Penelope Shih Class of 2023 Dawson Graduate Essays

Hi, I’m Penelope Shih, and welcome to my Dawsoninspired TED Talk. Today, I would like to talk about two things with you all: choices and success.

As I reflect upon my eleventh and final year at Dawson, I cannot believe how much has changed since I first stepped onto this campus. Eleven years ago, iPads and Siri were novel concepts. But more importantly, at Dawson, there was no Design Lab. The Ruffin Organic Garden did not exist yet. We did not have STEAM Career Exhibitions or affinity groups.

We did, however, have Country Studies, the Gingerbread Event, and some pretty off-key Early Childhood musicals. The most important thing we have always had, what we have always been fortunate to have as Dawson students, is choices.

As Coach Ted Lasso said, “To quote the great UCLA college basketball coach, John ObiWan Gandalf,” or, in reality, Dumbledore, “‘It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.’”

First, I would like to acknowledge and thank those who have given us so many opportunities through their own choices. As the saying goes, family first. Family members, you chose to send us to Dawson. You chose to drive us to our many activities.

You chose to help us with our homework – until fourth grade when lattice multiplication understandably became too much to handle. You chose to show up at our events, from our kindergarten graduation to our eighth-grade Commencement Ceremony. You chose to be present and, for making all of these choices, thank you.

Faculty and staff, as well as everyone else who makes Dawson, Dawson – including SAGE Dining, maintenance, security, and the custodial staff – you chose to show up each day with a smile, ready to support us in so many ways. Our accomplishments would not have been possible without your enduring encouragement. Mrs. Stansbury, your deep care for the community is especially appreciated. Thank you.

And, of course, the graduates. You chose to come to school and exhibit empathy, integrity, humility, and kindness. You chose to persevere and be resilient despite any challenges you faced. You chose to be open-minded about improving. You chose to take advantage of the experiences this school offered, whether that was immersing yourself in the arts, getting involved in athletics, or during our Washington, D.C. trip. While we’re on the topic of the D.C. trip…some choices were bolder than others. Some of you chose to dance during the dinner cruise. Mr. Estrella, I will never be able to unsee that.

And while at Dawson, with so many choices, I would also like everyone to think about the outcomes of those choices. With choices can also come “success”. But what is success? What does it truly mean to be successful?

This quote, this time actually from Coach Wooden, resonates with me: “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Despite the fact that he and his team won 10 national championships in 12 years, he never defined success as winning. If you are genuinely successful, you do not need to compare yourself to others to be sure of it. That’s the thing: The only one who really knows if you did your best is yourself. Did you study as hard as you could? Did you really put in the time on that group project? Could you have been kinder? As we take this time to reflect before we move to the next chapter of our lives, I encourage us all to always consider our choices. Choose to learn. Choose to grow. Choose to really try your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

Congratulations, Class of 2023. I wish you good luck. But most of all, I wish you success.

Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Memories are not the key to the past, but to the future.”

Whether you were a student at Dawson for one year or for 10, every single one of us gained unforgettable memories here – experiences and morals you can utilize for every different occasion in high school. I would like to ask the eighthgrade grads to remember their first year at Dawson. It could be your first day of school, an event, or even the first time Ms. Freeman gave you a little tough love (trust me, we’ve all been there). The internal growth is simply astonishing! Our class has evolved from awkward and insecure adolescents to the mature and intellectual young adults who stand before me.

During my 11 years at Dawson, I learned and accomplished many things. From learning the alphabet in preschool to becoming student council president in eighth grade, I acquired so much knowledge. I learned to walk my own path and make every moment count, but most of all, I learned to work hard for what I want. To quote one of my favorite books, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, “The world is not a wish-granting factory.” Dawson taught me that, in this crowded and talented world, you can’t just get through life hoping for your dreams to come true; you must work hard for what you want, and if you don’t, then you never really wanted it.

Our peers, teachers, and parents all helped shape who we are. However, Dawson’s fundamental principles and Core Values are the root of our growth. As stated, “Dawson graduates are complex problem solvers and collaborators; empathetic, flexible, and innovative; and critical thinkers who develop into resilient, lifelong learners and leaders.”

