News

Meet Stela Tong '18

Stela Tong '18
Currently Attending: 
Dartmouth College
Years at Shipley: 4
Activities & Positions Held: Tennis Team (Captain), Leader of Math Club, Leader of Compass, All School Service Learning Head, a founding member of Positive Paws, Science Olympiad

How Shipley Shaped Me
As one of the international students from China, Shipley’s supportive and close-knit community made the transition easy and smooth. The flexible courses and the positive learning environment enabled me to pursue my interests in depth.

Times that I took a risk that spring to mind are when I decided to run for student government positions. As someone who speaks English as a second language, I was not confident enough to participate at first. Encouragement from my classmates and teachers made up my mind. I was elected community life head and all school service learning head in my freshman and senior years, respectively.

The “Aha Moment” that most impacted me was when I learned valuable self-teaching skills. The classes I took, such as Newtonian Mechanics Physics, Multivariable Calculus, and Mathematical Finance, all stressed self-learning. There are only 2-6 students in each class. The small class size really ensured the high quality of the class. At the beginning of the year, the teacher gave us the resources we needed, and we learned mostly by ourselves using these resources. During the classes, I enjoyed brainstorming and debating passionately with my teacher and classmates. I felt free to pursue the subject in my own way, while also benefitting from the experienced hand of the teachers.

Who was your most influential teacher and why?
Dr. Rebholz influenced me the most intellectually. We had Precalculus together in ninth grade and Mathematical Finance, an independent study, in my senior year. We also had Math Club together for all four years. His knowledge of and passion for math kept inspiring me to explore the mathematical field in depth.

Most Memorable Experience
My memorable experience at Shipley was Positive Paws, always the highlight of the week. With Maria and a group of enthusiastic students, I participated in this volunteering program for four years.

Plans for Fall 2018
I am attending Dartmouth College this fall. Shipley cultivated my interests and well-prepared me in the fields of engineering and mathematics. Having finished all STEAM courses and all math courses above Precalculus, I am ready to pursue my interests in these two fields further in college.

What is your future ambition?
My goal is to become a tech entrepreneur. My early involvement in my parents’ business and my passion for math and science led me to this ambition.

What does “Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing” mean to you?
Always take the challenge thing. Always do the right thing

Complete this sentence: Shipley has prepared me...
to work hard while enjoying my life.
Back

News

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.