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Meet Grace Martin '17


Grace Martin ’17
Currently Attending: 
University of Notre Dame
Years at Shipley: 11
Activities & Positions Held: 10th Grade Class President, 11th Grade Class President, All-School Vice President, Varsity Girls' Squash Captain, DECA, Model Congress, Action Research, Positive Paws Enrichment Program, Will Trippley Tutoring


How Shipley Shaped Me
When I first came to Shipley in second grade I was extremely quiet and anxious. But after my first week at Shipley, I really started to come out of my shell. As I continued through lower school, and onto middle and upper school, I became the talkative and outgoing person I am today. I believe that Shipley’s close-knit community really helped build me into an adventurous person, as I never feared judgment from my peers. The Shipley community is competitive - but in an inclusive way. In other words, students at Shipley seek growth and success together. So when I decided to run for class president and All-School Vice President, I knew I had nothing to lose, because the community would always support me, regardless of the result.

Shipley helped me realize that the world is inherently complicated, and understanding it is not easy. Shipley never allowed me to accept a simple answer but rather pushed me to dig deep into the nuances of whatever I was studying. I believe Shipley truly gave me the tools to begin to understand the complicated layers of our modern society. Shipley is truly committed to creating unique and dedicated “thinkers” rather than just “memorizers” and I am so grateful for that.

Most Memorable Experience
My most memorable experience at Shipley was working with the kids at the Andrew Jackson School in Philadelphia through the Positive Paws Enrichment Program. Each Tuesday, I loved seeing all the kid’s faces light up when we brought out the snack, and their extreme curiosity when we taught about integrity and kindness. But my favorite part of our time at Andrew Jackson was when we took the kids outside. There was a contagious joy as the students rushed out the doors and onto the playground. The connections I made through this program were so meaningful, and without Shipley’s dedication to service, I would have never had such a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

Plans for Fall 2017
In the fall I plan on attending the University of Notre Dame. I plan on majoring in International Economics and Arabic. I might try to earn a minor in peace studies as well!

Future Ambition
I am interested in both the business and political worlds. I really hope I will be able to merge those two passions into one to find success. Either way, I am very interested in working in the Middle East, maybe a career in business or through politics or both. Regardless of what I end up doing in the future, it is no question that my senior year courses, Modern Middle East and Economics, inspired my ambitions. I am so lucky to have had such amazing courses and teachers to guide my motivations and drive me towards success.
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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.