Of the estimated 5 million students who graduated this spring, just 161 were named Presidential Scholars. Pippa Pflaum’24 was one of them. The Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to recognize some of the nation’s top-performing high school seniors for their academic success, artistic excellence, technical expertise and commitment to service and leadership.

During her three years at Exeter, Pflaum was a student representative on the Community Conduct Committee, the head of accounting on The Exonian Business Board, co-head of the Exeter Student Service Organization Microfinance Club and captain of the field hockey team, among other endeavors.

What was your favorite class?

Physics 500 was a favorite despite being my most challenging class at Exeter. As a STEM focused student, I’m generally drawn to the kind of thinking and problem-solving physics engages. However, it was my teacher, Mr. DiCarlo, not the subject, that made the class an academic turning point. I learned physics, of course, but I also learned about myself as a learner. I discovered how much curiosity fuels my academic drive and that peeling back layers for discovery is where I tend to shine. Mr. DiCarlo consistently indulged my “why?” queries. He explored tangentially related topics with me, both deepening my understanding of the subject and encouraging me to keep asking, “How high is up?” His class gave me confidence to ask trickier questions and explore new ways of learning, including in other subjects.

How have you grown as a student/person?

Harkness had an outsized impact on me both as a student and more broadly as a community member. Every class had a dual benefit; I learned the subject and I learned how to quickly formulate my ideas then sort out the most effective way to express them. Harkness also enhanced my ability as an effective listener — and highlighted the value in continuing to grow as a listener. The better listener I became, the more I learned and ironically, the more I had to say about or question the subject at hand. All this moved me forward as a student, but it also moved me forward as a more engaged, conscientious and valued community member. Becoming a better listener, thinker and contributor is one of the indelible marks Exeter has left on me.

As a Presidential Scholar, you were offered the opportunity to honor your most influential teacher with a personal letter from the Secretary of Education. Whom did you name?

I chose to honor my upper year English teacher, Ms. Dean. This is a bit ironic because I have always felt most comfortable with, got most excited about, and excelled most in math and sciences. However, Ms. Dean’s class shifted how I view myself as a student. She helped me become more comfortable as a writer, pushing me to take risks with both style and content. When she noted I often use humor in my writing, she suggested I explore this with new techniques. She encouraged me to try things like extensive footnotes, switching to second-person narration and (yikes!) using run-on sentences as a stylistic tool. At first, overhauling my writing style overwhelmed me. The process was tricky and uncomfortable. But after seeing how these techniques let me experiment with my humor, even when writing about something serious, I embraced them. My writing improved, but most importantly, Ms. Dean helped me discover that the joy of creative problem-solving for me is not limited to math and sciences.

This spring, 67 seniors each submitted a short list of books to recommend to other readers as part of the library’s annual Senior Bookmark program. The colorful bookmarks featured enticing titles — including “I Paused My Game to Read These,” “Grey Morals, Grey Skies” and “Metamorphosis” — and were prominently displayed in Rockefeller Hall in the Class of 1945 Library. “I had to get creative to put all the bookmarks out because we had way more students this year than usual,” Metadata Librarian Abby Payeur says. “And we make sure we own or purchase all the seniors’ recommendations if we are able. This year, seniors recommended 500 books, 100 of which we don’t own already and will be adding to our circulating collection.

We asked Aliyana Koch-Manzur ’24 to share the inspiration behind the books that made her list, “(This Is What It Means) to Grow.” “My process for creating the bookmark was simple,” she says. “I sat in front of my bookshelves and wrote down the names of every book that either had a lasting impact on me or simply told a story good enough that I wanted to share it. As I began to narrow down my list, a theme emerged on its own — a theme of growth, of the end of youth, of discovering yourself.

“The bookmark ultimately describes what it means to grow. Some titles, like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, are quintessential coming-of-age stories that I believe will resonate with everyone. Others, like Imogen, Obviously and The Egg are less universal but are pieces of my personal exploration of identity and faith that I wanted to share. I hope this bookmark is able to convey the messiness of growing up, but also the excitement of discovering who you are and who you want to become. “I am so grateful to the librarians for creating and maintaining this tradition!”

