Melanie ’26
College/School Attending This Fall: Bowdoin College
Major/Area of Interest: Education/Undecided
Years at Shipley: 4
Activities and Positions Held:
Tennis (Co-Captain), Squash, Crew (Team Manager), Sprouts, Writing Center Tutor, Math Peer Tutor (President), Politics & Activism Club (Co-President), Service & Global Committee, Admissions Ambassador, 10th Grade Honor Council
Who was your most influential teacher and why?
So many Shipley teachers made me who I am today that it's nearly impossible to pick just one as the greatest influence. Still, Mr. Goren stood out as a model of how thoughtfulness and humor can, and indeed should, go together. Whenever I was in Mr. Goren's class, even if I was having a bad day, he always made me feel comfortable with his sense of humor and genuine humanity. As someone who is so often stressed about the next thing, his genuine enjoyment of each moment in class and each magical aspect of science helped me slow down and enjoy myself too. Through this enjoyment, he taught me things that would not have resonated as clearly if he tried to tell them to me directly; for example, that passion and joy matter just as much as getting things right. Mr. Goren also influenced me a lot with the patience he had for me as an individual. When I get stressed, he always helped me remember to be kind to myself and appreciate my successes, not just worry about my shortcomings. Through his example and his genuine care for me, I was able to enjoy learning more and be kinder to myself.
What was your favorite class and why?
I loved US History Honors because it was a history course that connected directly to the world we live in now. By threading together culture, international relations, the economy, and social justice, it provided a deep, thoughtful introduction to the complex context that makes America the country we live in today. Being able to connect what I learned in class back to our modern experiences, and seeing how history repeats itself, was deeply compelling (if at times frustrating). I fell more in love with the class, however, because of the way Dr. Gillin taught it. Instead of focusing on all the facts and dates, she always broadened it, challenging us to understand the psychological reasoning and concepts behind each event we saw, tying them all together in a way that made modern connections even easier. She never hesitated to challenge me to improve my work and think deeper, but also genuinely cared about what I thought and brought the entire class into the discussion. Even when I no longer remember the exact dates, the concepts, connections, and methods of thinking that I learned from her in USHH will stick with me.
What was your most memorable experience at Shipley?
I will always remember the community I felt during the final Friends' League tennis match of my career. During my match, my partner and I came together to play one of our best matches of the season, demonstrating everything that we learned as a result of practice. What's most memorable, though, is the team effort that went into cheering on the rest of the team through their matches. That image of all of us pressed to the fence, shouting at the top of our lungs while on the verge of tears with the feeling of all the years of collaboration and passion for the sport, will always stick with me. I think our volume of cheering speaks to the advocacy we learned at Shipley, which gave me the bravery to be loud and true to myself, whether in the classroom or on the court, that I never had in freshman year. Even though we didn't win in the end, I think that match epitomizes Shipley to me: a place where we work together with our maximum effort, cheer each other on, and learn how to win or lose together with joy.
What does Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing mean to you?
The Shipley motto reminds me of the need for balance between being brave and giving yourself grace when things are hard or go awry. While it literally reminds us to be brave enough to do something hard while still following through in a kind and thoughtful manner, in many ways, I think of it as a reminder of how to treat myself and my life. In order to be brave and kind to others as I take on the deed of living life, I have to remember to be brave and kind to myself. That duality is what I think of every time I hear our motto.
How has Shipley encouraged you to take risks?
Shipley enabled me to take risks by providing a safety net of support and kindness to catch me if I fall. When I confronted a new daunting task at Shipley, be it a brand new club, a difference from my friends, or a hard class assignment, I always knew that if I made a mistake (as everyone may do), the entire community was ready to be there for me because they care about me. Plus, the emphasis on grace, or forgiveness, taught me to understand that effort and patience with yourself should be my goal, not perfection. All of this allowed me to try new, intimidating things without constantly fearing the consequences of slipping up.
Please write a short reflection on your time at Shipley and what it meant to you.
Shipley was a place that let everyone be themselves and redefine what that means to them within a community of people who are all going through that same process of self-definition. Since coming to Shipley in 9th grade, I joined new clubs and learned new concepts that my prior self would never have believed. This growth was only possible because of all the opportunities that were not just available but normalized, and my classmates and teachers who always supported me. While Shipley is a school, I think it is, above all, a community where everyone can become their best selves as I did.