When you’re looking for a private school for your child to attend, one of the first things you do is go to the Internet. You search for the school, check out their website, read reviews, and eventually venture out to the school for a tour. While all of the information you can gather from these methods is crucial, there’s nothing more telling than the students who actually roam the halls. Get an inside look at what private school life is like from some of the students who are living it.

How would you describe your private school experience?
Ann W., Senior at Southern University Laboratory School: I would describe my private school experience as remarkable. Going to Southern University Laboratory School has provided me with endless opportunities. I have been selected to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum STEM (Chicago) and Medicine (Houston) Programs. I’ve also been blessed to become the recipient of the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair Scholarship Award. As I enter college as a first time freshman, my academic courses will be that of a second year sophomore.
Ian S., Senior at Parkview Baptist School: My experiences at private schools have been influential for me in many ways. It has been a crucial part of who I am today. I went to Christian Life Academy until I moved to Parkview in ninth grade. I wasn’t used to being the new kid and it took some time for me to adjust and make friends.
Anna L., Senior at Parkview Baptist School: My experience has been a blessing and a privilege. I have relationships with teachers and students that I will never take for granted. I have loved my time at Parkview and will be very sad to leave.
Miriam R., Eighth grader at Victory Christian Academy: My private school experience has been great, even with the Flood of 2016 and the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The teachers, students, and faculty have made me feel welcomed and at home from the first day I walked into the school.

How was the process of choosing the right school for you?
Ann: The process of choosing the right school was fairly easy. Being that Southern University is across the street from our school, I knew that the school I chose would have to give me the same feeling of home that Southern gave to me.
Ian: The process of choosing the right private school has been important to my family. The main goal for any school is choosing which one will provide the best education to prepare me for college. 
Anna: The most important thing to me about choosing a school was how the teachers interacted and helped the students, and at Parkview, I felt like the teachers really engaged with the students.
Miriam: My mom first heard about Victory Christian Academy from a close friend of ours and decided to enroll me for the fall of 2016. We had been looking for a small private school to meet the needs of our family.

How does school impact this transitional stage of life between childhood and adulthood?
Ann: School impacts this transitional stage of life between childhood and adulthood by forcing one to grow up and realize that the world won’t always be peaches and cream. Life happens, and life goes on. You have other responsibilities to do and you won’t always have the luxury to sit back and feel what life has brought on. You have to keep pushing and striving everyday because your success in life depends on it.
Ian: Going to school, for a lot of people, helps people my age learn about who they are and what they want in life. Being a part of the dramatic arts program at Parkview has been an important part of my high school career. The friends I have made while practicing for the spring musical are my closest friends.
Anna: School impacts lives by putting influential people and teachers in your life. At school, you discover things about yourself and other people that help you later in life.
Miriam: Victory has prepared me for being an independent learner in high school. They have taught me study tips and tricks through the years that have helped me along the way in my school career, and the teachers’ support has encouraged me to push myself to work my hardest.

How does private school challenge you?
Ann: Private school challenges you with the type of work you’re given. You are given more work and harder work to prepare for greatness in the workfield.
Ian: The faculty at the private schools I’ve been to have always expected a lot from their students. They want you to do whatever is possible for you to succeed. Your teachers want you to succeed.
Anna: Private school challenges me by keeping my relationship with Jesus Christ first above everything else that may also be important to me.
Miriam: Private school challenges me to have a personal relationship with God, to do my best and be the best person I can be.

How does private school help you keep up with technological advancements?
Ann: Private school helps with technological advancements by making you stay in touch with the newest fads in the world. It gets you up to speed with society in different ways to suit your future in the work world.
Ian: Being at a private school allows students like me to have access to new technology that helps with better learning. We also have the opportunity to take interesting electives. I took an American Film class that I really enjoyed.
Anna: Private school allows students to have a one-to-one experience with technology. We have the opportunity to have a computer at school and to bring home, which also allows us to use programs for our academics.
Miriam: Private school has helped me keep up with technological advancements because we have computer classes where we can code, create projects, and finish schoolwork.

What are some of the reasons your family chose private school?
Ann: My family chose a private school because they were interested in their child receiving the best education opportunities and being in a comfortable, healthy, and loving environment.
Ian: The main reasons my family chose to put me in private schools is because they felt it would allow me to have a better education and to have better opportunities.
Anna: We chose private school because overall, my parents wanted us to have a Christian experience at school, where we learned how to keep our faith first over everything else, but also learning the things we need for later in life.
Miriam: My family chose the option of private school because of the smaller class sizes, the one-on-one learning, and the Biblical instruction and discipline.