What year did you graduate from Crossroads Academy?
2016
Where did you attend high school? College? If applicable, graduate or professional school?
- Hanover High School, Hanover, NH (freshman year)
- Gann Academy, Waltham, MA (sophomore year – graduation)
- Harvard College Class of 2025
How did your Crossroads education in the Core Knowledge/Core Virtues curricula prepare you for where you are today?
I remember always being asked to consider what virtues I noticed in various situations. For example, “what are three virtues you notice Abraham Lincoln invoking in this speech?” would not be an out-of-place question in a History class. Being asked to consider not only the historical implications of what someone was saying, but also what values they were considering, taught me to more fully analyze opinions or positions with which I disagree. I find myself today looking for the virtue in positions not my own, and I credit Crossroads for that
What was your favorite class at Crossroads? Why?
My favorite class at Crossroads was English 8 with Mr. Glazer. Mr. Glazer went above and beyond to support me not only as his eighth grade student, but also to help me write my d’var torah (sermon) for my Bat Mitzvah, and to tailor essay prompts to allow me to write not only about the text, but also about my passions. English 8 solidified my passion for writing and taught me so many skills that I use even in my courses today.
Baseball players have a “walk up” song that is played when they come to the plate. What would your “walk up” song be when you enter a room?
My walk-up song would have to be “I Was Here” by Beyoncé. It is a song about leaving your mark on the world, and Beyoncé has such a powerful, feminine voice. It’s inspiring.
With which historical figure/celebrity would you most enjoy being stuck in a ski lift?
Having done 12 years of gymnastics, if I were stuck on a ski lift, I feel like I would do some maneuvering to jump off because I hate being cold. That being said, if I could not pull this off, I would like to be stuck with Bryan Stevenson, a civil rights attorney famous for representing defendants on death row. His book Just Mercy changed my life, inspiring me to spend my gap year doing criminal justice reform work, and I would love to pick his brain for the time I would have before the frostbite set in.
Is there a Crossroads moment, event or mentor you feel made a foundational impact in your life? Please elaborate.
I’m not sure I can point to something specific, but I definitely believe that the warm, personal environment of Crossroads helped me learn how to forge connections with my teachers. I was lucky to attend a small high school as well, where it was easy to make connections with teachers, but now that I am in college, I find that I readily email or talk to professors, whereas my friends are quite nervous to do so. Bonding with teachers can make or break a class/semester/school experience, and I am so glad I learned that skill so seamlessly at Crossroads.
