Senior Paths

Senior Paths Purpose Lived Loomis Chaffee Senior Paths Your Journey Begins Here ach spring, with graduation approaching, Loomis Chaffee seniors 3 reflect on their journeys as students on the Island. The paths they forge here are as Eunique as the students themselves, but the common experience they share is a pursuit of the best self and the common good. Along the way their teachers, coaches, classmates, and friends celebrate their individuality, challenge their intellect, empower them to make a positive difference in their communities, and help them discover and embrace their passions. That’s the difference. That’s Loomis Chaffee. Loomis Chaffee Senior Paths Michael Carter ichael Carter is a big Loomis Chaffee Class of 2015 with me, and their confidence came thinker. A standout student Hometown: Mount Pleasant, SC through.” known for his insights, College: Stanford University When he arrived on campus as a fresh- the editor-in-chief of man, the biggest challenge for Michael Mboth the school newspaper and a stu- observes that Michael stood out “as one was the “level up” of course work from dent-written foreign affairs journal, an of the most indefatigable workers and his previous schooling. “I got my first award-winning delegate to Model U.N. most engaged true scholars I’ve seen in B ever,” he admits, “but it was not dev- conferences, a keen student of Arabic, a my career.” astating — just a reality check.” He says respected leader among his peers, and he quickly developed a more committed an engaged community member who Michael assumed leadership roles in work ethic and realized that doing so pursued his activities with purpose, many community-oriented activities at leads to a more rewarding experience. Michael took a thoughtful approach to Loomis. In addition to his leadership of Michael cites the Advanced Placement both his daily life and his overarching The Log and The World Bulletin, Michael U.S. History course, taught by Eric experience at Loomis Chaffee. For these was a prefect and resident assistant, LaForest, as a class that involved a lot and other attributes, Michael received served on the Disciplinary Committee, of work to “really get into the materi- the Ammidon Prize at Commencement, and was elected class president in his al” in order to fully participate in class given to a young man of the graduating sophomore and junior years. He was discussions. His efforts resulted in “an class who, in the judgment of the facul- active in Model U.N., the agriculture in-depth knowledge of U.S. history,” ty, has been outstanding in his concern program, SPECTRUM, and campus Michael says, and the class remains one 4 for others. sustainability efforts, and he exhibited 5 his creativity as an actor, playwright, of his most enjoyable and rewarding at In-depth thought shows in all that and director in several productions in Loomis. Michael does, even in his picks of books, the Norris Ely Orchard Theater. Rachel’s instruction and encouragement music, and travel destinations. His in AP Government and Politics class and favorite book, Jurassic Park by Michael “Michael is a terrific writer — one of through his involvement with Model Crichton, is more than a science fiction the best I’ve ever encountered in my 18 U.N. and The World Bulletin also helped story, he says: “It’s almost a philosoph- years of teaching,” notes history teacher him develop an enthusiasm for learning ical take on science and ethics.” He en- Rachel Engelke. “Lucid, creative, clever, and cultivated his passion for history, joys music by singer-songwriter Lorde … his papers were always among my fa- international politics, world events, and for its complexity despite her relatively vorites to read.” For The World Bulletin, journalism, he says. He credits all his young age, and for the way she “con- meanwhile, Michael researched and teachers for holding him to high stan- nects everyday experiences with bigger wrote articles covering nuanced topics, dards in the quality of his work, though ideas,” he says. Fascinated by both the including pieces about tensions in the clearly he has a high bar set for himself physical beauty and the culture of Ice- European Union, the aftermath of the as well. land, Michael speaks with admiration Arab Spring uprising, and the threat of about the Icelandic peoples’ “respect for ISIS. “Michael stepped up to the plate Michael collected many fond memories the natural world,” their “progressive and helped readers unpack complicated working nights and weekends under mindset,” and their strong work ethic. issues in the Middle East,” says Rachel. tight deadlines with The Log staff in the basement of Palmer Hall. “We He tethers his future plans to big ideas Loomis first attracted Michael’s interest were miserable — and it was great,” he as well. Political science is the early at a Ten Schools admissions event near jokes. “If I had to do it