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Meet Amira '22

Name: Amira Trueblood
Years at Shipley: 2.5
Attending in the Fall: University of Southern California
Major/Area of Interest: Civil Engineering on a Pre-Law Track
 
Activities:
Black Student Union (Vice President and Social Chair); Lower School Tutor; Science Olympiad; Girls Varsity Basketball Team (Captain)
 
Who was your most influential teacher and why?
My most influential teacher was Mr. Hornung because he inspired me to cherish my unique voice. As a Black female, I am always asked about athletics and not academics, as if basketball is supposed to save me from my inevitable failure due to my predestined inability to achieve academically. White America believes that brown and black people are inferior when it comes to intelligence. However, I am determined to shine a light on my race’s ability to succeed: in the classroom, the laboratory, the courtroom, the operating room, and in the White House.
 
What was your most memorable experience at Shipley?
My most memorable experience at Shipley was eating lunch outside at the picnic tables with my friends and sitting next to teachers.
 
What does Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing mean to you?
Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing means to ask questions, make connections, and examine the world from a different perspective. It means to think outside of the box, to stretch myself, and to always say "Thank You!"
 
Complete this sentence: Shipley has prepared me to…
…self-advocate, be vulnerable and trust others. I plan to sow more seeds of compassion, leadership, and servitude as I change the world through curiosity and ideation.
 
Reflections on your time at Shipley:
At fourteen years old, I decided to challenge myself academically and attend The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Because I live in New Jersey, this meant getting up at 5:00 am to make my first train. When that train arrived in Center City, I had to briskly navigate four Philadelphia blocks filled with the stench of second-hand cigarette smoke, poverty, and uncertainty. After catching a breath at the Jefferson Station, I boarded my second train that delivered me across the street from The Shipley School, nestled safely on the affluent Main Line. To arrive at this place that has changed the trajectory of my life each day was not an easy feat. I even took a break for family reasons and attended my home district’s public school for my junior year of high school. However, I needed an educational environment, like Shipley, where I thrived holistically. One that challenges me, both personally and academically, to think outside of the box and to stretch myself. Faith, motivation, self-determination, and tenacity have been my beacons of light and have guided me. Therefore, I graduated in June of 2022 from The Shipley School, still residing in Cherry Hill, NJ. My grit and relentless pursuit of my lifelong personal and professional goals accompany me to the University of Southern California as I continue my journey to become a patent attorney.
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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.