2017 Alum Gives Oak Forest HS Students a Lesson in College Life

Oak Forest High School physics teacher Steve Hogan teaches many students who go on to excel at many demanding universities. Not many of Hogan’s former students prepare an hour long lecture to compare college vs. high school life so that students have a taste of what being a university physics major is like. OFHS 2017 Alumnus Jonathan Sullivan-Wood is a former student of Mr. Hogan's who did just that.

Jonathan spoke with the students about being in college at Illinois State University. There, he is considered a sophomore because he took so many AP classes in high school. Jonathan said the most important classes he took in high school were Physics (Mr. Hogan), English (Mr. Farrell), and Calculus (Ms. Gengo). “You need to know how to write argumentative essays like I learned in Farrell’s class here at OHFS because in every class in college you have to write essays. The main thing you are taught in physics and calculus is how to use what you know to solve a problem. You pick and choose what is relevant and use only the useful information to solve the problem.”

Jonathan enjoys learning physics because the department is smaller than others. He said, “There is more of a possibility to know the professors and gain relationships with the professors. In high school, teachers held our hands more, but in college you have to put in the work and read stuff outside of school.”

His biggest advice to students is to take at least one class in high school every year that challenges you. The reason why he said this is, “You will become more dependent on yourself when it comes time for college because you are used to challenges.”

Jonathan was involved in many activities when he was in high school. He was editor of the school paper and on the scholastic bowl team, chess team, science club, and mathletes. He was also on the tennis team. Like in high school, Jonathan suggests that students join clubs in college. Clubs in college are interesting because they can follow a students’ true passion and interests. Jonathan is in the Physics/Astronomy Club and is on the ISU Solar Car Team. Each of these clubs use parts of his physics learning. While the Physics/Astronomy club is more of a social club that has physics related parties, the Solar Car Team actually competes throughout the world. Students on the Solar Car Team compete with the car during the summer and work on the car and test it during the school year.

Jonathan is looking forward to an internship with several different universities on a National Science Foundation Research Grant, which pairs a student and a professor on a research project. In the future, Jonathan intends to continue his education with a Master’s degree and then a Doctorate degree in physics. He would also like to continue his writing skills in the scientific field.