Alden Arnold, a proud member of the Seattle Prep graduating class of 2023 has set out on a new mission following his time at Seattle Prep. Arnold is currently studying at St. Andrews University of Scotland and is majoring in International Relations and English.

Arnold’s passion for journalism and photography has extended outside of Prep and hopes to spread it to more. During his time at Prep, Arnold was a proud member of the Seattle Prep Panther staff for two years after being a staff member of Ignite. In the early stages of his Seattle Prep career, Arnold envisioned himself pursuing a future in medicine. He worked for two years as a volunteer for Swedish Hospital which gave him the opportunity to connect with patients and healthcare workers on a personal level.

Later, however, his time spent on journalism fostered a deep passion for writing and photography. In his junior year at Prep, he served as a photographer while later becoming a Visual Editor as a senior. He spent much of his free time contributing to the paper and pursuing his passion for journalism. He reflected fondly on his time on the journalism staff and reminisces on the connection to the Prep community it provided: “I wrote about Prep for Prep, and in doing so realized my passion for connecting with my community through journalism.”

As his Prep career came to an end, Arnold made the bold decision to attend college overseas at St. Andrews in Scotland. Despite the distance from family and familiar culture, he sought out challenge and a new opportunity by looking for more. Although the size of the town in which St. Andrews resides is rather small, the town has abundant history and a strong community. Some may be unaware that St. Andrews was the birthplace of the sport of golf. While golf is one of the main attractions for tourism, the locals take pride in many customs and traditions such as clay pigeon shooting, traditional Scottish dances such as reeling, and pub culture.

Being in Europe has also allowed Arnold many travel opportunities. He visited eleven new countries such as Italy and Poland since beginning his studies there. His travels have opened his mind to many other ways of life and cultures in which he has been able to find God in. St. Andrews is home to many international students all with different backgrounds and opinions. Through conversation and making connections with other students, he has been able to learn and open himself up to other cultures, political perspectives, and worldviews that otherwise would be difficult to find in Seattle. By doing so, Arnold has found a curiosity for interacting with others who challenge his personal worldviews and beliefs.

In pursuing his passion for journalism, Arnold has become affiliated with two publications n St. Andrews known as “The Saint” and “Stereoscope Magazine.” The Saint is a publication focusing on the life and current events of the University and town while the Stereoscope magazine covers art from both locals and students, ranging from photography to paintings. Both publications are student-run yet are not supported by the University, which Arnold claims has made obtaining interviews and being organized a lot more challenging. While the pressure and consistency of managing two publications seems daunting, he still finds much reward and satisfaction in his work.

Just as he did at Prep, his favorite part of working for the paper is handing it out to his friends and classmates.
While his academic life has greatly changed since moving to college, the values and principles that were instilled into his personality at Prep remain evident in his life overseas. Prep offered him a foundation in which he had the confidence to make his future his own and bring his own light to a totally different environment.