This story was originally published in the summer 2024 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

Few high school sports programs boast a tradition of success matching that of Exeter girls crew. Over the last 30 years, its athletes have powered through the waters and have become synonymous with excellence in New England and nationally. This spring, Exeter bid farewell to Sally Morris and Becky Moore, two coaches who helped build and guide the program for decades. Morris, who arrived at Exeter in 2005, stepped down as the girls varsity coach after 18 outstanding seasons. Moore, who joined the program in 1990, retired from coaching and teaching English.

The bond

The coaches excelled, in part, because their relationship started well before joining forces at Exeter. They first connected on the campus of Brooks School, where partnering on 5 a.m. workouts and bonding over starting families and careers were the foundation of their close friendship.

“Our relationship is really seamless,” Morris says. “We are two tough women who have the highest level of respect for each other. Our connection at Brooks tied us as friends before coaching together, but our relationship allowed us to really dive in and focus on doing what we love to do: work with and develop young people and really build this program.”

On paper, they might not seem like a perfect match. Morris was a high school athlete who excelled in field hockey, basketball and softball, and she thrived in the physicality of those sports. Moore excelled as a dancer and sang in the choir throughout her childhood.

“Crew is like dancing on the water,” Morris says. “Once you are in the boat, all of your connection is spiritual. There is a grace, beauty, physicality and connectivity to the whole thing. You have to have incredible strength, balance and rhythm to make it work.”

An accomplished whitewater canoeist and kayaker, Morris might never have stepped into a crew shell if not for a broken toe that interrupted her freshman field hockey season at Trinity College. Moore, too, found rowing in college, joining the team at Radcliffe College to fill open time in her schedule, then fell in love with the sport.

“Sally and Becky are best friends and they worked well together,” says Albert Léger, chair of the Science Department and boys varsity crew coach since 2012. “Sally is a masterful technician who helped her crews use their bodies effectively and powerfully. Becky is methodical, patient and goal-oriented. She transformed students and knew how to empower girls into believing in themselves as confident athletes.”

Although the goals for the varsity and junior varsity boats might differ, Morris and Moore complemented each other to reach a balance and rhythm for the program.

“Sally has an unwavering focus on everything that goes into speed,” Moore says. “She would look for these small, but major, adjustments on the varsity boats, finding the perfect combination of rowers to jell in a boat — she could always find that.”

“Becky really prepared our students to be athletes,” Morris says. “By the time they were ‘graduating’ to a varsity boat, it was the foundation of her teaching that allowed me to focus on the technical proficiency.”

The early-morning workouts that began at Brooks continued when the two reunited at Exeter, and coaching and teaching prep naturally became part of their exercise routine.

“We would build the workouts for the team and then go through them ourselves so we could know what the kids were going through,” Morris says. “We’d hop on the erg and mimic technical mistakes we were seeing and workshop strategies and verbiage on how we could help fix it. It was fun, and it helped us prepare both ourselves and our students better.”

The legacy

Morris and Moore welcomed hundreds of students into the William G. Saltonstall Boathouse and prepared them for competition on the water that often extended well beyond Exeter.

“The boathouse and the team were my home away from home and a place where I felt encouraged to be unapologetically myself,” Molly Reckford ’11 says. She learned to row on New Hampshire’s Squamscott River, enjoyed a decorated career at Dartmouth College and is preparing for her second Olympics, the Paris Games this summer. “Coach Morris and Coach Moore held us all to a very high standard of integrity and self-management,” Reckford says, “and made it clear that diligent and consistent effort would pay off.”

While this spring season was one of change — new varsity coach, Peter Cathey, led the top two boats — the team’s successful results were familiar as they etched yet another mark of history into the record books.

The girls top eight boat (Ava Cathey ’25, Evie Gaylord ’25, Sophia Turner ’25, Ellie Ana Sperantsas ’24, Sophia Slosek ’25, Chloe Bosma ’26, Edie Fisher ’24, Amelia Post ’26, and cox Jane Park ’24) raced to a New England title and a top-10 finish at the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships.

Big Red finished first in the grand final of the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) Championships on Lake Quinsigamond in Massachusetts. The winning time, 5 minutes, 14.02 seconds, topped second-place finisher Deerfield Academy by three seconds. This was the 12th New England title for Exeter’s top boat since 1994, three more than any other school over the last three decades.

