Across my four years at Shipley, I’ve been involved in several different student organizations: I’m a member of Shipley’s vocal ensembles, am an associate editor of the student newspaper, The Beacon, and I also participate in every theatre production. I also contribute towards Shipley’s cross country, squash, and tennis teams. Finally, I have been a captain for the varsity cross-country team for two years in a row.

 

My favorite club is the Shipley Singers. Shipley Singers is Shipley's audition-based vocal ensemble. Within the club, we learn songs of different genres while also reviewing vocal technique. I love Shipley Singers because of the bond that forms within the ensemble each year.

 

My favorite class at Shipley thus far is Film Studies. I signed up for the class because the film industry had always fascinated me and I wanted to challenge myself with something new. Not only did I learn more about what goes into making movies, I also became far better at analyzing. I really enjoyed how the class didn’t just focus on film, but also investigated other storytelling mediums, including both standard and graphic novels. I'm really grateful that the teacher, Ms. Greenberg, made the class regularly submit writing assignments to improve our writing skills. I would never have thought that at the end of this course I would become a better English student!

 

When I think of Shipley, I think of the wide array of students. Shipley doesn’t create one type of student; instead, the school embraces everyone's individuality. It's in this environment where students are able to pursue new interests and gain leadership skills. If I didn't feel comfortable with the Shipley community in the 6th grade, I never would have tried out for the Middle School musical, which has since lead to my passion for acting.

 

My most valuable lesson has been the importance of taking risks. At Shipley, teachers encourage students to go beyond their comfort zone and to make mistakes. This mindset has allowed me to reflect and move forward and I’m thankful that Shipley has broadened my outlook on both education and life.

 

My advice to any incoming Middle or Upper School student is to take advantage of the wide selection of course material and to also challenge yourself academically. I feel that rather than regretting not taking a certain class, everyone should at least try courses they wouldn’t normally sign up for.