BSS Alumni

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT – NICHOLAS NEGRETE (CLASS OF 2011)

Please tell us a little bit about your journey since graduating from Blessed Sacrament.

After BSS, I went to St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, where I made some amazing friends and had some great experiences. I continued being involved in Academic Decathlon, just like at BSS, along with a few other activities. After graduating from high school, I came to Stanford University, where I’ve been since 2015.

What are you up to currently?

I’m studying a lot of math and computer science, and I really enjoy it! During my time at Stanford, I’ve been part of the teaching staff for the introductory computer science classes, although I’m not teaching this quarter.

What are some highlights from your time at Stanford?

One of my favorite memories from my time at Stanford is a birthday celebration I went to for a friend of mine during my freshman year. We went to one of the Stanford fountains after midnight, when they were still pretty chilly, and everyone jumped in. We were all soaking wet and super cold, but it was a fun way to celebrate! Another fun memory is the first football game I went to at Stanford. I don’t know much about football, but it was really fun to go with a group of friends to watch the game. Stanford has a lot of weird traditions for football, so it was really fun to be part of that!

What are some of your favorite memories from your time here as a student?

The Wrightwood Retreat! Everyone involved, but especially Mr. Cone and Mr. Seibert, did an amazing job. I left Wrightwood feeling really close to my classmates. Our seventh grade rocket launch was also so much fun. I enjoyed going to it every year, and participating was an even better experience.

Miss anything, in particular?

Blessed Sacrament had an excellent community feeling. I think my graduating class was 24 students, so it was easy to get to know everyone pretty well.

In what way would you say it helped prepare you for your experiences since?

Blessed Sacrament gave me a great academic foundation for high school. Mr. Cone gave us an excellent math background, so I felt confident going into my high school math classes. Mr. Seibert did an excellent job preparing us for humanities courses, since he focused a lot on critical thinking skills and making a good argument.

Would you like to offer any advice to current students?

Academically, these early elementary school years are critical for a good foundation later, so definitely take your studies seriously. It can be so hard to catch up if you lack a good foundation.

Personally, I wish I had played a sport because, as far as I know, doing a sport is the single best thing for your brain, so I recommend that for all students.

My last piece of advice is to make good friends early. It can be hard (but not impossible!) to find good friends, so the best time is when you see them everyday.

*Please note: this interview was conducted in March of 2019.