The victory at NEIRAs gave Big Red an automatic bid to the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. After a strong performance through time trials and the semifinal round, Exeter finished second overall in the B Final with a time of 6:53.27 to claim tenth overall and was the second fastest high school eight in the nation.

“Sally certainly created an expectation of success for the program and I am fortunate that the girls love to row and want to go fast,” Cathey says.

Another tradition that was carried forth was the annual team celebration on the eve of the NEIRA championships. “The results were going to be the results,” Moore says. “This was a true celebration of team and everything that goes into building one. Each athlete would draw a name and toast that person about what made them special. Over the years there were poems and songs written, even some sculptures from time to time. Those nights hold a lot of proud memories.”

“I remember those pre-NEIRA dinners with a lot of fondness,” Reckford says. “We would all get dressed up and it was a night that was about encouraging and celebrating each other.”

“Coaches Moore and Morris are Exeter Girls Crew,” Ellie Ana Sperantsas ’24 says. “When I think about the program, from the time I started as a prep until the day I graduated, no one embodies the spirit as much as they do. EGC is a sisterhood I feel honored to have been a part of and help lead as a captain. The bond is truly special and connects from the top boat down, across generations of rowers who understand each other.”

On Sept. 5, Interim Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08 donned a red T-shirt with “I’m new here, too!” printed across the front in white letters. He then spent the better part of move-in day greeting new students and their families on the paths.

Two days later, Rawson stood at the podium in Assembly Hall, opposite from where he first sat 50 years earlier as a new lower and a financial aid student. After the exuberant hoots, claps and whistles had concluded, Rawson began his Opening Assembly speech. It was written for the students, spoken to them in a way that demonstrated he understood what they might be feeling: the nervous energy and excitement, to be sure, but also the doubts. “Would I be able to do the work?” he had wondered as a student. “Would I make friends? Did I really belong here?”

Rawson assured the new students sitting before him that, yes, “You can do the work. You will make lifelong friends. Absolutely, you belong here.”

Two days after that speech, it’s a Sunday morning and Rawson is participating in bonding activities with lowers during an orientation program. By now, he has already watched several preseason athletic practices and has plans to attend Student Council meetings, ESSO club gatherings and upcoming performing arts rehearsals.

He’ll also attend game night at Ewald dorm, judge a spirit contest for Merrill, play Spikeball for the first time with Langdell Hall residents and visit many other dorms.

He sees his role as one of engagement. To support a community like Exeter, to help its students and adults thrive, you have to know it — from the inside out. Rawson — an alumnus, Exeter parent, former admissions officer and former trustee — has a sizable head start, but he’s not taking anything for granted.

In the Q&A that follows, Rawson provides readers with a deeper look into why he has taken on the role of interim principal, what it means for him, and how he hopes to support the school.

What drew you back to Exeter to serve as interim principal, after a successful law career?

I view my service as interim principal much like a calling, and I have always said, “yes” when Exeter has called. I was honored when some of the faculty first reached out to me to consider the role, and I’m thankful that the Trustees then considered me for the position. Exeter was a transformative experience for me, and I have enjoyed over the years doing what I can to help the school provide the same for others. We all want to live productive and useful lives. In my case, I feel fortunate to have that opportunity to do so as Exeter’s interim principal.

You have served as a trustee at several educational institutions, including Exeter, over the last 25 years. Why?

My father was a teacher at the elementary school I attended. Having him as a role model, coupled with the academic experience I had first there and then at the Academy, established for me the importance of education and how it can influence someone’s life. After Exeter, I attended Amherst College and then Stanford Law School; I was a financial aid student at all three schools. Starting at a young age, I also worked various jobs during school and over the summer months to help pay for my education. When you do that, and when you are fortunate to have access to such rich educational experiences, you don’t take anything for granted. I still don’t. So I have sought opportunities to support schools, from elementary to post-secondary, that seek to make a similar difference in other people’s lives.

I also find school communities to be incredibly exciting because of their missions and the opportunities to think creatively and engage in important issues. My associations at Exeter and at other schools have all been personally very enriching. As much as I try to contribute, I gain even more, in terms of friendships, experience and my own personal growth.

What is most familiar to you on campus from your time as a student? What has changed?

