Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

DEFINITION
Annie (noun): a friendly, energetic—and sometimes silly—overachiever.

QUESTIONS
What's the biggest challenge you've had at Mercersburg?
Finding a balance between everything. There are so many opportunities, I always want to try everything—but then I realize I can't. You have to make decisions about which things are important and which you can drop.

Who is your favorite teacher?
My chemistry teacher, Mrs. Malone, was amazing. She always got really excited in class and it made it so much fun. For example, when she taught us about photons, she brought in these little balls and started throwing them at us. It's obvious how much she enjoys teaching. It turned chemistry from something that I was, not dreading, but certainly not looking forward to, to something I loved. Now I want to have a career in chemistry, either teaching it or working in a lab.

What's something you tried that you never thought you'd try?
I never thought of myself as an outdoor person, but the last two spring breaks, I summitted Mount Washington. It was part of Endeavor, which is in MOE, Mercersburg's outdoor education program. Before that, I had done fake camping in cabins with bathrooms, nothing really intense like no running water or sleeping on the ground. So, hiking and camping out in the backcountry was new for me. It was nothing you can experience anywhere else. The only two things you have to do are keep walking and keep yourself warm. That sounds easy but it's not because not only is it a physical battle but it's emotional as well. When it's negative 20 degrees, you just want to curl up in a ball. But you have to keep going. You have to figure out how you can find just a little bit more inside yourself. Like at the end of the day, when you're tired, you're cold, you're hungry—and you have to build your snow cave.

It was cool. I hope I'll keep doing it the rest of my life.

What have been your favorite classes?
Mrs. Malone’s chemistry class was definitely a favorite. Under her guidance I really learned to love chemistry and to love learning, and I hope that someday I can
influence one of my own students the way she has influenced me.

American Studies with Mrs. Howley was also a fantastic experience—not only because Mrs. Howley is a great teacher, but because of the other students in my class as well. It is amazing how we always found a way to relate American history to current events, and the diversity of my class always made for great discussion.

Then there’s Latin with Mr. Thorne. In two years of Latin, there has never been a day when I haven’t looked forward to going to class. He is not only a genuinely good teacher, but he is hilarious. Latin may be a dead language but it is definitely enjoyable to learn with Mr. Thorne.

What was the class you're glad you took but never want to take again?
AP Latin has been the most demanding class I have taken at Mercersburg. It’s very easy to spend two hours on Latin homework alone if not more than that. The AP exam in May was the pinnacle of my challenging year in Latin, having to essentially memorize 1,600 lines of Ovid and Catullus. I’m so glad I achieved so much in that class—but I never want to take it again.

What are your favorite places on campus?
Enchanted forest, Willis’ apartment, and the top floor of the library (it’s a great place to study).

What's been your proudest moment at Mercersburg?
I’ve had several moments at Mercersburg where I have been proud of my own and others’ achievements, but I think that I get the most pride when I am working with a student in the math center and suddenly the student understands something they didn’t before. It’s really great to check up on the people you helped and find out they aced the test they thought they were going to fail.

What's been your most embarrassing moment at Mercersburg?
My most embarrassing moment at Mercersburg was definitely this past year just after a chemistry class where we were playing with balloons. I made a balloon dog and brought it to a community gathering, and during a crucially silent moment the balloon, which was just sitting in my lap, exploded. It was incredibly loud and it seemed like every single person turned around to look at me. I just slid down as low as possible into my chair, and for several community gatherings after that, Dr. Sancho would come up to me and remind me not to bring balloon animals into the Simon.

What are some favorite books you've read at Mercersburg?
Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby… There are too many to list them all!

If you could offer one piece of advice to an incoming student, what would it be?
Always have an open mind: Often you find friendship with the people you least expect, and make the best memories at the times when you least expect it.

LISTS
What were that last five songs to play on your mp3 player?
“Getting Better” by the Beatles
“Zak and Sara” by Ben Folds
“There’s Your Touble” by the Dixie Chicks
“Don’t Do Me Like That” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by the Rolling Stones