Norwich — As a student at Ella T. Grasso Technical High School, Reagan Sostak found herself wondering: What's next?

She had entered Grasso Tech on the IT track but became less interested in IT and more interested in math. But the furthest she could go there was pre-calculus, and she wanted to know what calculus was like.

Since switching to Three Rivers Middle College Magnet High School at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich her junior year, the high school senior has taken that first calculus class and a lot more: calculus II, calculus III, differential equations and linear algebra, which adds up to nine math courses in her four years of high school.

"What she's done in the world of math is exceptional, and that was just all on her," Principal Brad Columbus said. He added that she "pushed the envelope of what a high school kid can do in this program."

She graduates with the rest of her class on June 15. In the fall, she is headed to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she plans to major in physics.

"I've always been fascinated with how everything works, and when I grew up, I realized how everything works is called physics," said Sostak, 18, of Groton. She said Carnegie Mellon has been her dream school — she loves the campus, the location and its physics department.

At Three Rivers, she took classes online the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said made her even more independent than she already was.

A downside was Sostak has only done simulations instead of in-person labs, so she's excited to be in a lab at Carnegie Mellon. She also is looking forward to meeting more people who share her interests.

"I love talking about physics, but not many people enjoy hearing me talk about physics, which I understand," she said with a laugh. "But being surrounded by people, either in a club or my classes, that are passionate about it just as much as I am, I think will be really exciting."

So, what is it about math and physics?

"I like how precise it is," Sostak said. She added, "The answer isn't necessarily debatable. I guess the process can be debatable, but I like how clear-cut it is, in a way, and if you do it one way, you're going to get a certain outcome that you can't really disagree with."

Interestingly, someone she sought out as a mentor in high school was someone she never actually had as a teacher: CK Wong, a TRMC math teacher. Wong describes Sostak as someone who is respectful and hardworking, and really focused and aware of what's going on around her.

Thinking past college, Sostak doesn't want to get a Ph.D. in physics because "the only real career path I can get is a professor, which I'm not exactly interested in." She instead plans to explore different types of engineering in undergraduate school and go to graduate school for engineering. She's not sure what type of engineering yet but is leaning toward aerospace.

Less traditional experiences

Sostak has had the unique experience of getting her education entirely outside of traditional public schools but in three different settings: first parochial school, then technical school, and now a magnet school where students take college courses.

She went to Sacred Heart School in Groton for prekindergarten through eighth grade, before going to Grasso Tech for two years. While at Grasso, she built computers with scrap parts in her spare time.

The only TRMC class Sostak has taken in the past two years was introduction to chemistry, whereas every other class has been through Three Rivers Community College.

Sostak isn't graduating with an associate degree — an option for the high school students — but is graduating with about 60 college credits, which can transfer to Carnegie Mellon.

TRMC students have the opportunity to take classes with students who are a little or a lot older. Sostak said it was motivating to see how people further along in their lives "still care about their education. It definitely motivated me to care about my education as well."

Outside of the classroom, Sostak is president of the National Honor Society and was on the yearbook committee, designing pages.

Self-discovery in high school

Sostak was born in South Korea and adopted as a baby; she's lived in Groton the entire time she's been in the United States. She hasn't been back to South Korea but would like to go.

"Throughout my life I felt like I had a disconnect from my culture, since I grew up in stereotypically white America," she said. She has recently gotten more in touch with her heritage, such as by starting to learn the language through YouTube and by visiting Korean markets and restaurants.

She also just got a tattoo in April, a dragon-shaped design filled with black poplar tree leaves. She explained that the black poplar is her tan saeng hwa, or flower associated with her birth month. It means courage.

And for Sostak — she is soft-spoken and her principal described her as someone who is quiet but "leads with kindness" — courage was something she found at Three Rivers.

Sostak said in her past schools, she was too nervous to dive into extracurriculars and didn't know what she wanted, but she's gained a lot more confidence since coming to Three Rivers. And that's something she's excited to take with her to college.

"I've always kind of been scared of meeting new people, but I want to meet new people, you know?" she said. "Because there's so many more things to do, and so many new experiences I'll have."

e.moser@theday.com