The energy and excitement of the student body and their commitment to academic exploration and achievement feels very familiar. It also is wonderful to see the same degree of dorm loyalty that existed when I was a student.

The faculty’s extraordinary commitment to their teaching also remains unchanged. They are an extremely talented group of professionals. The richness of their lives outside the classroom, and even outside of Exeter, is reflected in the meditations they give in Phillips Church, the poetry they publish, the music they compose, the books they write, and their many other professional and personal accomplishments — all of which add to the richness of our community.

The same can be said of all the other adults who, through their various duties and responsibilities, support the mission of the school. Their professionalism and commitment are very much the same as I remember from my student days. I have very clear memories of the friendliness of the custodians in my dorm, the person who handed me clean gym clothes and towels, several of the dining hall servers, and many others who supported me. This kind of meaningful engagement has not changed.

Yet, someone who has not been on the campus since the early 1970s would see immediately that something has changed: The students and faculty are far more diverse than 50 years ago — and far more inclusive. This year, the school hired its first director of equity and inclusion and created two coordinator positions to support our LBGTQ+ students and our Asian students. We are also in the second year of piloting two all-gender dorms to support our transgender and gender non-conforming population. Exonians lead more than 15 affinity clubs on campus, and Phillips Church serves as a gathering place for Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and people of other spiritual beliefs. The progress we have made as a school toward being more diverse, inclusive and equitable is impressive. It demonstrates a real commitment to wholly and authentically embracing our mission of “youth from every quarter.”

There is, of course, more work to be done to create a community where everyone has an equal sense of belonging and equal opportunity to thrive. We need to redouble our efforts to attract and retain a diverse adult population. We need to hold intentional conversations that will help us achieve a greater sense of belonging and inclusiveness for everyone at Exeter.

How was Exeter transformative for you?

I considered myself a typical Exonian when I was a student. I cared about my work, wanted to do well and was thrilled to be here. I thought my dorm, Dunbar, was the best dorm on campus. I certainly worked hard and learned a great deal. I also made lifelong friends, had a lot of fun and grew in confidence each year.

I found that Exeter embodied the values I wanted to guide my life, ones that resonated from my childhood. My grandmother, Eva Augusta Rawson, was a person of great character and integrity, who exemplified hard work and humility. She raised five children and, after my grandfather died, went to work in a textile mill. She set an example for me which I have never forgotten — one that I found mirrored in the ethos of Exeter.

The school was the center of my life — because of my friendships, because of my teachers and because of the independence that I had. I was responsible for my own education and loved the academic challenge and how uncompromising the faculty were in wanting each of us to reach our potential, precisely because they cared about us and wanted us to succeed.

I was very aware of the gift of being here, of the privilege of being here; and I spent each summer basically waiting to come back. The school was not very diverse by today’s standards, but it was more diverse than any other environment in my life. Coming from a modest background and being on financial aid, the sense that this was a democratic institution where each student entered the classroom on an equal footing was very important to me.

For all of these reasons, I left the Academy with a deep gratitude for how my time here had changed the course of my life and a strong desire to do what I could to help Exeter do the same for others.

How do your goals as interim principal differ from those of principal, or do they?

In some sense, I am in the same position as any principal who intends to retire in two years. I have some near-term goals, and I will also initiate conversations that will extend well beyond my period of service.

My initial focus includes continuing the strategic initiatives work endorsed by the Trustees last year, which centers on the student experience and how to further enhance it. We are also in the second year of an institutional self-study as part of a multiyear reaccreditation process with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Our first director of equity and inclusion, Dr. Stephanie Bramlett, started on July 1, as did I. Her success is a critical priority this year. Last January, the Trustees adopted a vision statement recognizing that the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to sustaining and strengthening our tradition of excellence in all aspects of life at Exeter. They stated, “our commitment is to teach the skills, model the behaviors, provide the resources and cultivate the environment of inclusion.” That work will be a significant focus of our efforts going forward.

I told The Exonian in an interview recently that my job is largely to pose questions, not to answer them. Collaboration is very important, especially at Exeter. I spent the first couple of months in this role doing a lot of listening and reading. I received nearly 100 emails from faculty and staff sharing their thoughts about where we are as a school and what we can do to make our school even stronger. I have attended dozens of meetings and chatted with my colleagues more informally on the pathways or in the dining hall. What is clear to me, what really unites all of us, is a shared commitment to the students and to their experiences while at Exeter.

