BIG TALENT IN A SMALL PACKAGE 18
ALISON HOLLIDAY
S
he claims she had the best of both worlds at PA, living in a dorm with her friends but close enough to her Marblehead, Mass., home that her parents could catch just about every one of her sporting events, dance shows, and project presentations. That’s Ali Holliday. Always positive, always smiling. Since the age of 4, soccer has been Holliday’s passion. She made Andover’s varsity soccer team as a ninth-grader— at five feet tall and less than 100 pounds. “I didn’t play much at first,” she says, “but later, as a team captain, I realized there was much more to the game than just ‘playing.’ Motivating the team to work for the team, not for self, was hugely satisfying.” Holliday also ran varsity track for three years. She considered math her best subject—until her first day in Math 310. “Mr. Barry began by talking about the levels of infinity,” she says. “I struggled with that lesson and bombed on my first test. It was so disappointing! But I loved that class. Mr. Barry really made me think. Suddenly math was not as black and white as I had thought.” Holliday soon got up to speed in math and was an honor roll student every term. For French class last year, Holliday interviewed a 40-year-old Haitian immigrant living in nearby Lawrence and soon became hooked on Haitian culture. “Nancy had so much to share, such stories to tell,” she says, “and even though our backgrounds are very different, we found many commonalities. Our get-togethers inspired me to sign up for Haitian dance and cooking classes and to take a Caribbean literature course.” A versatile dancer, Holliday was determined to try out for SLAM, Andover’s high-energy step team, which is comprised mainly of students of color. “When I told my friends and family, they laughed at me,” she recalls with a grin. “I was very nervous, but somehow I made the team and it was so much fun. I think the environment at PA gives kids the courage to step out of their comfort zones, take risks, and try new things.” Holliday taught dance and coached sports at a New Hampshire girls’ camp over the summer before heading to Stanford University; she hopes to become a doctor and possibly practice in Haiti for a few years. Her brother David ’08 will carry on the Hollidays’ Andover tradition, which was started by sister Lauren ’02.—JC
“I think the environment at PA gives kids the courage to step out of their comfort zones, take risks, and try new things.”