Rohan John, RCS c/o 2021
Submitted by Alyssa Kiefer in Home Page Stories, RCS Stories, Students on October 02, 2019
An Interview with a Student at the Best Private Schools in the Bay Area
A Pianist With Purpose
One of the RCS goals to #CelebrateRCS for our 50th anniversary is to connect with current RCS San Francisco Bay Area Christian high school students and see what God has been doing in their lives and what they believe God is calling them toward their future. Dr. Hearne recently interviewed current RCS student, Rohan John, class of 2021.
This month’s theme verse is Ephesians 4:1-3, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Dr. Hearne asked Rohan to share what these verses mean to him.
Rohan shared, “This verse is a reminder that we have a specific purpose that we’ve been given, and it’s easy to get so caught up in our own lives that we try to accomplish that on our own, but that’s not what God has in mind. We have to give up the control that we feel we’re used to having in our lives and remember that the Spirit makes us stronger together than we are apart. It’s a reminder that the Kingdom doesn’t grow by us on our own; it grows when we work together as a community in Christ under the strength and guidance of the Spirit.”
Dr. Hearne: What grade are you in and how long have you been at RCS?
Rohan: I’m in the 11th grade and I’ve been at Redwood 12 years this year.
Dr. Hearne: List the gifts God has given you and explain how you have used them.
Rohan: One of the gifts God’s given me is my ability to play piano and I’ve gotten so many opportunities to use it. I’ve been the pianist for the choir since I was in 5th grade, and I love being able to participate by playing it and praising God through choir – since He didn’t give me the gift of singing. I’ve also gotten to accompany the Jenny Lin summer choir for the past two years and share my gifts through that, and I was able to do the music at the Musical Camp at the high school this summer.
Dr. Hearne: Describe your favorite part about school outside of the classroom.
Rohan: My favorite part of the school is most definitely the community, which may sound cliche, but it’s easily the part of the school that I’ll take with me the most when I leave. The special thing about the student body is that since it’s relatively small, everyone knows everyone, and it allows everyone to get so much closer with each other. Even with students who have never been to the school before, the student body immediately embraces them and accepts them lovingly. When it comes to the teachers, they’re just as loving as the student body. When I’m around them, they always treat you like you’re a part of their family – like you’re one of their kids.
Dr. Hearne: Share your favorite RCS memory?
Rohan: This is hard, but for me, my favorite memory is probably from when our class was constructing our booth for Spirit Week at the end of last year. We changed our design for the booth the day we had to finish it, and it was incredible to see so many people from our class throwing every idea they had into the project and working hard and smoothly as they possibly could; it was like this well-oiled machine. I think that’s the most wonderful thing about our class: everyone has a connection with one another and it gives our class as a whole this tight bond that I don’t think you’d be able to find at other schools.
Dr. Hearne: What impact has the RCS faculty had on you?
Rohan: The RCS faculty has been an integral factor in my spiritual growth and they’ve also helped grow this passion for learning inside me. When I have any questions about faith, I can go to any one of my teachers he or she will be able to talk things through with me and examine the situation from every aspect through the Bible. The faculty’s passion for God and the Word is always evident. Similarly, the passion they have for teaching is so great that it just extends to you and you find yourself as passionate about the subject as they are.
Dr. Hearne: How would you describe RCS to someone who doesn’t know anything about the school?
Rohan: I would tell them that the school has the most loving atmosphere of any school you could pick. The student body is so friendly and will go out of their way to make you feel included and to become friends with you and grow closer with you, and the teachers at the school aren’t just focused on teaching the subject and stopping there. Instead, they focus on the bigger picture of life and teach you how what you learn now benefits the rest of your life and the furthering of the Kingdom.
Dr. Hearne: What do you plan to do after graduating from our San Francisco Bay Area private high school?
Rohan: After high school, I plan to go to college, and then med school afterward. My goal is to one day become a surgeon, and then after that, I want to be able to use that to be able to help people who don’t have access to medical help by traveling with Doctors Without Borders or through medical missions with Samaritan’s Purse.
