Senior Fall Is a Crash Course in Borrowed Time
By Arianna Vasson ’26 Editor-in-Chief
Senior fall is the epitome of frantic, overwhelming, and bittersweet yet ultimately ironic days. Seniors are rushing to meet deadlines and balancing a hefty AIS workload, all while trying to savor their last Porter’s year.
The dreaded “A word”—applications—along with looming deadlines are beginning to overshadow the moments that define life at Porter’s. Seniors are drowning in college demands; there is no escape.
Seniors are spending countless hours hunched over their desks, staring at the Common App or extensive to-do lists. However, strolls through the classic Farmington foliage, comrades, and bonding with New Girls still await.
Bea Kibler ’26, Caroline Callahan ’26, and Kate Koster ’26 are in the midst of this fast-paced race against the senior year clock.
“There is zero time to hangout in the dorm unless you want to cut into your sleep, Kibler said.”
Her struggle is not unique.
“Being pressured to sort of start this new chapter of our lives while trying to balance spending time with friends and schoolwork can be really difficult,” Callahan said.
The tension is amplified by the emotional weight of knowing these moments are finite.
“This is our last fall together at Porter’s,” Koster said, “and so I want to make the most of it. It’s very sentimental, but a lot of people are busy working. So it’s hard to work to live in the moment right now.”
However, amid the senior scramble, many are unexpectedly discovering perspective. Looking back on their past four years, they recognize how quickly time slips away, and advise gratitude for not only their freshman-year selves, but also for
all underclassmen just beginning their Porter’s journey.
“I would say to not take for granted a bad situation … don’t look at the negative side,” Kibler said. “Underclassmen don’t know how good they have it with having free time and having so much time with your friends.”
Callahan urged students to savor each moment. “You should take every opportunity you can and
By Jiayi (Jessica) Lin ’27 Editor-in-Chief
Looking back, Koster said she wished she’d taken risks earlier in her time at Porter’s. “It took me a little bit to get out of my shell here … but if I had done that sooner, I would have made more of my Porter’s experience.”
Next up: adult life.
Opinions Mixed on Cum Laude Society
Over the summer, Miss Porter’s School announced it would no longer participate in the Cum Laude Society, a decision that surprised many students—some learning of it only a day before the fall awards ceremony.
The Cum Laude Society recognizes scholastic achievement based on GPA and faculty evaluation. Only the top 10–20% of seniors qualify, making it one of the most exclusive academic honors.
Students expressed mixed reactions to the decision.
Storey Bostock Shefferman ’26 said she appreciated the change. “I think the repeal of Cum Laude represents a shifting culture in how we think about academics, shifting away from perfection and towards excellence,” she said.
Shefferman added that Cum Laude’s GPA system discouraged students from taking risks. “Since regular classes are weighed the same as AIS classes in the Cum Laude system,” she said, “students aren’t encouraged to take risks in their academic pursuits.”
Academic Dean Elizabeth Simison said the values of the Cum Laude Society directly conmake the most of it because it goes by far quicker than you’d ever believe.”
Others, however, were disappointed. “Honestly, I was kind of upset,” said Liv Minnehan ’26. “There’s no harm in recognizing students who put in a lot of hard work for that hard work.” She added that losing the award removed an important motivator for many: “I think that it made a lot of them disappointed. They put in a lot of effort for this, and now there are kids who are doing the same work but just aren’t going to be appreciated for it.”
Senior balancing books, college apps, and the countdown to adulthood. Illustration by Harper Kix ’27.
trasted with those of the school . “The forward thinking vision of the school and the initial shifts in feedback and assessment,” she said, contributed to the need for this change, along with “the fact that we wanted to move away from ranking and sorting students and essentially objectifying them and reducing them to numbers.”
The Miss Porter’s academic mission is centered around learning for applications of skill rather than for a number or letter grade. Teachers use rubrics that represent the levels of mastery in various skills.
Mathematics teacher Jessica Watkin said she was involved in discussions about the removal of Cum Laude years ago.
Watkin said the decision is “consistent with other
changes that we’ve already made, like eliminating AP classes, and even changing our schedule – changing our schedule to allow classes that had more of a deeper dive into things instead of memorizing and surface learning”
Watkin said the school did not want to measure students solely on GPA.
Watkin added that the decision reflects the school’s long-term vision. “We act in accordance with what we believe in,” she said. “My hope is that by extension of that consistency, students start placing more value on learning itself rather than the letter on a transcript.”
