A Lifer Leaves Behind A Lasting Legacy

Lifer Emily Bernstein ’22 began her La Jolla Country Day School journey at 3 years old. To say she’s made the most of her many years here would be a drastic understatement. 

“The school’s goal is to help us become scholars, artists and athletes of character, and I take that very seriously,” says Emily. Her definition of taking things seriously translates into a long list of activities and achievements. In addition to carrying a rigorous course load, she is a varsity tennis player and a member of the golf team; she plays viola and violin in the Honors Orchestra and is part of the pit orchestra for school musicals. She is co-president of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a member of the Spanish Honor Society and plays a leading role in the World Language tutoring program.

Emily believes deeply in making a positive impact on others—whether on the LJCDS campus or in the broader community. She is the secretary for Youth Tennis San Diego, a member of Musicians With a Purpose, and a founding member of Sustainable San Diego, a youth-led organization that promotes environmental sustainability.

“I’m very passionate about the things I’m involved in, and if I see something that needs to be changed or created, I’m going to do everything I can to be part of it,” explains Emily.

 

Being on a PreK-12 campus means students have opportunities for student-to-student mentoring across the divisions. In Lower and Middle School, Emily remembers fondly looking up to the older students. “When I was ‘little’ it was such a highlight to get together with the ‘big’ kids,” she shares. “In first grade, we met with the fourth graders, and they helped us with reading. I’ll always remember my reading buddy. In Middle School, we played a board game about the election with the seniors. I wanted to see more of that, so I decided to form a cross-divisional student mentorship program.” Emily identified students interested in having a Torrey big sibling and matched them with older students who had similar academic and extracurricular interests. 

In the fall, Emily will head to Vanderbilt, where she plans to double major in neuroscience and child development. But the mentorship program will live on at LJCDS for others to benefit from. “I’m so glad to be able to give something back to the school after all they’ve done for me,” she says. 

 

Emily can’t help but feel nostalgic when reminiscing about her 15 years on campus. “Growing up in a community where we were exposed to so many activities and subjects helped me to become more well-rounded,” she says. “I love pushing myself academically but also love having the sports outlet, the music outlet. I would definitely call Country Day my second home. I can’t even describe the friends I’ve made, the connections with teachers. I still have lunches and coffee meetings with my kindergarten teacher! I’m so grateful for it all.”