regarding social class and mobility. Two middle- class students shared that even though Olive Grove is an elite institution, it created a space that helped bridge economic disparities among its students. One alum shared that when he attended college, his friend group was initially influenced by social class. However, over time, the class distinctions faded as college included students from a variety of backgrounds. Additionally, another student from a lower-class background got the opportunity to attend Olive Grove because of his parents’ financial sacrifices. He shared the stark cultural challenges he faced in college surrounding differences in spending habits, housing, and lifestyle.
These alumni narratives illustrate that education transcends academics. They reveal the complex interplay between education, culture, and social class in shaping the experiences of these international students in the U.S . While Olive Grove Academy laid a solid foundation, the majority of their learning occurred through the challenges they described in college, such as the different learning styles and having to navigate a different culture and adapt. These examples highlight the principle of education as a vital tool for personal and social growth.
I observed in my research that all of these students displayed ambition, adaptability, and resilience. Olive Grove can’t provide all of the tools for American elite universities in the same way that American preparatory schools can. It definitely equipped the students with a foundation. In turn, this gives them the valuable tools necessary for transitioning to elite colleges. Olive Grove’s framework encourages students to foster their sense of autonomy as well as seek out new opportunities. This connects back to our research paper, which examines how Olive Grove Academy prepares students to become democratic leaders. I believe that while Olive Grove offers a strong groundwork, it is the students’ navigation and application of the groundwork that helps shape them into democratic leaders.
