Seven Oaks senior presents her project in England!

From the Seven Oaks classroom to an international stage!

We're excited to share an incredible accomplishment by Seven Oaks senior Mikaela, whose curiosity and creativity recently took her all the way to Eastbourne, England!

During her junior year, Mikaela took Principles of Computing and Computer Science II at Seven Oaks. When given the freedom to choose a programming language for a class project, she decided to challenge herself by learning APL, a unique programming language her father uses professionally.

But she didn't stop with a class assignment.

Mikaela went on to create an entire role-playing video game from scratch, developing the code, artwork, storyline, and music herself!

She entered her creation in The APL Forge, a coding competition, where her work earned her the opportunity to present at the Dyalog APL Annual User Meeting in Eastbourne, United Kingdom!

Over fall break, Mikaela stood before an international audience of programmers, sharing her experience learning APL, explaining her code, and giving a live demonstration of the game she created.

What we love most about Mikaela's story is where it began: with curiosity, a willingness to try something difficult, and the freedom to explore an idea.

At Seven Oaks, a classical education is about more than mastering individual subjects. It's about developing students who can think critically, solve problems, communicate clearly, and confidently pursue new challenges—whether those challenges involve ancient literature, scientific discovery, or modern technology.

Mikaela's experience is a wonderful example of how those skills can open doors in unexpected places.

Congratulations, Mikaela! We're proud of your hard work, creativity, and willingness to take on something new. What an incredible experience to carry into your senior year!