“No change is permanent,” Simison said. “Though I don’t see Porter’s returning (to the Cum Laude Society) any time soon.”
Achievements Put Education into Action
By Claire Shen ’28 Layout Editor
From advancing sex education in North Carolina to supporting health access in West Africa, Porter’s students spent their summer pursuing initiatives with tangible social impact.
From June to July, Clara Goldman ’28 attended Brown University’s Leadership Institute, where she explored social justice topics. During the program, she developed a plan to revamp sex education in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, aiming to make it more accessible and inclusive.
Goldman examined high school curricula across the country, conducted research alongside her professors, and identified gaps and misinformation.
“I did a ton of research on what states actually
require sex education to be medically accurate, and it’s a lot less than you think,” she said. Her plan is to remove outdated use of language and add a section of consent.
Goldman reached out to members of NGOs, including Planned Parenthood and Our Voice, drawing on their expertise to strengthen her proposal and made sure her work was accurate.
Goldman said many of her peers at Brown felt “their gender identities weren’t being represented within schools, especially the sex education classroom.”
Seeing the potential impact of the project, Goldman plans to launch her redesigned curriculum next year at her former middle school and hopes to expand it across Buncombe County. She also expressed her gratitude for the Health and Wellness class she took at Porter’s, saying it helped her see what an evidence-based and effective sex education program could look like.
Goldman’s work in North Carolina reflects one way Porter’s students channel their education into action. Across the globe, Summer-Zaire Bell
’26 pursued a different mission. In July, Bell traveled to Liberia, Ghana and Kenya, where she distributed 100 hygiene packs to teenage girls and women.
At an orphanage in Kwabenya, Accra, Bell donated packs to girls living with HIV. Each hygiene pack included soap, wipes, deodorant, and five sanitary napkins.
She described the experience as “incredibly meaningful.”
Bell’s initiative directly supported more than 200 women and developed an ongoing relationship with the local schools and nonprofit communities.
“Creating and transporting the packs was logistically challenging,” Bell said, adding that throughout the journey, she prepared and carried multiple bags by herself. “However, my dedication to this cause made it manageable. I remained focused on the impact the packs would have, which kept me motivated.”
Her time at Miss Porter’s also helped prepare her to approach this trip with openness. “The school’s emphasis on entering new environments with openness and curiosity has been helpful,” she said. “Instead of distancing myself from differences, I’ve learned to use them as opportunities to learn and connect.”
Revived Empathic Design Course Draws Record Enrollment
By Serena Lok ’26
Inside the Bubbles News Editor
After last being offered in 2022, the Empathic Design course was reintroduced as part of the AIS program, with enrollment more than doubling this year.
The course is currently led by Ryan Bliss, chair of technology, innovation & entrepreneurship, from a Notre Dame graduate program on elderly design sprints and resources from the Stanford University design school and IDEO: a global design firm.
Originally a small pilot called Rapid Design, the course has since been expanded using these resources.
Arianna Vasson ’26 delivered her speech as Second Head of School at the 2025-26 Fall Awards Ceremony. The announcement of the end of Cum Laude awards was made shortly before the ceremony. Photo courtesy of Miss Porter’s School.
Summer-Zaire Bell distributed hygiene packs in Liberia last summer. Photo by Summer-Zaire Bell ’26
“This year we wanted to make it more interdisciplinary and meaningful,” Bliss said. “Students aren’t just designing ideas; they’re learning to empathize with people whose experiences are very different from their own.”
As part of the course, students are partnering with the Farmington Senior Center on a seven-week design project to develop solutions to challenges faced by seniors.
Before visiting the Senior Center, students simulated age-related conditions by identifying difficulties seniors face, such as arthritis, visual impairment, and mobility issues, to better understand their target population.
During their first two visits, they served lunch and interacted with seniors to gather insights.
“To properly design for people, you need to talk, understand and empathize,” Bliss said. “If we don’t know their needs, we can’t do our
jobs properly.”
Genesis Lewis ’26 said the trips gave her a new perspective.
“I really understood the importance of looking the target group in the eye and hearing about their stories because it made me understand who this solution is for and what we’re ideating for,” she said. “You can’t get that kind of emotion or understanding from online research.”
Chloe Guan ’26 said she appreciated “hearing their stories, seeing their emotions, and sharing their passions, like Marie’s excitement about crafts. … That’s what made the experience especially meaningful.”
