Willow

I really enjoyed having smaller classes at NMH. I love the humanities and am interested in majoring in history, but I can also see myself in related fields.

Willow

Willow initially planned to enroll at Northfield Mount Hermon as a day student, commuting from her home in nearby Amherst. But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in her last semester of middle school, she decided to instead board at the school. “I am glad I [made that choice] because I live about 45 minutes away,” she reflected as she prepared for her graduation last spring. “I did a lot of music and theater and [those activities] tend to be late at night. I often have things going on until 8 or 9 pm on campus.” 

Willow’s four years at NMH were marked by impressive academic achievement, including her induction into the Cum Laude honor society and her being named valedictorian for the Class of 2024. But her time at the school was also filled with a rich range of activities that allowed her to stretch and explore new interests.   

For example, Willow signed up for a costume cocurricular even though she didn't know how to sew. Before long she was dropping by the campus costume shop to help out. “I sewed so many buttons for ‘Les Miz,’” the theater program’s fall 2023 musical, she said. (She also sewed her graduation dress.)  Willow also enjoyed performing, both as a singer and actor: She took part in the Select Treble Ensemble, the Concert Choir (which she also managed), and the Senior Honors Recital. She performed in 11 theater productions, including a lead role in the spring 2024 play, "Silent Sky," the true story of an early 20th-century woman astronomer.

Willow was also a member of the Asian American Students Association, serving in her senior year as a leader in the group. “It’s been a great space,” she said. “I think my favorite part of it has been meeting younger Asian students and hearing about where they are coming from. It provides another space where they can be comfortable on campus and talk about their identity.”

She also appreciated opportunities to connect in the classroom. “I really enjoyed having smaller classes at NMH. I love the humanities and am interested in majoring in history, but I can also see myself in related fields.” She credits a determined mindset for her academic success. “There are moments when I think: I have to do this, and I'm going to do this. I basically decided that giving up just isn’t an option.”

Willow is taking a year off before enrolling at Harvard College in the fall of 2025. "I don't have a ton of concrete plans," she said about her gap year, but she is looking forward to spending time with family and pursuing interests such as reading, sewing, and singing. She’ll also work for Massachusetts state Rep. Mindy Domb, with whom she interned last summer, focusing on education policy, sustainable agriculture, and climate change. After college, she’d like to return to the legislature to work as an aide but she is also excited to see where her experiences take her.