How would you characterize Harkness’ relevancy in today’s world?

The qualities we seek to instill through the Harkness pedagogy are as important today as ever. Harkness teaches us how to listen, how to think critically, and how to express ourselves effectively and respectfully to those around us.

Listening is the critical skill on which a student’s personal involvement and success in and out of the classroom will depend. Certainly, as we look around the world, we can see a desperate need for more Harkness discussions. We need less talking at each other, more listening to learn from each other rather than to judge or apply labels, and more effort to reach a common understanding around our problems.

Harkness makes room for that. At Exeter, we have the chance to realize that our differences, and different perspectives, can be the very things that make life exciting. Our differences are how we express our common humanity. Understanding that — valuing it — is what I think Harkness drives us toward.

Over the last few decades, there has been growing awareness that our most pressing problems as a global society are interdisciplinary in nature and require interdisciplinary thinking. There’s room to grow here at Exeter in terms of how we encourage the kind of multidimensional thinking required to address, for instance, the environmental challenges that we face — which are part political, part economic, and part a matter of engineering and other scientific disciplines. The humanities, to a great extent, also inform how we think about those problems. I see multidisciplinary learning as one way our Harkness pedagogy is likely to grow in the coming years.

What do you perceive as Exeter’s greatest strengths today? What do see as opportunities for growth?

Our greatest strengths are the people who are here — both the students and the adults. It is a community of hard workers who share an incredible passion for education, a commitment to excellence, a boldness of thinking, and an openness to solving problems in new and different ways. Our strength is in our willingness to constantly challenge ourselves and to ask, ‘How well are we living up to our vision, to our mission?’

We must be open to imagining what Exeter could become tomorrow and not be too preoccupied with what Exeter is today. As the world changes, what is needed in an educational institution like Exeter changes as well. Our adaptability becomes increasingly important even as we strive to ensure that John and Elizabeth Phillips’ founding vision for the school remains intact.

Exeter alumni and parents are also critical points of strength for the school. Without their engagement through volunteerism, philanthropic support, mentorship and event participation (including, for example, speaking at assembly), Exeter would not be the school it is today.

Words of Wisdom

In his Opening Assembly, Interim Principal Bill Rawson told students, “The mission of Phillips Exeter Academy is to imbue you with goodness and knowledge, not for selfish reasons, but to ‘lay the surest foundation of usefulness to [hu]mankind.’ He then offered three pieces of advice. One focused on respect:

“Respect starts with understanding the privilege we all enjoy simply by being here. If we take things for granted, or act with a sense of entitlement, we disrespect the privilege we enjoy by being here, and we disrespect the sacrifices of others that have made our time here possible. We are not special simply because we are here. But because we are here, we have the opportunity to accomplish special things together.”

Watch the full Opening Assembly speech on Exeter’s YouTube channel.

Giving Back

Five years after graduating from the Academy, Bill Rawson returned as an admissions officer. He spent the next two years living in a dorm, coaching lacrosse (one of his three varsity sports at PEA), and advising students. Though he left the school to pursue a career in law, Rawson has remained connected to the Academy ever since. He has held positions including class agent, General Alumni/ae Association director and officer, regional association president and class president. He also served 12 years as an Academy trustee. Rawson’s continued involvement reflects his belief in the transformative nature of an Exeter education and his desire to make certain that as many students as possible can access the kinds of opportunities he had as a financial aid student.

In 2005, he and his now deceased wife, Mary Homeier Rawson, established a scholarship fund in honor of his grandmother, Eva Augusta Rawson, who had been a profound influence on Rawson’s life. The fund’s purpose is to support students with financial need who have at least one parent who is a teacher. In the fund’s deed, the Rawsons state: “Since its founding in 1781, Phillips Exeter Academy has sought to enroll youth from every quarter. The Rawson Scholarship Fund assists the Academy in its ambition to admit the most capable and best-qualified students from all areas and financial circumstances.” They hoped the fund “would serve as an example and inspiration to others of the importance of generational philanthropy to the lives of current and future Exonians.”

