06 Jun SET High: The Trader Joe’s of High Schools
Values that maximize interaction with people.
Collaborative and compassionate culture.
Interesting and engaging choices.
Small and mighty.
Chocolate covered s’mores and pickle chips.
Are we talking about Trader Joe’s or are we talking about SET High, a tuition-free public school in San Diego, serving grades 9-12? How about both!
Given we’re an independent charter school, we can do things a little differently and more creatively than other traditional high schools, and we like it that way, not unlike Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is a maverick in the grocery-shopping world, a smaller than usual place that sells creative snacks and meals but really focuses on connecting with people in a collaborative and welcoming way. We don’t have the same caliber of choices when it comes to snacks, of course, but we’ve even got those too!
SET High Values
How is SET High the Trader Joe’s of high schools? Let’s start with values. If you’ve shopped at Trader Joe’s you may have noticed how many crew members are around to help. Much like Trader Joe’s we value maximizing interacting with our students and, as a school, seeing the potential in every individual. We hire teachers of diverse backgrounds because we want every single student to have someone to connect with for help, a friendly chat, or quick check-in.
Collaborative Culture
At SET High, our highly-qualified teachers don’t just teach, we promote a collaborative and compassionate culture. This is also a trademark of Trader Joe’s: instead of indifference (or worse, arrogance!), they are on your side, helping you find the perfect dipping sauce or opening a bag of fried cheese snacks for you to test the crunchiness. SET High does the same- we want you to succeed and will offer suggestions, help you navigate not only your interests but also your college and career options, and challenge you to take your curiosity to the next level. We’re excited to do this, it’s why we’re here!
We love being a school community and giving back to our larger San Diego community, too. We play together in an inter-grade skills competition, organize class retreats, and offer a variety of clubs. We host a community service day so we can work as a team to help clean up parks, do a little trail maintenance, and even touch up a few areas on campus.
Variety is the Spice of Life
Trader Joe’s is known for stocking both the staples and some very unique combinations, like their sparkling matcha lemonade (it’s good!) or their new addition, root beer float pieces made with vanilla sandwich cookies, popping candy, and covered in root beer flavored chocolate (it works!). Here at SET High? We cover all of California’s UC A-G requirements you need to graduate with and not only add some spice to those (hello Making Beats: The Basics of Music Production, Space Science, or History through Media: Video Games), but also offer some very unique electives that teachers develop.
Elective samples? Take leadership classes, Fellowship of the Ring: All Things Tolkien and Middle-earth, or Start Up Dot Com. Pop rocks optional. And just like at Trader Joe’s where products might be seasonal, SET High electives come and go so take them when you can. Not to worry too much though, some favorites like Debunking Disney come around again and again – we’re here to please!
If Trader Joe’s were a school, we’d nominate them to be a California Distinguished School just like us. While we don’t wear Hawaiian shirts, we’re happy to answer your questions- call (858)874-4338 or email tours@sethigh.org. Enrolling now!
About SET High
SET High offers each student individual attention from multi-talented, highly qualified teachers. Students at our twice-awarded California Distinguished School build a healthy camaraderie with classmates inside an intellectually rigorous environment that brings out their talents and personality, helping them develop their individual character and direction in life. With a wide variety of electives, flexible scheduling, dual enrollment college classes and more — our students regularly exceed their academic and personal expectations. Enroll now. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Find us at www.sethigh.org.