College Corner: Andrew Oliver '16

Oliver: I have always valued the fullness of my experience at the Prep. All students had an area of excellence. The Prep won state championships. We packed the theatre for every Cape & Sword Production. Prep students were principled in their faith and ran excellent Kairos after excellent Kairos. We conquered De Bello Gallico, Riemann Sums, and Hemingway. It was the combination of these areas of excellence that made the Prep so full. I found this same fullness at Duke, and I knew I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

I studied Mathematics & Computer Science at Duke. I loved Computer Science at the Prep. I remember being impressed with what a computer could do, and I wanted to see the limits of that. Studying Math gave me a way to understand problems and organize the world. The skills necessary to write a correct proof are the same skills necessary to construct a solid argument. The abilities to understand a complex theorem are the same abilities necessary to understand complex problems in the world.

The first year at the Prep is a juggernaut. If I recall correctly, an average night of homework included 500 Latin vocab words, A Tale of Two Cities, and all of multivariable calculus. However, I may be overestimating how difficult things were when I was a Prep student, which I've found is a time-honored tradition. Quickly into my first year, I learned the best thing to do when assigned all this homework was to start - start anywhere and anyhow. The Prep also taught me to ask for help and to work with other students. I used these same skills at Duke. In addition, the Prep always encouraged me to do more. I was never deterred from taking on challenges at Duke, mainly because the Prep had prepared me to do so.

The Prep also instilled in me a desire to be active outside the classroom. As I said earlier, the Prep was wonderful because there was so much Prep to experience. The classrooms alone at Duke could never provide this same fullness, and I was encouraged to become involved on campus, to lead programs, and to invest in relationships and extracurriculars. The time spent outside the classroom at Duke has prepared me for life after college, and I have the Prep to thank for instilling this desire in me

Oliver: There are certainly many. Mrs. Hoffman inspired my love of computer science, and she always encouraged me to explore and develop more software. Mr. Kravetz opened the doors to higher-level Math and highlighted how Calculus permeated the world. Ms. Quinter showed me American history, and she explained the necessity to engage with this history. Fr. Swope and Principal Zazyczny sat with me many times during my senior year, and they encouraged me to make positive changes at the Prep. It is hard to think of a teacher or mentor who did not have a strong impact on me.

Oliver: I'm working as a software engineer for Microsoft in their Cloud & AI division. I'll be at their headquarters in Seattle, WA.

I relied heavily on the Prep network during my time at Duke and my search for an internship and job. I would love to pay that back to any current college students who are looking to get into software engineering.