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the fall 2018 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

Exeter’s mission, captured powerfully in our Deed of Gift, to educate youth from every quarter in both knowledge and goodness, will never change.

During my Opening of School address in September, I told students, “What you will accomplish in life, how you will live useful lives and the difference you will make will be shaped by what you learn and do here.” Our commitment to graduating compassionate, lifelong learners influences everything we do at Exeter, just as it did 51 years ago when I entered the school as a new lower.

We do not stay excellent, however, by staying the same. The 50th anniversary of coeducation, which we will celebrate next year, is a profound reminder of that. The admittance of girls to Exeter critically redefined “youth from every quarter” and challenged our school community to think more broadly about the diversity of our student body — establishing, in the process, a greater need to ensure every member of our community has a deep sense of belonging and an equal opportunity to thrive here.

Our success or failure in this pursuit is measured one individual at a time, and we continue to put students first in all that we do — their health and wellness, their feelings of belonging, and their appetite for rigorous academic inquiry and thoughtful discourse. Each student should be able to thrive outside and inside of the classroom, and we see the two as related, not independent.

Last year, I hosted more than 30 events at Saltonstall House that included students. I have opened my doors to students again this year, and look forward to a year spent alongside them at the Harkness table, as well as through their dorm activities, extracurricular pursuits, athletic matches, performances, and other activities.

As a community, we are strong and in good health, but there are many opportunities for us to build upon the hard work already underway. I am grateful to work with a community of adults whose mindset of constant examination and innovation positions us to consider the future with great anticipation. We must steward Exeter with courage, confidence and humility to grasp our opportunities and to address our challenges. We will do this the “Exeter way,” with an unfailing commitment to excellence and personal growth; an accountability to oneself and others; respect, gratitude, humility and generosity of spirit. 
 

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the fall 2019 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

Phillips Exeter Academy “shall ever be equally open to youth of requisite qualifications from every quarter.” John and Elizabeth Phillips wrote those extraordinary words two years before the Revolutionary War ended and seven years before the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Our school is older than our current federal government.

Importantly, John and Elizabeth Phillips established Exeter as a free school. They also anticipated that their initial philanthropy would not be sufficient to support the school over time. In the Deed of Gift, the Phillipses wisely stated their expectation that “persons of ability, who reap some advantage by this institution, will cheerfully assist … so that poor children of promising genius may be introduced, and members who may need some special aid may have it afforded them.” 

In the 239 years since those words were written, our founders’ expectation has indeed been cheerfully met by generations of Exonians who have supported our great school. Exeter’s annual fund provides a wonderful example. In 1922, the class of 1920 voted to have classmates who were able give $10 annually to the Academy. The classes of 1921 and 1922 quickly followed suit. They were inspired by Principal Lewis Perry’s habit of using his own money to provide students in need with clothing and other items. The alumni classes wanted to provide funds for the principal to use at his discretion. Their collective generosity, known then as the “Christmas Fund,” established what we now call The Exeter Fund — the second-oldest annual fund in the United States (Yale’s being the first). 

It is because of such examples of philanthropy during our school’s history that more than 500 students are recipients of financial assistance this year. That’s up from 215 when I was a student on scholarship 50 years ago, and up from 334 just 15 years ago. Support for financial aid changes lives. It certainly changed mine. Without it, Exeter would not be the school that it is today, nor the community that you see reflected in this issue of the Bulletin. 

Exeter remains true to its mission to unite goodness and knowledge and inspire youth from every quarter to live purposeful lives. We see this in the stories presented in this issue of the Bulletin, all of which demonstrate our community’s collective will to maintain the strength and diversity of our student body and the excellence of our programs. 

As we look to the future, and as the cost of an Exeter education increases, we must continue the same commitment to the Academy introduced by our founders. Exeter must remain a school open to all qualified students, and support for financial aid must always be one of our highest priorities. On behalf of the entire Academy community, I wish to express profound gratitude to the generations of alumni, parents and friends who have supported our school. We look to the future with great anticipation for what we will accomplish together in service to our students and to Exeter. Thank you.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the winter 2020 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

I write to you during a historic moment in time for the Academy, our country and the world. Nearly 4 billion people around the globe are under orders to shelter at home to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Our federal government has approved the largest economic relief package in the history of our country. We see daily on the news and social media the impact of the virus and the heroics of those on the front lines, and we feel the fragility of this moment. More than ever, we have sought new ways of building and sustaining community, and we derive inspiration, strength and comfort from those around us. It’s no different at Exeter.