This brings me to the word resilience. A funny thing, really. No matter how much life beats you down, forces you to give up, or makes you feel a wave of solemnity, somehow, in some way, something in us tells us to keep on going. Now, I believe our class has seen firsthand how life sometimes doesn’t meet our expectations. We’ve seen resilience. We’ve seen flexibility. We had some pretty unfortunate luck when it comes to class trips. I mean, remember Camp Surf without the surf? Despite our inability to surf, we still had fun. We made the best of it! We hosted sandcastle contests, strolled through the boardwalk, and watched Coach Cal get demolished in multiple games of Gaga Ball. I will also never forget the way Oliver and Ryan ran seven miles away from camp and into the city after dinner.

Recently, a few seventh and eighth-graders visited Europe to enhance their abilities to speak French and Spanish. The trip’s entire itinerary was wrecked when we discovered that our flight had been delayed. We had to travel across the country to find a new flight that would take us to France. Once again, the resilience instinct every Dawson student possesses was awakened. We explored the airport shops in Chicago and enjoyed various Belgian cuisines, aka Belgian gas station food. We discovered that sometimes having no plan is the best plan, and the real adventure is never knowing where you’ll end up next. So as you can see, Dawson taught us the power of resilience not only within the walls of our school, but also outside the walls of our school.

When I think of Dawson, I think of the welcoming feeling, the “you can” mindset, and most especially, the teachers. Dawson’s entire faculty is incredibly extraordinary. I met teachers who had an immense impact on me and teachers who guided me through some of my toughest times. I would like to thank Ms. Lindley for always engaging us in her lessons; Mr. Estrella for always providing us with an ebullient welcome; D. Smith for always bringing out the goofy parts of us; and Ms. Kym, of course, for always keeping us in check; Mrs. Hudson, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Reynolds for their appreciated patience when teaching us math; and Ms. Maria for never leaving us without a kiss on our heads. The list could go on perpetually; however, I’ll stop here, for I can see all of your antsy faces in the crowd.

As I end this speech, I want everyone to think about how every experience you have creates a story and life is your book. Write it well and take every opportunity you can. We all have a different plot, so you don’t have to make the same memories or experiences as the person next to you. Everyone has a special, equally important place in our community, so stand tall with confidence as you turn the page of this exciting, rewarding chapter in your book.

Inaya Pirani Class of 2023

#AmazingDawsonAlums: Where Are They Now?

O ne of the most incredible facets of measurable success for The Alexander Dawson School is the accomplishments of our graduates. As illustrated in our Vision, a Dawson student exits our doors ready to achieve their individual potential, savor life, and meet the challenges of the world. Marketing & Digital Content Manager Shea Phillips interviewed three Dawson alums who graduated from high school and college this year to learn more about their experiences since leaving Dawson and to see what advice they have for our Class of 2023 graduates.

Zephyr Simus, Dawson Class of 2019

High School: Choate Rosemary Hall, Connecticut (‘23) College: Yale University, Connecticut

What was your favorite class in high school?

Among my classes in high school, the ones which I felt most prepared for included calculus (thank you, Mr. Lewis), international relations, and photography and digital design (thank you, Mr. Finfrock).

What’s your best high school memory?

My best high school memory, similar to my best Dawson memory, is the many great friendships I made along the way.

What are you going to miss most about Choate?

I will miss the friends I had and the connections with peers, coaches, and faculty while here.

Any advice for Dawson’s graduating eighth-graders?

The advice I’d offer to graduating eighth-graders is to stay curious, dream big, and help others. I have very special memories of my time at Dawson with both teachers and friends alike. As I graduate Choate Rosemary Hall and look forward to starting at Yale, I reflect on how well Dawson helped prepare me for both these steps in my academic life.

What was your favorite class in high school?

My favorite class is, by far, my horse and ranch internship. Each class period, I work with my assigned horse on riding, groundwork, patterns, cattle work, and more. It’s only fed into my desire to make horses a part of my professional life.

What’s your best high school memory?

I often feel as though when I’m asked, “What’s your best memory?”, I should know right away, and no matter how great or poor my experience has been, there must be some stand-out moment. But for me, there’s not. I know what things make me happy at school and what people I like to be around, but for some reason, my general well-being is more important for my mindset than focusing on individual events that are past and done. Once I’m finally in college or starting my professional life, the things I look back on will be the emotions that came from being at this place; the good and the bad. Midland has helped me in so many ways, and I know the benefits I’ve reaped will guide me as I continue to live.

What are you going to miss most about Midland?

