Bilal Muratov, Gracyn Gardner, and Claire Zhang on joining the CGS community, new experiences, passions, and hopes for this year | Humans of Catlin Gabel
By Evan Zhang ‘26
Courtesy of Claire Zhang ‘25, Gracyn Gardner ‘26, and Bilal Muratov ‘26
Entering a new school as an upperclassman is tough. The feat of adapting academically and socially, in an environment full of unfamiliar faces, may seem daunting or even impossible at times. Having joined Catlin Gabel School (CGS) myself only this August, I am especially familiar with this feeling.
However, overcoming the initial apprehension and exploring the opportunities a fresh start provides can ultimately be very rewarding.
I sat down with three new CGS upperclassmen—juniors Bilal Muratov and Gracyn Gardner, and senior Claire Zhang - to discuss their experiences at the school so far, their academic interests, and aspirations for their time at CGS. They come from various corners of the world: Gardner, from Eugene, Oregon; Muratov, from Taipei, Taiwan; and Zhang, from Busan, South Korea.
The three students chose to attend CGS for a myriad of reasons.
“The main reason was because of the amount of students,” explained Gardner.
For Zhang, the good reputation of the school made it stick out to her, and for Muratov, its community. Gardner, too, was appreciative of CGS’ tight-knit community, saying that on her first day, “people came up to [her] and introduced themselves,” which she had not seen at other schools.
The facilities and campus were additional aspects that attracted them. Gardner commented that the Ceramics and Woodshop buildings are “a big highlight” for her. “It’s a very green, very clean, very easy-to-commute campus,” added Muratov.
Having since joined CGS, it was interesting to learn how the three were adjusting academically. Muratov mentioned that the smaller student body and the faculty allow for “a closer student-teacher relationship than other schools.” Taipei American School, which he attended during his freshman and sophomore years, had a strong engineering focus, so he is also happy about CGS’ plethora of class choices.
Gardner agreed that the curriculum was nicer at her new school: “Catlin is kind of easier than my old school…I have much less classes to take care of.” She is especially passionate about making pottery in Ceramics, saying that it is something she looks forward to this year.
In addition to its strong curriculum, CGS’ college resources are part of its appeal. Zhang elaborated on her experiences as a senior student, remarking that “the college counseling at Catlin…is far more supportive and extensive than [her] previous school.” The weekly senior pods and staff members willing to give advice have been helpful to her in the past few months.
One disadvantage, though, is that “when things get super busy, you might not actually have access to those people.” Overall, she believes CGS’ system is better than what she’s experienced before.
In terms of extracurricular activities, Muratov and Gardner have both enjoyed participating in affinity groups and service clubs. A member of the Middle Eastern Affinity Club, Muratov praised the student leaders for having a “strong understanding of what the club should be about.” Moreover, he is volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, an international charity group that funds home construction for people in need.
Gardner is a member of FANS, an affinity group for female and non-binary people in the student body. On top of that, Gardner has found her passion for eco-action on the Environmental Action Team (EAT) and has already participated in a project planting vegetation in the pollinator garden.
Zhang has been finding joy in cross country and robotics. Moreover, she said that cross country helped her fit into the community: “You see the same group…and you get to know them pretty well.” Regarding her progress in robotics, she is still in “the training phase” but hopes to get more comfortable later.
When asked what each of their hopes are for the next year and their time at CGS in general, the three had varied responses. “I suppose the main thing would be the freedom to…leave school and just go wherever I want,” exclaimed Muratov. Regarding his education, he wants to push himself to take as many science courses as he can and to participate in more school-sponsored activities like the volunteering he is doing now.
Zhang highly anticipates her senior project, which she has heard a lot of buzz about. “I’m hoping to do a research internship during that time,” she mentioned, having interned at a neuroscience behavioral lab over the summer. She thinks it a great opportunity to explore other areas in a new way.
In the same vein, Gardner discussed her plan to take a wider variety of classes and to “study more specific topics” of her interest, which include neurobiology. She considers herself very much a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) person and entertains the idea of pursuing the “really exciting” subject in college.
Reflecting on their first few months at CGS, the three upperclassmen spoke about how their initial thoughts about the school had changed.
Muratov envisioned that the school would be densely packed prior to his enrollment, and has since realized that it is a close community of students and faculty that value education. Zhang was surprised and excited by the freedoms an American school had to offer, such as leaving campus more frequently.
Likewise, that sense of independence remains an important factor for Gardner, particularly in academics; she compared her experience at CGS to being in college. “You get to explore different topics and find out a path that you like.”