FRIENDSHIPS AND MEMORIES BUILT THROUGH TEAMWORK 20
KATHERINE FAULKNER
K
“You learn to be proud not just of your own accomplishments but the accomplishments of others as well.”
atie Faulkner knew from an early age that boarding school was her destiny. Both of her parents had gone to boarding schools; her mother, the former Sara Cox ’79, had attended Phillips Academy. Still, when Faulkner received her Andover acceptance letter, she wept at the thought of leaving her family and friends behind in Homer, Alaska. “But after about two days on campus, I loved it,” she recalls, laughing. Eventually, her two brothers, Andrew ’07 and William ’09, joined her at Andover, helping to ease any latent feelings of homesickness. But well before their arrival, Faulkner had settled in. Outgoing and personable, her sunny manner not only wins friends easily, it impresses coaches. This past year, her cross-country coach awarded her the Hallowell Cross-Country Cup while her swim coach presented her with the Washburn Award. Both awards honor her team spirit and sportsmanship. At commencement, she received one of the senior class’s five major prizes—the Madame Sarah Abbot Award, given to a young woman for strong character, leadership, and outstanding scholarship. Sports have clearly been one of the most important aspects of Faulkner’s time at Andover. In addition to serving as a captain of the swim and cross-country teams, she also rowed girls’ crew. She savored her teams’ many successes, including winning several Interschol championships and setting a New England record in the 400-yard freestyle relay. But more than that, she thrived on the camaraderie. “I really built some strong friendships,” she says. “You learn to be proud not just of your own accomplishments but the accomplishments of others as well. One of the best days of my life was when some of my friends broke their own swimming records.” Also active in several community service programs, Faulkner gave swimming lessons to special-needs children and taught English and health classes to youth in impoverished Mexican villages. Academically, she took delight in all of her classes, while developing a particular affinity for history. Faulkner recalls a crisis of confidence during her first term after nearly flunking a Spanish midterm. But with hard work and some help from the Academic Support Center, she turned that around. “I soon learned that not only could I survive here, I could do well,” she says. “Andover just has this way of pushing all your limits, but then always being there to support you.” Faulkner aims to test new limits this fall at Harvard University, where she plans to study history and government.—SP