Parker ’26
College/School Attending This Fall: Princeton University
Major/Area of Interest: Political Science
Years at Shipley: 7
Activities and Positions Held:
Honor Council, Cross Country (Co-Captain), Track & Field, Admissions Ambassador (President), Debate Club (Co-Captain), Model UN Club (Captain), Math Team (Co-Captain)
Who was your most influential teacher and why?
I was so scared when I learned that Dr. Gillin would be my Honors US History teacher. She was known as a really tough grader, and as an already college-obsessed sophomore, I thought I was destined for failure. Instead, she completely shifted the way I see history, the United States, and even the world. She challenged us to analyze how interconnected seemingly disparate events really were, a task I greatly enjoyed. In that class and in Honors Modern American Women, I pushed myself to produce the best work possible because Dr. Gillin makes it so easy to care about the material. As I go off to college, I cannot wait to use all the skills she taught me as I pursue a degree in politics, a subject I am passionate about in part because of her. I am so grateful for the many ways Dr. Gillin influenced my life’s trajectory.
What was your favorite class and why?
As a (slightly arrogant) freshman, I wondered why pre-calculus even existed. If it were just going to be a review of Algebra II, why could I not just skip to calculus? Well, I am endlessly glad I was not allowed to skip it. Dr. Rebholz’s Honors Pre-Calculus class inspired in me a love for math, but perhaps more importantly, I learned how to be creative. Because I was already confident with my algebra, I could tackle the challenge problems, many of which I solved in ways Doc had never tried. Through discrete math and logic, topics many underappreciate, I exercised a part of my brain I did not know even existed. And of course, Doc made learning math so exciting that I could not help but look forward to each class. I loved taking Honors Macroeconomics with him the following year!
What was your most memorable experience at Shipley?
On a whim, I joined the debate team my sophomore year. I had lots of fun debating JV teams at various competitions, so when a spot opened up to go to the qualifying tournament for states, I excitedly took it. The problem: I never debated varsity, and I would have to debate with a new partner who also never debated varsity. Still, we figured we had nothing to lose, so we gave it our all. To our astonishment, not only did we qualify to go to states, but we won the whole tournament, beating many experienced debaters! We felt great pride for our accomplishment, but I also felt so grateful for the practice we had done with Mr. Simpson and our peers as well as for the fact that Mr. Simpson gave us the opportunity to compete at a high level.
What does Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing mean to you?
To me, Shipley’s motto means I should choose to challenge myself because real success comes from failing and trying again rather than taking shortcuts. Making the choice to struggle might take guts, but it is always worth it in the end.
How has Shipley encouraged you to take risks?
It is not always easy to speak up for what you believe in, especially when you are contradicting people with more power than you. At Shipley, I know I can voice critical opinions safely and be taken seriously. As a member of the cellphone policy committee, I repeatedly disagreed with most others in the room, but I still felt supported to speak my mind. Have I won every battle? Not even close. But at Shipley, I always knew that if I advocated intentionally and respectfully, I would receive a fair hearing. It is all too simple for schools to dismiss student voices without consideration, but I’m so glad that Shipley empowered me to use my voice to help others.
Please write a short reflection on your time at Shipley and what it meant to you.
I arrived at Shipley as a lonely 11-year-old who felt adrift at a big elementary school. I was ready to discover new interests and make close friendships. Perhaps my best decision at Shipley was to join the middle school cross country team, a sport I never tried and the team was in its debut year. Nina (another 6th grader) and I ran at a similar pace, so we naturally went on runs together. Flash forward to now, Nina might be faster than me (although I still taunt her that my 5K PR is a little bit better), but we are still incredibly close and run together as much as possible. And though I may be one of the slowest runners on the team, my dedication to the sport has allowed me to become the captain. My experience with cross country encapsulates what Shipley means to me: only here do people look past your numerical talent (or in this case, lack thereof) to value your less tangible, but still vital contributions. Only at Shipley can such a chance encounter result in a lifelong friendship. I’ll miss it here.