Davidson Academy Online
Quick Facts
Member of the Speech and Debate Club, Poetry Club, and Dungeons and Dragons Club
One of only 20 students admitted each year
Selected due to 99.9%-level test scores and rigorous, comprehensive academic evaluation
Passionate participant in online and in-person meetups and community-building
Participated in and won debate about whether the US should continue to invest in High Speed Rail
Attended the Davidson Institute’s STARS Summer Camp, where I studied [...]
Delivered speech on alchemy and its timeless impacts
Delivered mini Ted Talk project to my English class
Teacher Feedback
"Hi Gabriel, This is a smashing success. You've clearly thought and worked on this for quite a while. It is an exemplary piece of writing that shows what you're able to do in writing. It is, in my experience, pretty unusual to be able to manage this kind of thesis-driven, long-form essay even for college students. You're way ahead on that. Thanks for letting me read this. It was a joy."
“Hi Gabe, I really enjoyed reading all your reflective work for this project. I am primarily looking for that sort of enthusiastic and thoughtful reflection and effort for this project, not artistic ability or expression. I see both clearly in this submission. This is excellent reflective work; I can see you reaching for those reversals and drawing out the contradictions. Your mandala itself shows plenty of thought and careful consideration. You've depicted the core of your identity. You've identified and reflected on each symbol and its position in your mandala. This was a thoughtful and unique mandala. Thanks for sharing it and your reflections with me!”
"This essay excels at managing a complex thesis through numerous evidentiary and elaborative paragraphs. You keep you argumentative eye on both your thesis and the foil throughout the essay and make a number of really keen observations that you use to support and develop your argument. This was expertly crafted, truly college-level stuff. Well done!"
Course Load
"Davidson Academy Online’s middle school curriculum is entirely taught at the high school level and is designed for profoundly gifted students. It is rigorous with high expectations, and writing is integrated into all classes across subjects."
Composition and Analysis
I love learning to critically analyze texts, like I did when I connected a song to environmental determinism
Patterns in Modern History
I love learning about history in both deep and creative ways, such as when I created a recipe for the French Revolution, with ingredients and steps being events in it.
Latin III
I will be taking Latin IV, an AP course, next year before I even enter high school.
Speech and Debate
I am working on a variety of different types of speech and debate, from Public Forum, which is a pretty classic type of debate, to Informative Speaking where I present a speech on a topic I enjoy talking about. Recently, I have started competing in large competitions, even making it to the finals in a qualifier for one of the biggest debate tournaments hosted at the University of Kentucky.
Algebra II
I will be taking precalculus in only 8th grade, which is many years ahead of the average 8th grader
Animal Ethics
I am being exposed to philosophy and moral issues at quite a young age, exploring questions like what kinds of animals are even considered in moral issues, and what sentience even is.
Physical Science
I have been learning about a mix of chemistry and physics, performing at-home labs on topics such as titration and stoichiometry, as well as on friction and the laws of motion