Riley Lee (Class of '23) is clear-eyed about how the Northwest experience helped shape his identity over four years. "I began at Northwest as a shy kid that was petrified of raising my hand in class," he recalls. "And I left as a student who is eager to engage in class discussions and with class content. I have developed as a student in all sorts of ways."
Currently a junior in the Nursing major - with a Theology and Religious Studies minor - at the University of San Francisco, Riley is on track to graduate in May, 2027.
Equitable healthcare access for everyone is a core area of focus in this degree program, and is also important to his future career goals. "I am in the Honors College and I am part of the Nurse Health Equity Scholars Initiative program, which is a partnership between USF and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH)," explains Riley. "The other students in this program and I do all of our clinical rotations in safety net healthcare systems that are run by the SFDPH, and that accept anyone regardless of health insurance status. Our instruction emphasizes health equity and providing care to vulnerable populations."
However, his passion for supporting vulnerable groups and advocating for their welfare extends to other campus involvement. "I am also Journalism Director for the Supporting Immigrants and Refugees Club (SIRC) on campus," he shares, "and I lead a team that keeps students updated on the latest immigration related news."
Northwest helped me discover a passion for social justice that has shaped who I am as a person. I came out of Northwest feeling motivated and prepared to be involved with social justice efforts on campus at college.
Looking Back on the Northwest School Experience
Riley looks back fondly on his experience in Upper School at Northwest. "I enjoyed how caring the faculty are," he says. "My teachers were always happy to meet with me when I was having trouble in their classes." He pauses and adds, "A lot of NWS teachers have really gone above and beyond to support me. Many of them encouraged me to go further with my ideas whenever I was doing well. "
He cites an example when he and Jacklyn Chuang (also Class of '23) worked on a project about art and the prison system in a Humanities course taught by NWS faculty, Kate Boyd. "Kate gave us the space and resources to take our project farther and do more for the community with it - she supported us to turn that class project into a workshop for other students. That never would have happened without her help."
He also appreciates former NWS Math faculty Alex Chen's patience and kindness when enrolled in a Pre-Calculus class. "This was at the height of COVID lockdowns when class was on Zoom," he remembers, "and he was always so willing to go over difficult concepts." Despite the online learning format, Riley was thankful for Chen's dedication to student success. "He had a joy for math and a deep commitment to helping his students succeed, and that was really clear to anybody taking his classes," he observes.
The interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates arts, technology, science, and math with the humanities also played a vital role in shaping an impactful education experience for Riley - and continues to benefit him today. "I really enjoyed getting to try out all different kinds of art while at Northwest," he notes. "And also being able to take Journalism during my senior year. I was an editor and the Print Layout Director at Northwest... and I currently regularly use the skills that I developed in that class."
He firmly believes that the interdisciplinary curriculum and robust academic rigor at Northwest set him up well for higher education and the road ahead.
"Northwest prepared me well for the path I am on today," he shares. "It was a smooth transition to go from NWS high school Humanities classes to doing college-level writing in my Gen-Ed and Theology/Religious studies classes at USF"
Riley was an exemplary interdisciplinary Humanities scholar while at the Northwest School - and I am so proud that he is continuing his commitments to equity and social justice in everything he does.
Looking Ahead
Riley has a clear vision for life after graduation. "In the years ahead, I plan to graduate and become an RN, and continue to work in safety net systems," he states. "And I also look forward to continuing as an active member of SIRC and staying involved with immigrant rights organizations."
As he prepares for this career path, dedicating his skills and efforts to advocating for equitable healthcare access, and serving those who need it most, Riley reflects on the role that the Northwest School played in shaping his identity and life's purpose. "On a fundamental level, Northwest helped me discover a passion for social justice that has shaped who I am as a person," he notes. "I came out of Northwest feeling motivated and prepared to be involved with social justice efforts on campus at college."
In the words of Kate Boyd, his former Humanities teacher who cultivated these interests, Riley is simply "an all-around impressive scholar, artist, activist, and human." And we are excited to see what comes next!