Bliss said he is encouraged by students’ enthusiasm and the connections they are building with the seniors.
“Any time I take kids to the senior center, they are
SPORTS
like, ‘When can we go back?’ Four years ago, it was the same,” he said. “People even wanted to make a senior help club. That tells me the course is resonating.”
Bliss said he expects to develop this course into a business-focused TIE offering that rotates annually with other courses in the program.
Seraile-Yam Perseveres Through Challenging Marathon Course
By Caroline Callahan '26 Sports Editor
While most juniors were hitting the books on a Sunday morning, Sophia Seraile-Yam ‘27 was hitting the pavement. On Sept. 14, the varsity cross-country and track and field runner completed her first marathon in Yonkers, New York – one of the oldest and most challenging courses in the country.
Seraile-Yam finished first out of two runners in the 13-19 age group with a time of 5 hours and 12 minutes, conquering 26.2 miles of steep hills and rising heat.
“(The course) was pretty hilly, but I preserved”, she said. “The race started pretty early, so the first half wasn’t too bad, but by the second half I was pretty wiped out.”
Running alongside another girl her age, Seraile-Yam said the shared pace kept her focused.
“We stuck together until halfway, then split for the second half”, she said. “Knowing the course from the first loop helped push me through the toughest miles”.
For Seraile-Yam, the race was less about the clock and more about the experience.
“Although I didn’t have a specific goal time going into this race, I knew I wanted my time to be around 5 hours, which I was able to achieve,” she said. “I was more focused on the fact that I was able to complete a marathon at 16 years old which is a huge accomplishment”
Her mindset throughout the race reflected that same determination.
“[completing a marathon] has always been a goal of mine. It’s something that I wanted to say I was able to do”, she said. “So I kept push-
ing, even when it got hard”.
Cross-country coach Hur-Shiu Webb, who has run more than 20 marathons, said the endurance and mental strength required to complete a marathon are distinct from the 5K races that Seraile-Yam typically runs during the fall season.
“They’re both distance running, but the marathon is a completely different beast,” Webb said. “You can’t race a marathon every week the same way you race 5Ks. It demands a long buildup – you have to train yourself to be out there for that long. It’s not just physical, it’s mental.”
Webb added that seeing her athletes take on challenges like this is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching.
“I hope this accomplishment fuels her passion for distance running,” she said. “When students take on something ambitious like a marathon, my hope is that they carry running with them as a lifelong skill.”
Seraile-Yam already plans to keep running
marathons. “I’d love to run another one with my dad,” she said.
For now, Seraile-Yam returns to cross-country with a renewed perspective and confidence.
“It was a really amazing experience, and I’m really proud of myself for being able to say I accomplished this goal.”
Through the Artist’s Lens: Sophie McCleary
By Addy McNear ’26 Art, Lifestyle & Humor Editor
“When I paint, I like to keep it lively,” student Sophie McCleary ’26 says while glancing at her unfinished canvas. “I love capturing nostalgic moments, but I try to capture the sweet and happy parts of nostalgia, not the sadness.”
McCleary began painting at around 5 years old, inspired by her grandmother who would paint with her.
“My grandma has always been my inspiration because we would paint together every time my family visited, even before I could speak,” she recalls “Throughout her life she painted a lot of still lives and portraits of the families, lots of classical subjects.”
Over time, McCleary’s artwork has remained influenced by the work of her grandmother, as the subjects of her paintings similarly center family and friends. McCleary described art as being a common interest within her family. During the Covid lockdown, she and her extended family would share art virtually and engage in “family art competitions.” However, she described her
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Students served lunch and interacted with older adults during a recent visit to the Farmington Senior Center. Photos courtesy of Ryan Bliss.
Sophia Seraile-Yam '27 finished her first marathon in Yonkers, New York in September.
Photo courtesy of Sophia Seraile-Yam
Are We Getting Too Comfortable? Why Porter’s Should Tighten Its Dress Code
By Beatrice Kibler ’26 Inside the Bubble News Editor
Walking into Main on a weekday morning, you are bound to see Porter’s students dressed in a broad selection of styles and refinement. You’ll see girls in dresses and cardigans, jeans and blouses, shorts and t-shirts, sweatpants and slippers, and pajama pants and crocs. This freedom of expression is cornerstone to Miss Porter’s identity as an uplifting and supportive environment where young women learn and grow. There is no one way a Porter’s student dresses and so there is no one way a Porter’s student succeeds. This uniqueness, however, would not necessarily be lost if we had a dress code. The way people dress has a strong influence on how others perceive them and their capability for success. Implementing a loose dress code at Porter’s would force students to show up better prepared for success while still allowing for appropriate self-expression.
