Faculty members were invited to share advice that they would give to themselves in high school. Below are some responses, which are posted in the Williams Academic Building: 

Amanda Bender P’27, Assistant to the Assistant Head of School: “Travel while you are young and your standards are low.” 

Becky Stull, Cognition & Learning Teacher: “Get involved in every club and activity possible! You never know what doors will open for you.” 

Polly Kertis, Chair, English Teacher: “Try not to stress too much about what others think of you. I wish I’d spent more time getting to know myself in high school, and less time trying to seem cool and impress the people around me.” 

Katherine Griffin, Humanities Teacher: “Life is hard, and you’re doing great. High school is only four years of your life. College will only be five years of your life. The best is yet to come. We live, we learn, and we grow.” 

Sean Maguire ’89, P’22, P’23, Director of the Annual Fund: “Spend less time worrying and more time doing. Spending time worrying, talking, or complaining is never quite as helpful as doing!” 

Hayley McGovern, Chair, World Language Teacher: “Stay true to myself and my instincts and ask for help when needed.” 

Benjamin Albee, Science Teacher: “Advice #1: Grow out the stash. Advice #2: Don’t stress so much about college. You’ll have support there, and it’ll be the best four years of your life. Advice #3: Put $100 on UConn winning the Natty ‘Chip your senior year. You’ll be rich.” 

Annie Crawford, Health, Wellness, and Leadership Teacher: “Don’t ever judge yourself in comparison to others. Instead, judge yourself against what you know you’re capable of.” 

Carter Brochu, History Teacher: “Never be afraid to try new things and meet new people. You never know what other interests you may have.” 

Peter Cholnoky, History Teacher: “Hug more. Complain less. Express yourself in opportunity that presents itself.” 

Gillian Skeffington, College Counseling Fellow: “Get out of your comfort zone. You will grow more than you ever anticipated.”

Nicole Ostaszewski, Director of Student Life: “Be friendly to everyone” 

Scott Brady ’84: “You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you talk.” 

Meg Jacobson, Associate Dean of Students: “It’s OK to make mistakes! Sometimes, Plan A isn’t the right path forward. Don’t be afraid to adapt and try again with a Plan B or C.”

Diantha Giltz, Arts Teacher: “You will never regret insisting on having your dog in your senior picture. You will be better remembered than you could have ever imagined just for having been kind when you did not realize the other person needed it. Your longest/oldest friendship should be with yourself, start early, and invest large in who you want to be at the core.”

Felicity Bryne, Assistant College Counselor: “Everything will work out. Just not in the way you expect.”

Allie Maxwell, Assistant Head of School: “Take advantage of new opportunities and try as many things as possible. It is important to learn every day and figure out what brings you joy. The most magical learning happens just outside of your comfort zone, and it is important to push yourself there through new opportunities. I also would emphasize the importance of embracing the journey of life and seeing the learning opportunities in everything you do!”

Faculty members who submitted advice also shared photos of themselves as high school students.