WESTMINSTER
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Kieran McDonald ’09 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL
Kieran McDonald, a boarding student from Rye, N.Y., arrived at Westminster as a Fifth Former. During his two years on the Hill, he served as a school prefect, dorm proctor and member of Black and Gold. He also was a significant contributor to lacrosse, football and basketball. He was elected captain of all three sports for the 2008-2009 school year, a rare feat. It was on the lacrosse field, however, where he truly set the standard, earning AllLeague and All-America honors two years in a row. He also received the Brian T. Bruyette Senior Athletic Award. “For his speed, field sense, athletic IQ and leadership, Kieran is one of the best defensemen to have ever worn the Westminster lacrosse uniform,” said Peter Newman ’80, his lacrosse coach and college counselor. One of Kieran’s college goals was to play lacrosse in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “Mr. Newman was very helpful in letting me know what to say in e-mails to coaches, and he
talked to the coaches individually for me,” said Kieran. “He also gave me guidelines for what tests to take and what I would need to do in order to qualify for certain schools. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.” What surprised Kieran the most was just how interested coaches were in him. During the summer of his sophomore year when he was playing for the Hudson Valley Empire State Team, he met Ohio State lacrosse coach Joe Breschi, who would subsequently become the lacrosse coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). The following summer, when Kieran attended one of the top recruiting camps in the country, Coach Breschi recruited him for his team at UNC. Kieran was thrilled by the possibility of attending UNC and applied early action and signed a letter of intent. Kieran calls UNC his “dream college.” “I was looking for the best combination of academics and athletics, and UNC definitely excels in both areas,” he said.
“Anytime someone is as excited about a school as he is and has the talent he has going in, it is the right formula for success,” said Peter. “I think Kieran will be terrific, not only as a lacrosse player but also as a student and a leader.”
Whitney FitzPatrick ’09
challenge me academically, so the academics weren’t a prime concern when I was narrowing down my choices. I was also lucky enough to be accepted early action to one of my firstchoice schools, so then I only applied to my other three favorite schools.” Whitney did not encounter any major problems during her search. “Now that it is over, I have really figured out the things that
are important to me,” she said. “I had a lot of trust in the College Counseling office, and it proved to be extremely helpful.” Whitney received news last December that she was admitted to Boston College. “I love Boston College and am proud to go there!” she said. “I like meeting new people and finding things I am really interested in studying.”
BOSTON COLLEGE
Looking for a college with school spirit was a huge part of the college process for Whitney FitzPatrick, a boarding student from Greenwich, Conn. “When I visited college campuses, I was looking to see who was proud to attend the school,” she said. She also sought a medium-sized school with a liberal arts curriculum. “I didn’t want to be too close to home, and the closest school I ended up applying to was three hours away,” she said. “I looked primarily at schools that would challenge me academically and were known for having great school spirit.” During her three years at Westminster, Whitney was an excellent student and was named an AP Scholar. She also was a member of the John Hay Society, served on student council her Sixth Form year, and played field hockey, squash and tennis. “I visited an insane number of schools and narrowed them down by size and how happy the people looked, essentially,” she explained. “I only looked at schools that would
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