Name: Isabella
Currently Attending: Parsons School of Design
Years at Shipley:9
Activities & Positions Held: DECA (4 years, Vice President), Girls’ Varsity Tennis (4 Years, Captian 2 Years), Glee Club, Shipley Singers.

Reflections on Shipley
More than anything else, Shipley taught me to take risks and to bet on myself. In this life, there is no one who will believe in you more than yourself. My education here taught me to believe in that mantra, as well as encourage me to pursue a career in something I love.

While many do not believe tennis to be a team sport, I would respectfully disagree. During my time as captain on the girls’ team, I learned what it meant to be a leader. I finally understood some of the most important qualities that a leader must have in order to be successful. For example, a good leader can be respected, but a great one makes people really listen. They don’t have to know everything, and really they shouldn’t because who knows everything, but they should be knowledgeable about their craft and be graceful in asking for help.

Who was your most influential teacher and why?
I have to be honest, I spent nearly thirty minutes making up a list of names of influential teachers and couldn’t decide on one. To say I had one influential teacher would be a complete lie. I think the greatest thing about this School is its teachers and faculty. How much they care about each student, the amount of work they put in every single day into every lesson, it truly is remarkable. I can safely say that each teacher I had taught me some sort of lesson that went much further beyond Algebra and Modern European History.

What was your most memorable experience at Shipley?
It was the championship match for Girls’ Varsity Tennis last year. We had to drive all the way to Morristown Friends in New Jersey, and we were watching the deciding match. During a very close deciding match, with Shipley losing by two points in the third set tiebreaker, I learned something Shipley has been trying to teach us for years. Winning can be rewarding, you feel a period of happiness and proudness in yourself and your team. Losing, many people like me see as a sign of failure, and defeat. However, you learn so much more in loss and how the other person, or team in this case, handles their win. It was that moment this lesson finally clicked.

What are your plans for the fall of 2019?
I will be attending the Parsons School of Design in NYC.

What is your future ambition and what led you to this ambition?
I was born an entrepreneur. My entire life I knew I wanted to make something of my own and throw it out into the world in hopes of good feedback. I want to be the boss, and make all of the decisions, big and small. As of this moment, I hope to graduate from Parsons and go on to create my own e-commerce fashion company.

What does Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing mean to you?
Ever since I was ten years old, I have seen these words plastered on buildings, brochures, and spoken in speeches. What does it mean? Well, courage is to simply believe in yourself when no one else will. To have courage in everything you do, big and small. To have grace is to have poise whether you win or lose. I can happily say these words now mean more to me than ever, so much more than words on a piece of paper.

Complete this sentence: Shipley has prepared me to…
believe in myself and have grace in all of my future endeavors.