How did Shipley prepare you for college?
Shipley prepared me for college through its competitive and comprehensive course offerings. Many of the classes I took functioned similarly to the ones I ended up taking in college, with multiple long-term projects supplemented by intense, productive group discussions. Furthermore, Shipley’s wide array of subjects allowed me to hone some of my interests before graduating.

Tell us about a teacher at Shipley who played a key role in your growth as an individual. Can you share a specific instance where they influenced your personal or academic development?
Dr. Pickering truly helped me to become the best academic version of myself. I had her for Modern European History and 11th Grade English, and the coursework in both was equal parts challenging and rewarding. I particularly appreciated how much time she invested in annotating students’ essays. While revising her rough drafts could often seem harder than writing an entirely new essay, her efforts allowed me to realize my full potential as a writer. 

I participated in student government throughout high school, and was All-School President my senior year. I was also a member of the soccer and baseball teams. Though I did not participate in these at college, they aided me in my primary extracurricular activity. As Sports Editor of the weekly student newspaper, I was able to pair my past experiences as an athlete with my leadership skills from student government.

The College Counseling Office helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses as an applicant while also serving as a guide to discover which colleges fit best with what I wanted. They made me feel like I was not making my decision alone and that I had a large amount of support behind me.

One of my favorite parts about Shipley was how easy it was to try new things. While I could never call myself an actor (and certainly not a singer), participating in the musical my senior year is one of my fondest memories from Shipley. Taking this same open-mindedness with me beyond Shipley has allowed me to discover many more opportunities I may have otherwise avoided.

I would encourage them to not be afraid of failure. It is easy to be risk-averse, particularly when it comes to maintaining a GPA, but many of my most rewarding experiences have come from activities that were outside of my comfort zone. Some may not turn out well, but risk-taking (within reason, of course) will always prove to be valuable in the long run.

I am currently living in Manhattan and working for the Production Finance team at NBC Sports. Outside of the office, I enjoy running, exploring New York, and hanging out with friends!