As April comes to an end, that leaves less than a month left of the school year. For seniors, the reality of graduation is swiftly approaching, bringing about a mix of emotions. Decision day is coming up on May 1st and before they know it, seniors will have their last day of high school. For this month’s issue of Verbatim, we’ll take a snapshot of a senior’s life and share his story before wrapping up May with the editor-in-chief’s senior snapshot.
Senior Brett Fisher has been at Brownell Talbot since seventh grade. He shared, “I love the small community. I enjoy being able to form connections with all of my teachers and working with my classmates across multiple subjects. BT is a place where you feel that someone is looking out for you and that everyone, including your peers, is interested in your success.”
On campus, Brett participates in the politics club and orchestra. He shared some memorable moments from orchestra: “I always love the feeling of accomplishment after performing in a concert. It’s hard to think of specific memories and anecdotes (as there are too many), but I’ve loved working with Mr. DeSalvo and my private teachers, and I am proud of my musical growth.” Off campus, Brett plays the piano and viola, and also participates in the Youth Symphony. He also volunteers for the Smithsonian Institute and said, “I transcribe various documents and upload them into the Smithsonian’s database.”
For Brett, one of his favorite classes of high school has been Latin. He shared, “I’ve worked with Mr. Palo since 7th grade, and I’ve learned a lot about the language, culture, and history. I will miss reading Catullus and other great authors, and I’ll miss Mr. Palo’s engaging teaching style. I hope to continue my study of Latin in college through a few courses.” Out of the four years of high school, Brett said senior year has been the best by far: “I’ve had so many fun experiences this year, especially with people I was not close with in previous years. There’s a great sense of unity that was not there in previous years. Senior privileges are great and somewhat help delay the spread of senioritis.”
Earlier this year, just as his classmates did, Brett went through the college application process and recently committed to a university. He said, “The application process was definitely very stressful for me since I applied to a lot of schools. I was nervous throughout much of the process, as it’s extremely unpredictable, and I began to picture myself at many of the schools I applied to. Overall, the process of writing and applying is rough, but it can be an extremely rewarding process.” Brett will attend Columbia University in the fall: “I’m extremely excited to be attending this school, as it was the #1 school on my list when applying. I can’t picture myself anywhere else. I’ll be majoring in Economics and Philosophy. I’ve been in contact with current Columbia students, who are BT alumni, and they’ve been incredibly helpful. I’m ready for the next four great years.
Brett is most looking forward to senior prank since it’s always been his favorite BT tradition. He shared, “I’m excited to actually be involved with the planning and execution for this year’s prank. It’s a fantastic way to end the year.”
As Brett thinks about the end of high school and the start of a new chapter, he said, “It’s somewhat bittersweet; I’m excited to move on to the next chapter of my life, yet I sometimes have moments where I remember that I’ll be hundreds of miles away from my friends and I’ll be in a completely different area of the country. I’m ready for college, but I’ll miss certain aspects of BT.
To end, Brett shared important advice for underclassmen and rising seniors: “I would say that underclassmen should make the most of their time at BT. There will likely never be a time where everyone knows your name and is focused on your success in the same way that they are at BT. The class sizes are extremely small, so don’t be afraid to branch out and talk to people you don’t usually interact with. Finally, focus on the things that you love to do, while also planning out time to do the things that aren’t fun.”
