Name: Carly
Currently Attending: University of Pennsylvania
Years at Shipley:4
Activities & Positions Held: Glee Club (4 Years), Shipley Singers (3 Years), Upper School Choirs (President), All Theater Productions (4 Years,) The Compass (3 Years, Editor-in-Chief for 2 Years), Positive Paws (3 Years), SpeakUp! (4 Years), Varsity Swimming (2 Years), Baseball Photojournalism (3 Years).

Reflections on Shipley
My parents travel for work, so before coming to Shipley in ninth grade, I had been homeschooled along with my four siblings for my entire life. Having never gone to a traditional school before, I was terrified walking into my first day of high school; I was scared I wouldn’t make friends, scared I wouldn’t be able to keep up academically, and scared of not being able to do all of the many different things I wanted to do in high school. However, I quickly found Shipley to be an incredibly welcoming environment: every student was warm and sincere and so many of them were interested in me and where I had come from; all of my teachers genuinely cared about not only my academic success but also my personal wellbeing; I found an opportunity to delve into the activities I had always loved such as science, music, theater, and service, and even get a taste of some I had never really tried before.

Although of course, I had failures throughout my four years of high school, I have truly found those struggles to be some of the most important learning opportunities I have experienced. Being able to fail whilst being surrounded by people who want more than anything to help you get back on your feet makes you really want to, too.

Who was your most influential teacher and why?
My most influential teacher throughout my time at Shipley was Dr. Gillin. History has never been my strongest suit, and I never thought that anyone could spark a love of history in me like Dr. Gillin did as my U.S. History teacher in my junior year. An incredibly vibrant and interesting teacher, Dr. Gillin made me understand why we study figures of the past and, more importantly, made me want to. If you had told me two years ago that I would be doing an independent study in history during my senior year, I wouldn’t have believed it; Dr. G, a hardcore feminist, inspired me to do an independent study on the history and science of women’s studies this year. Not only this, but she came to one out of three of my class periods every rotation to use her historical and feminist expertise to help me learn more about my passion for women’s rights and history. While I may have always been a feminist, I don’t know if there is anyone who could have brought the feminist out in me like Dr. Gillin.

What was your most memorable experience at Shipley?
At the culmination of my independent study on the history and science of women’s studies, I decided to hold a gallery walk for a number of faculty members to share my findings and to do a little more data gathering from the adult generation. I extended invitations to more than a dozen adults in the Upper School; I think it is very significant and a wonderful representation of Shipley’s community that almost every single person, however well they knew me, attended my gallery walk. Shipley’s message, from teachers and students alike, is to form a community of people who genuinely care about and support each other; the fact that so many teachers, including our Head of School Dr. Piltch, came out to learn about my study and to help in my research is exactly what Shipley is all about.

What are your plans for the fall of 2019?
I will be starting school at the University of Pennsylvania this fall as a Biological Basis of Behavior major on a pre-veterinary track.

What is your future ambition and what led you to this ambition?
Throughout my life, I have always had a deep appreciation for animals; not only did I always think that they were cute and cuddly, but I have also always been amazed by the bonds animals form with each other and the bonds we form with them. I think that there is so much that we as humans can learn from other animals. I am also fascinated by science, so I hope to combine my interest in science with my passion for animal wellbeing as a veterinarian.

What does Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing mean to you?
Courage for the Deed to me means be strong, be confident, and be brave. The first part of Shipley’s motto inspires me to believe in myself, to take the risk, and to never back down. However, you have to remember to do it with dignity and respect for yourself and others. Grace for the Doing demonstrates how crucial it is to be humble.

What impact or contributions do you think you have made at Shipley and in the larger community?
I think that the biggest differences I have made at Shipley are in the music and theater programs. I feel like I have helped the theater and music communities at Shipley grow and thrive not only as a leader in my upperclassmen years but also as a freshman and sophomore simply by making the communities even more diverse and unique.

Complete this sentence: Shipley has prepared me to… pursue my wide range of passions with determination and enthusiasm.