I looked at a variety of New England preparatory schools—all the big names. When I visited Northfield Mount Hermon, I felt a dramatic shift in attitude compared to the other schools. NMH had a less stiff, more informal atmosphere. I came from a small, private middle school in Cambridge, where my eighth-grade class was about 25 students. I knew I wouldn’t get exactly that atmosphere at a much larger school, but the people I met during my first days here cemented the idea that, although NMH wasn’t the same size place as my old school, it was the same sort of place.

I have liked the vast majority of teachers I’ve had at NMH, and they’ve liked me—which is probably not something that would happen anywhere else. I think that to some degree the block schedule contributes to that, and the fact that teachers spend a lot of daily time around students. The advising system, which is pretty vigorous and intensive, allows faculty members to get well acquainted with students. I believe those bonds hold the community together.

My advisor is Kevin Gerry, an athletic trainer. During freshman year, Charlie Tierney was my advisor; at the end of the year, he became interim head of school. They both play different roles in the community, and they’ve both been great. They came from the same place of advice and care, and a sense of “I’ve been charged with taking care of this person. What am I to do with that?” 

Outside of classes, I’m on the outdoor team; we go sailing, canoeing, and mountain biking. I’m also a member of the Model United Nations. I went to a Model UN conference in Qatar last year and won a “best delegate” award. Next year I’ll be an officer of the debate team, and this year I was president of my class. We did quite a few things in Student Congress, including amending restriction policy regarding computers. We’re talking to department heads about a system where students wouldn’t have to buy new textbooks for every class every year.

I came to this community because it values your work ethic. It’s nice to be at a place where the ultimate judge of your character is the work you’ve put in, the time you’ve spent, and your dedication to a task. I hope people around me would say I’m hardworking, because I really do strive for that.