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Meet Savannah Naib '18

Savannah Naib '18
Currently Attending: 
University of Pennsylvania
Years at Shipley: 4
Activities & Positions Held: Crew (Captain one year), Swim Team (Captain two years), Chess Club (Head for two years), 11th-Grade President, Environmental Club

How Shipley Shaped Me
The best thing I have learned from Shipley is how to fail and try again. I came from Baldwin in ninth grade and was quite a different person. When I tried something new or learned a new topic and didn’t excel right away I wanted to quit and became incredibly frustrated. This mindset barred me from pursuing many interests I had, as I thought there was no point in doing anything I wasn’t good at.

When I came to Shipley I was welcomed with open arms into the community, a feeling I’d never had at Baldwin. It amazed me how people sat with different groups or variations of people at lunch each day, and how many people I could just start a conversation with without judgment. With the love and acceptance so evident in my peers I came to accept the parts of me I saw as flaws and began to really try at different activities I would have never considered. I was in a theater class in ninth grade, and before when I would’ve pretended I didn’t care since my acting was average at best, I tried my best and ended up becoming best friends with my very talented partner, Kyle.

Shipley has truly made me a better, more accepting person, and I can’t wait to enter college ready to try new and exciting activities, whether or not I’ll be good at them.

Who was your most influential teacher and why?
My most influential teacher was Mrs. Pickering, due to her passion for English and Modern European History, as well her love of bestowing her knowledge on those lucky enough to be in her class. No class time was ever wasted, and I have never felt I’ve known books better than those we discussed in eleventh grade English. Mrs. Pickering made my love of learning and reading deeper than it ever was previously, as I constantly observed the pure joy that came to her eyes when discussing one of her favorite subjects, especially when students challenged each other to push their own points further.

Most Memorable Experience
My most memorable Shipley experience was the senior awards ceremony. I thought the faculty did an incredible job choosing recipients and it was a delight to see many friends receive much-deserved awards. I have never been one to enjoy assemblies, but I can honestly say I was fully focused the whole time with a huge smile on my face as I heard my friends’ names called.

Plans for Fall 2018
I will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2018. As of now, I do not know what I will major in, though I am considering environmental policy. I plan on attending law school after finishing undergrad.

What is your future ambition?
I want to be a lawyer, though I am not certain what kind yet. As many of my classmates and teachers know, I was planning on majoring in architecture and applied mostly to architecture programs. However, on my way up to accepted students day for Syracuse architecture I realized I wasn’t entirely sure architecture was what I wanted to do, which posed a slight problem as the programs I applied to were 5 years and didn’t allow much space to see other fields. It just so happened I was with my dad on this drive, and he was making business phone calls. Many of these calls were with lawyers, and I found their advice and reasoning behind it quite intriguing. Some calls were asking the legality of doing certain projects within the company while others were focused on creating policies to sign where it was pertinent everything was included.

What does “Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing” mean to you?
Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing means taking calculated risks. It means pushing yourself and pursuing goals that may seem a bit out of reach, yet doing so by making a plan and setting steps to reach them. However, it also means failing at times and knowing how to accept and learn from failure, all the while comforted in knowing you made a valiant effort.

Complete this sentence: Shipley has prepared me...
to be independent and make the most that I can out of any situation.
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The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.