Cedar McCall

Student Reaps Rewards of Saying “Si” to Heritage Spanish

Sometimes being pushed beyond your comfort zone pays off in ways you never could have imagined. Such was the case for rising senior Cedar McCall ’24 and Prep’s Heritage Spanish Program.

“I was thrown into Heritage Spanish in sixth grade, and I didn’t know if I would be ready for it,” says Cedar, who had some Spanish under her belt from attending Corrales International School when she arrived at Prep for middle school.

The advanced language instruction is typically for students who speak Spanish at home or who come from dual language programs.

After some time and some not-stellar grades, Cedar began to thrive. “I got used to it, and my Spanish keeps improving,” she says. “Being in that class all these years has made me love Spanish so much and has changed me as a person for the better. [Modern Language Chair and Spanish instructor] Mr. [Claudio] Perez keeps me on my toes, and I’m endlessly grateful to have had him as a teacher for so long.”

Mr. Perez also convinced Cedar to try Spanish Model U.N. (El Modelo Naciones Unidas). “It has improved my Spanish and my public speaking, and I enjoy having diplomatic discussions.” She’s even considering a career in which she can use Spanish -- perhaps in law or politics.

Besides Heritage Spanish, Cedar says her Biology 1 class with Ernie Polansky “was the best class I’ve ever taken. He is a revolutionary teacher who helps students to understand concepts on their terms.”

Dance team, theater, volleyball, bowling, and student leadership, and Model U.N. are among the other passions this Unicorn has discovered along her journey through Prep. “The dance team and environment have been so important to me and supportive,” she says. “The dance coaches are amazing and have helped me grow so much. Dancing is truly meditative. I’m so happy to be able to go to the dance room whenever I need.”

Cedar participates on the Vision and Strategy Committee, which works with Head of School Heather B. Mock. “This committee was designed to address the school’s growth and challenges we face and create a strategy or plan to enact to better the school,” she explains. “It’s really interesting to go to meetings and speak or present in front of adults in their workplace. It’s interesting to see another side of the school and to be able to incorporate my own ideas into our plan.”

In seventh grade, Cedar “randomly” tried volleyball and fell in love with it. “I love being on varsity sports,” she says. “It’s so exciting, and it’s made me really busy, but so worth it because it’s a stress reliever.”

Through a job fair she learned about at Prep, Cedar landed a position as a cheer coach for i9 Sports, a community-based youth program for children ages three and up. “I love its challenges, and having a job makes me feel responsible,” she says.

Cedar’s rare free moments are spent knitting, dancing, skiing, and listening to live music. 

Prep’s faculty have helped this “procrastinating perfectionist” to engage with her courses and balance her many activities. “Prep has helped me gather perspective and work on managing my time and hobbies,” she explains.

Although she’s not sure yet where she’ll attend college or what she’ll study, Cedar envisions herself five years from now still playing sports, dancing, and spending time in nature. 

Her younger sister, Ananda ’29, just finished her first year at Prep. Cedar says she’d offer the same advice to prospective students that she gave her own sibling: “Focus on being a good person and try to let yourself grow and change based on this new environment.”

Cedar’s own odyssey and growth could easily serve as an example of how taking risks and not having all the answers just might yield surprising results.