Daisy Bistline ’26 tends to dress more comfortably for class. She wears the same few items on rotation and prioritizes convenience, wearing clothes that are “both easy to put on and easy to wash.” With fewer options and less time spent getting ready, more time and energy can be spent on academics. But does low effort in the morning lead to low effort in the classroom?
Being able to simply roll out of bed and walk to class makes it far too easy for students to sleep in until the last minute and risk tardiness or unpreparedness. It also leaves them ill-prepared for the workplace where sweatpants and hoodies won’t fly.
In the time it takes to get ready for class, stu-
OPINIONS
dents have time to reflect on what they need, both mentally and physically, to succeed that day. Additionally, a study of over 1,000 high school students and teachers in Ohio reported that “significant differences were found in perception of intelligence and scholastic ability for both student and teacher subjects based on clothing styles” (Behling & Williams).
Students who dressed-up more were deemed by teachers and peers alike to be smarter and more competent. Though we shouldn’t judge people based on how they dress, it is impossible to not be subconsciously persuaded by the organization and effort one seems to have put into their appearance.
I believe a large change in the formality of the Porter’s community could be realized with the addition of just one simple rule: no pajama pants or sweatpants. With the elimination of these two popular choices, Porter’s students would be forced to think more critically about how they present themselves to their teachers and peers. This would be particularly beneficial to New Girls who come from schools with uniforms as they could more quickly develop their personal style. With a dress code, Porter’s girls would wake up earlier, be better prepared for adult life, and have sharper mental focus while still being able to express their individuality in style and aesthetic.
Boredom is Essential at Porter’s
By Liv Minnehan ’26 Opinions Editor
Boredom is a foreign concept to many Miss Porter’s students. When challenging coursework, numerous extracurricular activities, test prep, college applications, and so much more all stacked on top of each other, the need to be productive
can be all-consuming. After all, isn’t this what students are measured by, by their teachers, parents, peers, and most formidably, colleges? The effort students put into these fields are converted into numbers, calculations of grades and hours that can then be put on paper as tangible evidence of their value.
But what about the growth that can’t be measured so easily? It’s easy to get caught up in the next point, award, or achievement, neglecting everything else in the process. The real personal growth that happens between high school and college isn’t something that can be put on paper. Traits like creativity, self-awareness, and a strong sense of identity are the real indicators of future success.
The tricky part is, these things can’t be developed in a hyper-productive environment, where students are machines churning out more and more assignments. Being left alone without any requirements or expectations will lead to boredom, which will lead to vital development. Modern psychologists highlight the necessity of boredom in cognitive development. According to the National Institutes of Health, boredom “can encourage one to seek novel experiences, discover new interests, or challenge oneself to learn and grow.”
Creativity and mental strength are more abstract concepts that nobody is going to grade and are easy to overlook. However, their intangibility doesn’t make them any less necessary. After all, one day every student will exist without any deadlines, test prep sessions, or extracurricular activities. If they haven’t been practicing for that moment, how will they know what to do when it comes?
While academic productivity may be prized above all else, the most productive development only happens when students allow themselves to be completely unoccupied.
(Continued from page 3) approach to art before coming to Porter’s as being hyper-realistic, with more of a focus on details instead of emotion.
“Her pieces feel as though you’re being let in on a special, nostalgic moment,” peer Dechen Shingsar ’26 says. “The light and positioning of the subjects feel warm and inviting, yet also like a distant memory.”
McCleary, while looking through her portfolio, says that her art style has shifted and grown since coming to Porter’s. By collaborating with students and teachers and exploring multiple art styles, she believes she has found her style. In her more recent pieces, she focuses more on portraying the emotions of the moment being painted, focusing on colors and movement, rather than accuracy.
McCleary says she has also discovered an interest in photography. “I hope to use the special moments I captured in candid photos to inspire my artwork this year,” she says, “hopefully on large canvases to make them all the more inviting.”
Sophie McCleary strives to capture the “emotions of the moment” in her paintings such as “Girl Talk.” Image courtesy of Sophie McCleary
