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A Path that Starts Here Can Take You Anywhere.

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Portrait of a Learner

Critical Ethical Global Thinkers

Discernment
curiosity
Empathy
Resilience

Portrait of a Learner

We believe school should shape who you are and who you are becoming.

Our Portrait of a Learner is a reflection of the habits of mind that we cultivate across every grade level. It's not a checklist, but a journey—rooted in each student’s unique identity and guided by our values as a learning community. From PreK through Grade 12, students grow into critical, ethical, and global thinkers who delight in discovery, take action for equity and justice, and contribute thoughtfully to the communities they are part of—as they are, and will be.

Discover how the habits of mind come to life for our students:

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  • Curiosity
students
Students putting on helmets

learner-profile curiosity

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Gia O. '30

Finding Insight, and Humor, In Everyday Life

At Berkeley Carroll, students discover the power of their voices by exploring ideas with curiosity, creativity, and insight. Gia’s award-winning writing is a joyful example of how our learners turn everyday moments into meaningful, and memorable, stories.

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Curiosity

Finding Insight, and Humor, In Everyday Life

Creating to learn more about ourselves and the world around us. Delighting in discovery.

 

Gia's Story

When Gia ’30 learned that her humor piece, The Great Couch Conspiracy, had earned a National Silver Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, she was surprised, but only because she expected them to pick one of her more serious pieces. Her ability to transform an ordinary moment into a clever, layered story reflects the insight and creativity we nurture across every grade level.

Drawing inspiration from a playful rivalry with her living room couch, Gia crafted a narrative filled with wit, imagination, and sharp observation. She also earned multiple regional awards in poetry, dramatic writing, short fiction, and critical essay, demonstrating not only a talent for language, but the discernment to explore ideas from many angles and express them with clarity and purpose.

Gia’s achievement embodies the essence of a Berkeley Carroll learner: curious, reflective, and unafraid to find meaning, and humor, in unexpected places. Her work reminds us that great stories can start anywhere, especially when students are encouraged to explore boldly and think deeply.

The Power of Curiosity

Suspending judgment. Asking bold questions. Delighting in discovery. 
Our students explore ideas, create in order to learn, and stay open to what they don’t yet know.

Descriptors:

  • Suspending judgment and asking questions
  • Delighting in discovery
  • Exploring and experimenting with different tools, materials, and media
  • Creating in order to learn more about ourselves and everything around us.

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Related Stories

learner-profile empathy

Jude '30

Gratitude, Growth, and Strength of Community

Berkeley Carroll students show empathy by listening deeply to others’ experiences and recognizing the care, effort, and perspectives of the people who support them.

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Empathy

Gratitude, Growth, and the Strength of Community

Including and caring about others. Seeking and listening to multiple perspectives.

 

Jude's Story

When Middle School student Jude G. ’30 addressed the all-school Thanksgiving assembly, he shared a moving reflection on facing a long, unexpected illness and the new perspective it gave him. Rather than focusing on the challenges themselves, Jude spoke about what he learned by looking beyond his own experience—how his family supported one another, how friends stayed close even when he couldn’t always be with them, and how teachers and classmates encouraged him through the toughest moments.

As he recovered, Jude began to recognize the quiet acts of care surrounding him and the strength that comes from being part of a supportive community. His reflections reveal a student who has grown not only more resilient, but more aware, thoughtful, and connected—qualities we strive to nurture in every Berkeley Carroll student.

The Power of Empathy

Listening deeply. Caring actively. Communicating across difference.
Our students seek out diverse perspectives and learn to lead with care and conviction.

Our students learn to look beyond themselves, paying attention to the experiences, needs, and perspectives of the people around them. They show care in meaningful ways—by supporting classmates, listening deeply, and strengthening the communities they are a part of, both inside and outside the classroom.

Descriptors:

  • Seeking and listening to multiple perspectives
  • Including and caring about others
  • Communicating across difference
  • Stewarding our school, city, and world to build the future we want to live in.

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learner-profile resilience

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Max '25

Researching Slime Mold in SRD

“When I'm working on my project and I am encountering a road block, my first thing is to take a step back, to evaluate the situation, and to see what work arounds I can find or what I can change that might make my project work better... and I think that is something you can apply to anything in life, really.”

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Resilience

Researching Slime Mold in SRD

Setting goals, taking risks, and growing from mistakes. Trying again another way. Collaborating on diverse teams to solve problems and adapt to change.

 

Max's Story

When Max first thought about applying to the Science Research & Design (SRD) program in ninth grade, the idea of leading his own long-term research project felt daunting, but the chance to explore science more deeply was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

Over the program’s three years, he learned that meaningful research requires patience, problem-solving, and the ability to regroup when experiments don’t go as planned. Each hurdle pushed him to refine his questions, rethink his methods, and persist with confidence.