When we made the decision in March to adopt a remote learning plan for the entirety of the spring term, we did not doubt it was the right choice to protect the health and well-being of our community members. It was, nevertheless, a difficult one. Exeter thrives because of the people it brings together, the community they create, and what they learn from each other around the Harkness table, in the dorms, or on the fields or stage. How do we replicate that online? The short answer is that we cannot, not exactly. As we urge our students and employees to practice self-care and to put their families first, and as we strive to create an equitable online experience for students around the world, our virtual spring term will be entirely unique. And yet, it will also be entirely Exeter.

I believe our Harkness pedagogy gives us an enormous advantage, in that our students are accustomed to taking responsibility for their own learning. They like to do so, and they like to learn from each other. Our faculty has also stepped up in extraordinary ways under a compressed timeline to build an online experience centered on academic excellence, equity and inclusion. Their predominantly asynchronous learning model maximizes student and teacher flexibility and student independence, and our teachers are working hard to ensure each student has the resources they need to succeed.

Music Department Chair Kris Johnson is shipping instruments to students to conduct lessons and rehearsals online. Art Department Chair Carla Collins mailed miniature pottery wheels to her Advanced Ceramics students. In the sciences, instructor Sydnee Goddard has incorporated software into her curriculum that allows her Marine Biology students to see her classroom microscope, while many of our physics instructors are designing labs based on common household goods that students are likely to have on hand. These are but a few of many examples early in the term, and I have no doubt our talented faculty’s efforts will continue to provide engaging learning opportunities that excite and challenge our students in true Exeter fashion. I know Exonians will rise to the challenge. They already are.

Sanath Govindarajan ’20 is continuing with his senior project this term to conduct whole genome sequencing on fruit fly strains, as part of Exeter’s ongoing collaboration with Stanford University. Sanath is using data gathered by several sections of winter term’s Molecular Genetics class, where students had extracted fruit fly DNA fragments and submitted them to an outside lab for analysis. Their hard work is now fueling Sanath’s research. Meanwhile, his classmates Rose Coviello and Lilly Pinciaro are studying whiteness and white supremacy this term. Their goal is to create a learning guide and a draft course outline for a high school course that will address topics of racism through a peer-developed lens. And, The Exonian Editor-in-Chief Anne Brandes ’21 and the paper’s Chief Digital Editor Maegan Paul ’21 are leading the effort to keep America’s oldest continuously run preparatory school newspaper in circulation. It is an impressive effort, and I encourage you to visit theexonian.com to see how our students are reporting on the virtual term and keeping their classmates connected.

The bonds within the Exeter community are proving to be stronger than ever. I have been moved by how Exonians are rising to this unprecedented challenge across digital mediums that are so native to them. I am especially touched by how our seniors are coping with this virtual term and the loss of an on-campus senior spring. They are gracefully leading the charge on many fronts to celebrate their bonds and to practice acts of non sibi.

Madeline Huh ’20 and Caroline Huang ’21 have launched a podcast to help Exonians stay connected this term, as Billy Menken ’20 has provided us with humor through funny and touching YouTube videos. Senior Emma Cerrato and peers from the Academy and Exeter High School began offering free online tutoring to elementary and middle school students in the greater Exeter area to keep, she says, their connection to the town. And Meili Gupta ’20, Yuvraj Sethi ’21 and Mana Vale ’22  hosted an artificial intelligence virtual summit for teenagers this month, where panelists discussed their professional work in the computer science and AI fields.

Our Exeter community is strong, and it is resilient. Despite the speed at which we have had to adjust to our current reality and the great personal hardship this pandemic has inflicted upon so many, the mission of our school continues. The ideals on which it was founded — to unite goodness and knowledge and prepare students to live purposeful lives — remain the beacons that guide everything we do together. The Exeter experience will be different this term, but it will be no less transformative, and I am confident that our school will be stronger for it.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the spring 2020 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.