What makes Thayer unique — and what I love most about the Thayer community — is the bond between students and teachers. The faculty at Thayer are 100% committed to and passionate about their students. The teachers care about their students’ emotional well-being and cheer us on in or outside of the classroom. You can find them in the audience of the school musical or on the sidelines of the soccer field. Thayer’s teachers are exceptional, and I’m blessed to have built long-lasting friendships with many of them.

I’ll be attending Northeastern University next year to study Nursing! My goal is to be a nurse practitioner in the Boston area. 

AP Biology was the class that most challenged me during my entire Upper School career. The class was less about memorizing terms and definitions and more about analyzing real-life data using the concepts learned in class. Dr. Collins set the expectations high for me and my classmates, and she never let us settle for mediocrity. She taught this class just as a college professor would, ensuring that we were well prepared for the AP Biology exam. She pushed us to use reason to really think about the information given to us instead of just memorize it.

To many people’s surprise, even though I’m an extroverted social butterfly, I truly am the biggest homebody you’ll ever meet! I love being in the comfort of my own home binge-watching a Netflix series in my PJs. If I were given a choice whether to spend a Friday night at home with my family or out with a bunch of people, 10/10 times I would choose to stay home with my family! 

Thayer has taught me how to stand on my own two feet and advocate for myself. Being an Admissions student panelist and a mock trial attorney at Thayer, I have gained so much confidence in public speaking and oral advocacy. I’m able to talk with a group of strangers or adult professionals with eloquence and ease. Aside from being an academically strong student, I was taught that, to be successful, I have to confidently speak for myself.

Ms. Reuter inspires me. I admire her high-energy personality, her desire to make class engaging, and her ability to find something special in each individual — especially those who go unnoticed sometimes. I am inspired by how she unapologetically embraces who she is. I am impressed by her commitment to Thayer; she has shown up to every play, dance concert, mock trial competition, soccer playoff, etc. She has the most creative mind of anyone I know; I wish I had an imagination like hers. In the middle of this pandemic, she created a three-week project for my senior English elective class “Newsworthy” that added so much meaning to our unique situation. During each of those three weeks, under Ms. Reuter’s guidance, we created “Some Good TA News” stories to broadcast and share with the rest of the Thayer community. She always made Zoom class FUN and something to look forward to.

My English teacher, Ms. Hayman, always went “that extra mile” for me both in and out of the classroom. This winter I was having a hard time finding a senior project that I would enjoy. Ms. Hayman was the biggest supporter of my fashion blog TAOOTD (Thayer Academy Outfits of the Day); she constantly came to me with suggestions for the account and fashion recommendations. In her free time, Ms. Hayman models for her best friend’s boutique in Chestnut Hill -- Portobello Road. Although I never even told her about the difficulty I was having, Ms. Hayman approached me and said she had a great idea for my senior project. At a dinner party, she had spoken so highly of me to her friend who owned Portobello Road. Ms. Hayman’s belief in me helped me set up an internship there. Because Ms. Hayman went “that extra mile” for me, I was able to find a senior project that I was EXCITED about. (***Due to COVID-19, my senior project was obviously cancelled, but her friend offered me a part-time job there in the fall.)

I’m the first in my family to go to college. While that is a blessing, it also came with many challenges. There were many questions that my parents couldn’t provide answers for, and that’s where my college counselor Ms. Brennan Hall stepped in. She was my number one go-to person throughout the entire college decision-making process. From helping me find ways to finance my college education to sitting with me to write out pros and cons lists for each of the colleges on my list, I couldn’t have received better support anywhere else.

This is a hard question, but I LOVE when we have breakfast for lunch! The Belgian-style waffles are to-die-for; however, if you don’t have F1 lunch, there probably won’t be any left for you — It’s a fan favorite! Oh, and the home fries are UNBELIEVABLY delicious. 

I’ve learned to gracefully accept the things I cannot change and to make the best of an unusual experience. For example, TAOOTD (the school-wide fashion blog I run) could have easily died out during these several months away from school. I accepted that we were not going back to school this year, but I chose to make the best of the situation and create a “TAOOTD Quarantine Edition” where I posted the community’s everyday outfits from home. Though I wasn’t taking pictures of my peers and teachers around the Thayer campus, I knew that TAOOTD was a school-loved tradition that needed to be kept alive. It was a way for the Thayer community to stay connected while being physically apart for over three months.

My favorite memory of Thayer was the Senior Drive-through on campus last month. I knew we would be given our yearbooks and other special gifts, but I wasn't expecting to see all of my wonderful teachers on the drive-through path holding up posters expressing love and encouragement for the Class of 2020. I was so overwhelmed with feelings — both blessed to have met such incredible people at Thayer in my last six years and sad that the journey was coming to a close. At the end of the drive-through, I was left with the biggest smile on my face, and tears welled up in my eyes. I will never ever forget that day. It was the highlight of my senior year. That memory just goes to show how much this community cares about its students, even in the middle of a global pandemic. 

Spirited. Multi-faceted. Family. These three words come to mind when I think of the Thayer community. This community is so supportive of each other. We go ALL OUT to show our Thayer pride, whether it be at Winter Wars or at the Valicenti Cup games or in the audience of the musical. The people in this community care about one another and want to see each other thrive. In other words, we show up for each other with no questions asked. That kind of support, school spirit, and sense of family is hard to find. Each person in this community has so many layers to them. Teachers are coaches. Varsity athletes are leads in the school plays. Mathletes are dancers. I absolutely LOVE how each person in this community has their own set of individual interests; it just adds to the vibrant energy at Thayer.