By senior year, Max was conducting a sophisticated project on Non-Neural Habituation and Decision-Making in Slime Mold, work that grew directly out of his willingness to experiment, adjust, and try again.

With access to BC’s renovated and state of the art research facilities, Max took full ownership of his work and emerged as a thoughtful, adaptable researcher, showing how persistence and flexibility help Berkeley Carroll students turn challenges into breakthroughs.

"The SRD Program has taught me so many different things...one of the main themes that we see across everyone's project, across every year is that there's always going to be failure. And I think that's something that makes it real. And it makes it special... I think that you can't expect everything to go your way, and that teaches you a really valuable life lesson."

Max M.

Class of 2025

 

 

 

 

The Power of Resilience 

Taking risks. Trying again. Growing through challenge.
Our students set goals, collaborate, and persist—developing the confidence to navigate a changing world.

Descriptors:

  • Setting goals, taking risks, and growing from mistakes
  • Trying again another way
  • Collaborating on diverse teams to solve problems and adapt to change
  • Navigating conflict, building coalitions, and taking action for quality and justice 

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learner-profile resilience 2

Jude '30

Gratitude, Growth, and the Strength of Community

At Berkeley Carroll, students meet challenges with determination and openness, learning from setbacks and growing stronger through the support of the people around them.

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learner-profile-popup

resilience

Gratitude, Growth, and the Strength of Community

Navigating challenges, building coalitions, and taking action for equity and justice.

 

Jude's Story

When Middle School student Jude G. ’30 addressed the all-school Thanksgiving assembly, he shared a moving reflection on facing a long, unexpected illness and the new perspective it gave him. Rather than focusing on the challenges themselves, Jude spoke about what he learned by looking beyond his own experience—how his family supported one another, how friends stayed close even when he couldn’t always be with them, and how teachers and classmates encouraged him through the toughest moments.

As he recovered, Jude began to recognize the quiet acts of care surrounding him and the strength that comes from being part of a supportive community. His reflections reveal a student who has grown not only more resilient, but more aware, thoughtful, and connected—qualities we strive to nurture in every Berkeley Carroll student.

The Power of Resilience

Taking risks. Trying again. Growing through challenge.
Our students set goals, collaborate, and persist—developing the confidence to navigate a changing world.

Descriptors:

  • Setting goals, taking risks, and growing from mistakes
  • Trying again another way
  • Collaborating on diverse teams to solve problems  and adapt to change

  • Navigating conflict, building coalitions, and taking action for equity and justice

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learner-profile discernment

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Toby M. '26

Stepping Up To The Plate

“When I came here in 9th grade, I knew I wanted to play baseball, but I didn’t know that I would branch out beyond the diamond. I attribute that to a culture where you can both excel at things that are already in your comfort zone and feel comfortable trying something well beyond it.”

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Discernment

Stepping Up to the Plate

Making responsible choices as members of a community. Engaging with complexity to deepen understanding.

 

Toby's Story

Toby H. ’26 brings steady commitment and thoughtful intention to everything he takes on, from the classroom to the baseball field. His recent signing with Lehigh University’s Division I baseball program reflects years of consistent effort, personal growth, and the ability to navigate big decisions with clarity and purpose. Toby’s story is not just one of athletic skill, but of a student who arrived at BC eager to find where he fit, embraced new opportunities, and shaped his own path with both determination and insight.

A dedicated member of Varsity Baseball, the BC Key Society, and multiple student groups, Toby has made the most of his time at Berkeley Carroll by exploring widely and investing deeply. He strengthened areas he already loved, like Math and Design, while also pushing himself to try new experiences through co-curriculars, affinity spaces, and student leadership. He describes BC as “dynamic,” a place where he could confidently grow, reflect on what mattered to him, and choose challenges that helped him stretch in meaningful ways.

I chose BC because when I toured here, I immediately felt welcome and had a strong sense that I would find my people here. I also chose BC for the vast variety of classes, both traditional and unique. It blows my mind that a small school offers so many choices.

At a special Signing Day ceremony—celebrated by teammates, teachers, coaches, and our Head of School—Toby expressed heartfelt gratitude: “It was such a special moment for me that I was able to cherish it with my mom, friends, coaches, and teachers.”

Toby’s journey shows what it looks like when hard work meets thoughtful decision-making: setting ambitious goals, learning from experience, and moving forward with purpose. It’s a story shaped by resilience, reflection, and a community cheering him on—every step of the way.

The Power of Discernment

Thinking critically. Making thoughtful choices. Seeking complexity.
Our students evaluate information, recognize bias, and engage in reasoned, reflective thinking to deepen understanding.

Descriptors:

  • Evaluating information, uncovering our own and others’ biases
  • Explaining our reasoning clearly, confidently, and with purpose
  • Making responsible choices as members of a community
  • Engaging with complexity to deepen understanding

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A Lifetime of Learning, As

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A young man wearing a purple graduation gown and cap, with a serious expression on his face, stands against a plain background.

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