Meet our Student Ambassadors

Meet Caroline '20

Activities & Positions:
Throughout my high school experience, I have become very involved in the Theatre department. Since my freshman year, I have discovered a passion for directing and choreographing the fall and spring plays and the winter musical. From this passion, I formed and became a member of the Cappies Critic Team at Shipley, a team of students that attend and review local high school theatre productions. My junior year, I was nominated for a Cappie Award for Best Choreography in a Musical for our winter musical “Little Shop of Horrors”. One of my other favorite activities at Shipley is Student Government. I have served on Student Government for two years as Junior Head of Service Learning and All School Head of Student Life my senior year. I enjoy planning all of the different community events like the Empty Bowls Dinner, an event raising awareness for food insecurity, and Super Saturday, Shipley’s Fall homecoming-esque event.
When not at school, I love heading over to our sister school The Andrew Jackson School in South Philly. Every Tuesday Shipley holds “The Positive Paws Club”, teaching first graders important core values and positive psychology. My junior year, I was elected the first-ever Student Head of the PAWS Club.
 
Favorite Club: 
My favorite club at Shipley is definitely The Shipley Sprouts. In Sprouts, we plant and grow flowers and succulents to enter in the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. I love entering the greenhouse whenever I'm feeling stressed or need time to myself. I am always welcomed by the wonderful smell of fresh flowers and plants. I love going to the flower show every year and seeing my plants in the show. We always go to the show the day before opening at 6 am, enter our plants, and then spend time at the Reading Terminal Market together as a club. 
 
Favorite Class: 
My favorite class at Shipley was Modern European History Honors with Dr. Pickering. For me, this class was very challenging but extremely rewarding. I have always enjoyed history, but I never viewed it as my main academic strength. Dr. Pickering pushes and challenges her students to achieve academic success I never saw as possible. The course goes extremely in-depth, covering the history of almost every single country in Europe dating from the early 1300s to the present day. This class truly made me love learning and I am so happy I took it.
 
Favorite Shipley Memory: 
My favorite Shipley memory was during the Lower School musical this past year, Peter Pan. Because I choreographed this musical, I worked backstage during the performances, helping the kids with entrances, costume changes, and set pieces. The curtain rose for the Friday night show and I was so excited for them. For months I watched these third through fifth graders put their whole hearts and minds into this show, and they were all so excited. I was so happy I was able to be a part of this show because I felt so close to the whole Shipley community, 
 
Most Valuable Lesson Learned: 
The most valuable lesson I have learned during my time at Shipley is self-advocacy. Every teacher truly encourages students to make meetings with them to discuss class material or assignments rather than teachers making students come to meet with them or do extra work. Outside of the classroom, students can propose ideas to faculty and administration for an event or club that they think would be beneficial to Shipley. I think both of these factors have taught me to reach out to both faculty and other students and has given me the confidence I needed to achieve different long term goals of mine.
 
Advice to New Students: 
My advice to new students is to make sure you get involved with a lot of things like clubs and events here. We have such a caring community and I have loved meeting so many people that I would not have had the chance to interact with. I also think that joining clubs or helping plan community events gives you a sense of pride and ownership at Shipley, knowing that you gave something to the community and that your voice is heard.
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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.