Senior Speakers

Senior Speakers

The senior speaker series, now in its tenth year, is a valuable Suffield Academy tradition. As the capstone to the Leadership Program, it provides a unique opportunity for students and faculty to hear from each senior and is a weekly highlight in our community.

The 2024-2025 senior speaker series continued at chapel on October 7. It featured eight members of the Class of 2025. 

Josh Kim, a four-year senior from Seoul, South Korea shared an invaluable lesson he learned during his junior year. After mistakenly submitting an incorrect assignment, he was questioned by his teacher, leading to a flurry of illogical excuses that he gave in a panic. Ultimately, he decided to be honest and acknowledged his error. He emphasized the importance of honesty and learning from his mistakes. 

Andrew Rana, a four-year senior from Sag Harbor, New York offered three pieces of advice to the community. First, he suggested to listen to your parents more often and joked that even he is still figuring this out! Next, Andrew challenged his peers to learn from mistakes sharing “We sometimes make mistakes —they are what make us human —but it is important how we respond to our mistakes.” Lastly, Andrew shared “The person you are right now does not determine the person you can become.” He concluded his talk by thanking his faculty advisor, roommate, and his family.

Alijah Sanford, a four-year senior from Charlotte, Vermont broke his hand on his first day of football pre-season his freshman year. Although this was not the start he hoped for, he was able to overcome the injury and unfortunate start to the year and soon met three new friends who have become a major part of his life at Suffield. “The idea of family has always been a big deal to me, and I firmly believe that family is not bound by blood but by bond.” Alijah shared how grateful he is to those friends and to others including his family who have supported and encouraged him throughout his Suffield journey.

Owen Tulley, a four-year senior from Canton, Connecticut held six different jobs last summer including umpiring, caddying, bussing tables, instructing tennis, giving admission tours, and spreading mulch. An impressive feat for sure, Owen shared a glimpse into each job, a lesson he learned, or a funny recollection. “These jobs taught me that when you enjoy what you do, it feels like you’re not working at all.”

Oliver Zhang, a three-year senior from Zhengzhou, China discovered an unexpected passion at Suffield: cutting hair. He taught himself the basics and soon had a client base within the community. Oliver shared lessons he’s learned from this newfound hobby including the fact that making mistakes is an inevitable part of the process —particularly in cutting hair — and that “a life without a single mistake would be boring.”

Kayla Barthel, a three-year senior from Windsor Locks, Connecticut reflected on the past three years and acknowledged that both joyful and challenging moments are temporary. She shared that the good times are fleeting but precious, and the tough times will also pass. She encouraged the community to embrace every experience Suffield has to offer and savor each moment because someday they will become cherished memories.

Ashley Mercede, a three-year senior from New Canaan, Connecticut told the comical story of finally earning her driver’s license after failing twice. On the third and final chance of getting her license, her instructor tested her patience with confusing parking instructions. She ultimately passed—only to crash into a truck shortly afterward. Ashley shared the lessons she learned from the months long experience and that “sometimes, some people, just aren’t cut out for certain things!”

Abby Quinby, a four-year senior from Windsor, Connecticut, found herself standing in a room full of college students, master’s students, PhDs, and professors wondering “how did she get here?”. After she was rejected from a few highly competitive summer programs, her mom found a program at Wesleyan University unbeknownst to her, so she figured she’d give it a shot. Soon she realized that this would be a great opportunity in the field of astrophysics—exactly what she’d like to research and study in college. She had an incredible experience and shared a piece of advice: “Do not be blind to opportunities because you think you have already found the right one. Sometimes, it isn’t the right one, and the best opportunity is waiting just around the corner.”

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