Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

DEFINITION
Sam (verb): to balance work and play so that tasks are done efficiently and thoroughly, but without compromising mental health.

QUESTIONS
Why Mercersburg?
My older brother and I are really close, and he decided to go to the local high school so we’d have a year together when he was a senior. But when he graduated and went away to Yale, I decided I should go away too. My mom is a Mercersburg grad, and I went to summer camps at Mercersburg when I was younger. We decided to see if I could get a scholarship. I remember being pretty overwhelmed when I found out I’d won. How do you turn down that kind of opportunity, that kind of generosity?

What were you most looking forward to?
Meeting new people and living in dorms appealed to me. Having been to camps before, I knew I’d instantly have new friends, so it didn’t feel like I’d be leaving something behind or starting a new life. It seemed more like a fun adventure.

What will you do when you graduate?
I’m going to be a freshman at Yale while my older brother is a senior—so I guess we’re reliving our high school arrangement. It’s funny—I went on all his college tours with him and his favorite was always mine. When he was sure he was going to Brown, I wore the Brown gear. When it was Stanford, I wore Stanford. And I remember coming to Mercersburg with a Yale cap and sweatshirt. I still get teased about it. But I’d wanted to go to a good college my whole life, and when it came time to find a college for me, I did all my own research, and my counselors and I chose what we thought was the best school for me. That it turned out to be Yale and my brother and I will be on the swim team together for a year is just a bonus.

What were your three favorite classes?
French with Heather Prescott, Physics with Jim Malone, and American History with Allison Stephens.

What class you glad you took but never want to take again?
I'm glad I took multivariable calculus, because it will more than likely prove to be a helpful stepping-stone to college level calc 3, but multiple dimensional calculus equations are a bit too abstract for me.

What are your three favorite places on campus?
The Smoyer Tennis Center, especially on Sunday afternoons when it’s sunny; the chapel room in the library; the Simon Theatre.

What was your proudest moment at Mercersburg?
My proudest moment at Mercersburg probably came when I had received my acceptance to Yale. I was at a swimming meet in Pittsburgh for the weekend, and I paraded the deck wearing my Yale swimming suit proudly.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
Ironically my most embarrassing moment at Mercersburg came literally in the first few hours that I was on campus. I was at preseason training for cross-country, and I went to a preseason chorale rehearsal. While introducing me to the group, the director informed everyone gathered that I was a tap-dancer. In actuality, I learned tap dancing for a musical in ninth grade titled "Crazy for You," but I would not consider myself in the least bit proficient.

Do you have any advice for new Mercersburg students?
I was fortunate this year to have had a remarkable conversation with Benicio del Toro at school. He gave me some of the best advice anyone has ever given to me, and I would forward that to a potential Mercersburg student: stay loose. Avoid stress by taking time every day to do the things that please you. There is always time amidst five-hour homework nights for a little bit of "me time," and I personally believe that by cultivating your mental health and composure in this way, you will become a much more efficient person.

LISTS
The last 5 songs to play on my iPod were:
“The Trees” by Rush
“Slow Dance” by John Legend
“The Divided Sky” by Phish
“Pencils in the Wind” by Flight of the Conchords
“Bright College Years” (Yale alma mater) by the Yale Whiffenpoofs

The best books I read at Mercersburg were:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
L'Enfant Noir by Camara Laye
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo by Oscar Zeta Acosta
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Activities:

• Varsity Swimming
• Varsity Tennis
• Leader of the Green Team
• VP of Senior Class
• Prefect