Lauren '10

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Hello Everyone!

My name is Lauren, and I am a three-year upper (11th grader) from Wyckoff, NJ, which is approximately 30 miles west of New York City.

I live in Day Hall, a dorm in Flagstaff Cluster conveniently located in the heart of campus.  I love being a boarding student because it allows me to form close friendships with the girls in my dorm and supportive house counselors.  I was initially apprehensive about living away from my family and friends back home, but once I arrived at Andover, everyone was friendly and willing to lend a hand.  The strong camaraderie and supportive environment make Phillips Academy truly a home away from home.

This year, I am taking six classes, including Intro to Acting, which is the most enjoyable class for me.  For the past two years, I have watched both Drama-labs (student-directed mini plays) and larger scale productions, in awe of the fantastic abilities of the actors to transform on stage.  It inspired me to sign up for the class this year.  So far, acting has exceeded my expectations.  Starting off with stage combat, my class of four students is now preparing monologues.  I cannot wait for our final "exam", where I will get to perform in a ten minute play which will be open to the Andover public!  In addition to acting, I am also taking physics, American History, Calculus, AP Latin, and English.

Every student at PA participates in daily sports activities, and the choices are endless.  I have played cluster tennis (an intramural sport) during the fall for the past two years.  This year, I switched to FIT, an athletic program focused on core strength and conditioning exercises.  Since I came to PA, I developed a new passion for squash.  During the winter term of my freshman year, I tried out for squash, hoping that similar skills I had learned from playing tennis would help me.  Soon thereafter, I played squash every day for hours, including the weekends.  As number one on the JV1 team last year, I will try out for varsity this winter.  In the spring of last year, I played on the JV tennis team.

I am involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities at Andover.  In terms of community service this term, I participate in Youth Exploration in Science, a program in which Andover students are sent to Lawrence to assist fifth grade students in conducting various scientific experiments.  I am also a director of Promotion, Distribution, and Sales for the Courant, Andover's art and literary magazine.  As a serious violin player, I have found many performing opportunities at PA.  I am a member of the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras as well as one of the chamber music ensembles.  The Chamber Orchestra along with Cantata Choir travels abroad every other year over spring break to perform.  I am extremely excited to participate in this year's trip to Prague, Budapest, and Vienna!  I have also recently joined Music for Life, a volunteer group that performs various types of music for people outside of the PA community.

I hope this gave you just a glimpse of the many opportunities offered at PA.  Looking forward to sharing my experiences with you throughout this year!