Commencement 2014
Senior Profiles
Caroline Whalen College attending: University of Notre Dame Major or area of interest: history and political science, pre-law Senior prizes: Summa Cum Laude, Class of 1978 Award, Art History Award, 4-year Varsity Letter Known for her competitive nature, it’s no surprise that Caroline earned the nickname “Killer” in athletics. She also “killed it” in the classroom, earning the high honor roll during every semester of her four years at Millbrook. “Natural intelligence and formidable work ethic” are two phrases used to describe Caroline, and she brings those innate qualities to Notre Dame this fall where she expects to enjoy the very best of what she experienced at Millbrook: an amazing sense of community and an amplitude of opportunities to become involved in both the on-campus and local communities. About Millbrook she says, “Never in my life have I been in a place where so many people were truly invested in my experience and dedicated to helping me succeed.” And while Caroline succeeded famously here, she was always about sharing her knowledge to benefit the experience of other students, thus earning her the Class of 1978 Award. It’s not surprising that Caroline will study history and political science on a pre-law track, since Constitutional Law was one of her favorite classes at Millbrook. “[Mr. Clizbe’s class] challenged me intellectually in a way that I had never been challenged before. It pushed me to study past cases of the Supreme Court, but also apply them to current day issues. Most of all though, the class pushed me to become more comfortable speaking in public through the mock trials, and helped me realize that this is something I actually really enjoy.”
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Millbrook School
Alex Zhou College attending: University of Southern California Major or area of interest: math and engineering Senior prizes: Cum Laude, Sykes Mathematics Prize Alex is Millbrook’s first graduating male student from China. During his four years at Millbrook, he challenged himself incrementally. Math may have come easily to Alex, but reading Shakespeare as a non-English speaker in the III form required a whole lot of perseverance and dedication. Alex set high expectations for himself, both in the rigor of his classes and in his academic achievements, and he contributed substantially to the intellectual discourse with other students, particularly around topics of math and science. While he will appreciate the warmer climate of southern California this year, his professors and classmates will undoubtedly appreciate his love of learning.