AROUND ATHLETICS CAMPUS
THE KINKAID SCHOOL
ANNUAL 2014 REPORT SPRING
UPPER SCHOOL
O
n February 11, 28 seniors were inducted into the John H. Cooper Chapter of the Cum Laude Society during an assembly and celebrated with a dinner at the School later that night. The following are excerpts from the speeches delivered at the assembly and dinner.
Ross Eastman ’14
Linda B. Andrews, M.D.
Cum Laude Class Representative
Parent of Georgi Andrews ’14 and Frances Andrews ’15
A lot of our success is due to the lessons we’ve learned at this school from various teachers and staff members throughout the years. From Señora Lacy teaching me how to count in Spanish to Mrs. Miller hitting me on the arm for not handling lab equipment properly, each teacher at this school has affected me in some way, and I’m sure my fellow inductees would say the same. And I know for a fact that all of us, students and parents, wouldn’t be in the same place if it weren’t for our amazing deans. I didn’t realize just how much Mrs. Doran has done for me until I started asking my Memorial friends about their deans, to which they replied, “Our what?” Without the deans, the college process would have been at least 10 times more stressful, which is saying a lot considering how stressful it already is. So I’d like to take a second real quick to just give a big thank you to the deans and especially to Mrs. Doran for trying to make these four years as pleasurable, and stress free as possible. And last but not least, the parents. You guys have the most important job- you have to put up with us 24/7, no matter what, and are forced to love us through the good times and the bad- don’t worry dad I’m not talking about you. You have to deal with a bunch of hormonal teenagers, which can often be more stressful than being the teenager. I know for a fact my mom hates second semester senior year more than any other year. Because she wants me to do my homework so I can go to college and I’m obviously too busy doing nothing to hear her out. But through all the years of arguing, I think it’s fair to say that we’re so thankful to have parents that want us to test our limits, strive to be the best we can be, and achieve excellence. Because without that extra push, we might not be here today.
Associate Director of Residency Education in Psychiatry, Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at Baylor College of Medicine Studies have shown that individuals with an ‘internal locus of control’, the belief and perception that I can be the master of my own destiny, that I am able to influence and impact the outcome of situations, these individuals have a much better ability to cope with stress. Each of us, then, needs to have our own way(s) of finding or creating that internal sense of control. I will mention some proven ways to find that inner sense of control to help you seniors be as resilient and balanced and ready to manage college stress as possible.
Director of Advanced Products at iRobot
BA in Physics and Philosophy, Amherst College Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering, UMass Amherst Sage advice number one: Do not make choices to make your life ‘resume’ look like what you think your parents or your friends will think is successful. You do not have to succeed all the time. Take a moment and really think about this question: “Would you rather get an A in a class that you don’t learn anything from, or get a C in a class that you learn something in?” Don’t get me wrong, success in school, in extra-curriculars and on the field are important but only in so far as they are indicators of engagement in learning and experiencing a broad spectrum of life. Do not make the mistake of thinking external validation is the end goal in and of itself. Make choices and take risks based on what makes you passionate and stimulated. Sage advice number two: Be your authentic self. Don’t be afraid to show the world your quirks, eccentricities, opinions, different values, your weird love of mid-1990s eastern European electronica music. A lot of your life to this point has been spent trying to not stand too far out. But something amazing happens as you leave the small pond that is high school, to the medium size pond that is college, and then to the ocean that is the world. Believe it or not, you will become valued for what makes you different. Think about that, “you will be valued for what makes you different”, both in your personal and in your professional lives. There is a reason that history is made by the freaks and geeks and mavericks, and there is a reason why the world is drawn to those people. So stop listening to me and to all the other white noise out there and go follow your own path in all the imperfect, blundering, bramble-ridden, meandering glory that it has the potential to be. And you all have such amazing potential.
Focus on the here-and-now. Try to keep focused on only the most pressing of demands and stressors, rather than trying to control future uncontrollable events. Take the time and make the effort to find and nurture a healthy social support system. It takes real time spent with people to develop trusting relationships. Help other people. Studies have found that helping other people, especially when no one knows you did so, and being respected and needed throughout one’s life, predict successful aging, coping and resilience. Find time and ways to relax - exercise, meditate, read for pleasure, pray, garden, cook, babysit, watch ESPN Sports Center, etc. It has been proven that these types of activities can improve your mood and reduce the negative impact of stress on your body. Finally, remember, again, that past success is a great predictor of future success. It is probably important, though, and humbling, to remember that you might not have handled every stressful situation perfectly or without any hiccups, so keeping reasonable expectations about the same imperfect trajectory in college would probably be wise.
To watch Dr. Andrews and Ross Eastman’s Cum Laude speeches, visit The Kinkaid School’s YouTube site.
14
Orin Hoffman ’97
The Kinkaid School’s 2014 Cum Laude Society From left to right Front Row: Anne Rollins Jeckovich Sydnie Elizabeth Swanson Suriya Sharma Elizabeth Bailey McGee Rachel Elaine Soderstrom Charlotte Elizabeth Raty Aria Miranda Pearlman Morales
Second Row: Megan Beth Friedman Alik Howe Bourenin Georgiana Lee Andrews Trevin Robert Kurtanich Taylor Victoria Daniel Kristen Palmer Moore Thomas Custis Green
Third Row: Zaid Ali Kajani Cameron Julia Neath Amber YaoYao Chen Roma Vandan Patel Emily Emi Nip Anshul Vasant Palavajjhala Katherine Alexis Banner
Back Row: Daniel Steven Warren Ross Tyrrell Eastman Jr. Arin Alexander Drtil Ryan Mitchell Baldwin Samuel Roland Schwager George Thomson Barrow Rohan Sagar Naik 15