alone, it would be favorite as a field of study at Stanford his home in Charleston, South Caroli- terrible. But The Log staff is just the best University. na, and he planned his visit to Loomis on his tour of New England boarding group of people I’ve ever been blessed to At Loomis, Michael’s scholarship, hard schools. work with,” he says. work, commitment to leadership, and Thinking out loud of the future, Mi- choice of extracurricular programs “I chose Loomis Chaffee because when chael’s long-term goals could include that held meaning for him earned the I visited and talked to other students law school, and he might like to live respect of his classmates, friends, teach- on campus, I sensed there was a great and work in Washington, D.C., some ers, and mentors. His advisor, longtime atmosphere here,” he says. “They didn’t day, “depending on where my studies English faculty member Fred Seebeck, hold back when they were speaking take me.” Loomis Chaffee Senior Paths Reinaldo Maristany einaldo Maristany grew as Loomis Chaffee Class of 2014 resident assistant in Taylor Hall as a a scholar, an athlete, and a Hometown: New Rochelle, NY senior, he was elected by his peers as leader during his four years College: Princeton University head resident assistant this year. He also at Loomis Chaffee, seizing served as a tour guide, was a member Rone opportunity after another to tap of PRISM (People Rising in Support to select prospective students who his potential and turn his talents into demonstrate exceptional leadership, of Multiculturalism), and mentored accomplishments. outstanding academic work, and an ex- underrepresented students through the Pelican Support Network. His leader- During Commencement, Reinaldo re- traordinary commitment to the school’s ship extended to the athletics realm as ceived the Nathaniel Horton Batchelder ideal of striving toward “the best self well. He was co-captain of the football Prize, one of the school’s highest honors, and common good.” and track and field teams as a senior. which recognizes a student’s industry, As part of the LC Scholars Program’s Meanwhile, he conquered a challenging loyalty, and integrity. “Every time Rein- emphasis on service learning and inter- course load that included Advanced aldo was ready to say ‘no’ to an exercise, national travel, Reinaldo took his first Placement Literature, Advanced Place- he took a breath and said ‘yes’ instead,” trip outside the country in the summer ment French IV, Advanced Placement Head of School Sheila Culbert noted in after his sophomore year, spending Calculus AB, Globalization (a history his citation, quoting an anecdote from a two-and-a-half weeks in Ghana, a trip advanced term course), Microbiology, faculty member. funded by the LC Scholars Program and Molecular Biology, Social Psychology, When Reinaldo arrived at Loomis, he organized through an educational travel International Relations, and Death & 6 saw himself first and foremost as an ath- organization called Rustic Pathways. In Dying. 7 lete, in particular a football player as he addition to exploring the African coun- The school’s emphasis on a well-round- had played the sport since third grade. try, Reinaldo and other group members ed approach to life appealed to Reinal- He picked up track in the spring of his spent a week dedicated to community do. What he loves most about Loomis, sophomore year on the recommenda- service, helping to build a school in a he says, is that the “teachers care about tion of Adrian Stewart ’90, a football village, visiting an orphanage, and de- what the students are doing for extra- and track assistant coach. Within the livering donated shoes to middle school curricular activities and that coaches first weeks of track practice, Reinaldo students. care about what athletes are doing strained his hip flexor and was out for The following summer, Reinaldo took academically.” the majority of the season. At the end of a trip to Southeast Asia, also through the season, though, one of his team- Rustic Pathways, visiting Cambodia Although leadership seems to come mates was unable to compete in the and Thailand with a peer he had met naturally to Reinaldo, he reflects that New England Track and Field Champi- on the trip to Ghana. The trip followed he constantly had to push himself to onships, and the coaches asked Rein- a similar schedule mixing explora- realize his potential, and he continually aldo to run the lead-off leg of the 4 x tion and community service, which learned new things about himself in 100-meter relay. Having returned from again allowed for experiential learn- doing so. Talented, hard-working, and his injury only a week earlier, there he ing. Through both trips, Reinaldo not admired, Reinaldo is respected by his stood, in front of a large crowd, eyes only became more self-sufficient, but peers and faculty alike.

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