Oliveria Embraces Experiential Learning, Challenges at CBA

For senior Raphael Oliveria, his decision to attend Christian Brothers Academy came via an unconventional route.

He spent his freshman year at hometown Ocean Township High School, but made CBA connections throughout that first year of high school that ultimately helped steer him to the Academy.

“I realized some changes needed to be made, and at the time, I was completely fine with making them at Ocean,” he remembers. “My friend, Nicholas Silva, came here freshman year and he told me how he loved it [at CBA] and that it was a great environment."

Oliveria made the jump to Lincroft for his sophomore year, kicking off what became an unbelievably busy, but worthwhile CBA career. 

At first, he had to adjust to the rigorous academic workload, recalling a tough time in his AP World History class with Mrs. Simms during his first fall at CBA. After weathering the transition, he figured out how to thrive in the classroom, finding success in AP Physics C with Mr. Dashavich and his Engineering capstone with Mrs. Heidleberger. 

While he is thankful to his teachers preparing him academically, Oliveria also appreciates their ability to connect with students on a personal level.

“Mr. Kiernan specifically has made English my most fun class, which has never been the case at any point in my academic career,” he says. “Mr. Frake was extremely fun to have in class, making a difficult class engaging. I would always stop by his classroom at the end of the day and I think that shows the type of environment that he builds within his classroom.”

Watch Oliveria's Interview (Story Continues Below)

His dedication to his academics earned him spots in the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and CBA’s Scholars Program by his senior year.

He does not hesitate to bring up the lessons that he has learned outside of the classroom too, specifically with the co-curricular trips he has taken. 

“For me, I did that through the [Lasallian Global Scholars] Europe trip during sophomore year, with our academic teams that do competitions, with DECA, and with Model UN,” he says. “Doc Gus made sure that while we were also getting that academic side of it, we were still having a lot of fun and doing those explorations.”

The combination of his challenging, but rewarding academic course load and his packed extracurricular schedule has prepared him for his next journey at Stanford University.

“[CBA] helped me understand what type of community I wanted to build,” he says. “Although Stanford is on the bigger side of things, I think that in my smaller groups that I might develop there, I am going to carry that sense of community.”

Recently, Oliveria served as a student panelist at the Class of 2030 Welcome Night, relaying his best advice to CBA’s incoming freshmen. For him, it was easy for him to emphasize his point about the teaching staff here.

“The teachers are always going to be willing to help you, always communicate with your teachers,” he says. “Whether you are struggling or doing well, communicating helps the teacher know where you are at. Just be aware that they are always there to help and you are never alone.”