The connections between students and faculty, hands down. Each teacher I’ve had here has spent countless hours learning about their students both academically and personally. In each of my years at Thayer, I can name multiple teachers who provided that specialized connection to me as a student in their classes.

I intend to study political science or government (or anything in the social sciences, really).

AP Calculus AB with Mr. Cedrone. Calculus was by far the hardest class I took at Thayer because, as Mr. Cedrone says, it was one of the first classes I had to start thinking about math instead of just memorizing and doing it.

I feel like I’m mostly an open book to people. There’s not much about me that I’m not afraid of sharing with others! If I had to choose, though, it would probably be that I love stargazing! I’ve made it my mission to find as many recognizable constellations as possible on clear nights.

Thayer has prepared me for success by giving me the ability to participate in programs and classes that I’m interested in. It has expanded my curiosity in different areas that I previously never thought I would enjoy. This curiosity is a trait that I’ll carry with me into college and beyond.

Any of the Mission Impossible movies. I love watching the stunts that Tom Cruise is able to pull off, even if the plots of the movies blur together and I don’t know the difference between them.

There are so many examples of this in my time at Thayer. One of the first would probably be sophomore year with Ms. Jersild. My mom had shown me the JFK Profiles in Courage Essay Contest and encouraged me to participate. I needed a teacher advisor for this project, so I asked Ms. Jersild to help me with my essay. We spent hours talking and discussing my essay outside of our shared history class, and although I didn’t end up placing, it was an experience that I was so grateful for.

My mom inspires me. Her jubilance and charisma have allowed her to make friends throughout different stages of life, and she showed me that family is truly whom you choose. She’s emphasized the importance of strong female models and proves it by the way she lives every day.

Mr. Carlson singing “Thayer Thayer Forever” at the end of last Chapel. Iconic.

“Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige. I actually hit a home run to this song during Senior Day; it’s got the perfect pump-up beat and incorporates R&B, the music that I grew up listening to in the car.

There’s an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement here at Thayer. No doubt about it: there have been countless times when I may not have gotten a lot of sleep the night before and my friends were there to help me get through the day. Then there were the times I was able to sit down and talk about my future plans and who I was with the two teachers I had asked to write my teacher recommendations for college applications. I’ve also appreciated the commitment of my softball coach (shoutout to Coach Laura McDonough) who helped me learn the best viable actions for college recruitment and helped me grow to be the leader and the player I am today.

My favorite Thayer tradition is probably the Pumpkin Drop! It happens around Halloween, and the AP Physics students get to toss pumpkins off Thayer’s tower to prove that no matter the size of the objects, they’ll both hit the ground at the same time if they’ve been dropped at the same time! It’s also fun to watch the pumpkins explode as they hit the ground.