One of my most favorite things to do on campus is be with the horses. We have a herd of 24 horses, and one in particular made my time at Midland the best it could possibly be. His name is Buckaroo, and he’s a 24-year-old, liver-chestnut, quarter horse gelding. He first arrived at Midland in spring of 2020 – my freshman year – and it was not love at first sight. One afternoon, I was riding in the arena on Buckaroo as a very inexperienced rider, and I got hurt. My foot fell out of the stirrup while we were trotting patterns, and I strained my back trying to stay on. I was out of commission for a few weeks after that, and I was not thrilled to get back on that horse. But, of course, my instructor insisted I should give him at least one more try, to give both him and myself some closure to the incident. She explained to me that Buckaroo may have felt some anxiety in that moment too; that when I started to shift in the saddle so quickly, it might have scared him as much as it did me. And ever since then, I’ve done my best to operate with the knowledge that horses have emotions too, and in order to be the best partner I can for them, I need to take their perspective into consideration. This has drastically changed my mindset around horses because, I’ll admit before coming to Midland, I was terrified of them. I forced myself to give the Horsemanship Program a try, and I’m so glad I did. I don’t think I could have made it through all four years of boarding high school without the experiences I’ve had with these horses and wonderful horse-people. From that very first day – our first meeting that ended so poorly for me – Buckaroo taught me how to become a better person. I’ll never give up horses, and I’m going to college for a Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies and Ranch Management, something I never thought I would do. I came to Midland because it’s such a unique place, one where I had to build a fire to take a hot shower, chop firewood to heat my cabin (yes, cabins! Not dorms!), and do a job everyday to help maintain our 2,860-acre campus. However, I can say with certainty that the horses were not a stand-out feature of this school for me. Buckaroo is my rock and my best friend. I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. All I know is it’s going to be so hard to say goodbye.

Any advice for Dawson’s graduating eighth-graders?

It doesn’t matter whether or not you know what you want to be when you grow up. Now is the time to make a decision that may change your life, but it doesn’t have to. Know that whatever choice you make for high school now, you’ll have the ability to change your mind about later. Perhaps there’s some reason why staying where you’re at is the best choice – for financial, family, or some other sake. However, you are not confined by your interests and abilities. Make mistakes, make decisions, and maybe they’ll be the wrong ones, but at least then you’ll know. If you are at all curious about one thing or another, take a chance on it. I never thought I would be on the path I am now, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve said, “I want to go home”, but I couldn’t be more glad that I chose to stay. It was hard, but I know it was worth it. That being said, pick your battles; sometimes you have to take a loss. Just be proud that you’ve taken your future into your own hands, and if an opportunity comes your way, take it. Weigh your options, but be careful of missing out. Regret is a hard thing to overcome, so do what makes you happy and never apologize for being an individual.

Gillian Kissel, Dawson Class of 2019 High School:

Midland School, California (‘23)

College: Feather River College, California

Katie Wang, Dawson Class of 2015

High School: Clark Academy of Math, Science & Technology, Las Vegas (‘19)

College: Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington, D.C. (‘23)

What was your favorite class in college?

One of the best classes I’ve taken at Georgetown is business & global affairs. I love that these classes are heavily studentfocused; meaning, professors pose complex questions and have students discuss among themselves, which is both challenging and refreshing. We’d also have end-of-semester international trips to learn more about the intricacies of politics and business abroad. My class went to the Dominican Republic and Ghana to learn about local banana plantations, gold mines, and more. A few other amazing opportunities we had included projects for Sweetgreen and the International Finance Corporation, assisting the former with international expansion plans and the latter with climate control projects. There’s honestly so much to see, learn, and do in this program, and these classes were such a foundational part of my Georgetown learning experience.

What’s your best college memory?

It is quite hard to choose, but one would definitely be sneaking up Healy Tower on a chilly fall night and taking in the view of D.C. from the very top of Georgetown! We saw everything from the Washington Monument to the students on the rooftops below us, and it was such a fun, beautiful (and a little dangerous) experience. A chunk of the tower actually fell on my friend while we were up there and we were able to take it home as a souvenir!

What are you going to miss most about Georgetown?

I’m definitely going to miss the events and people. Campus isn’t that big, but there’s always something interesting going on, from a visiting guest lecturer (we often get distinguished professionals, from U.S. presidents to foreign kings) to a simple barbecue on the lawn or free sundaes in the common room. I really liked filling every week with something new, and I’ll also miss exploring D.C. I’ve gotten so used to all of the national monuments that it’s almost surreal to think I won’t see them so often anymore.

Any advice for Dawson’s graduating eighth-graders?

Definitely chase your interests and dreams! At this point in your education, you probably have an idea of what you enjoy, so as long as you hone in on your likes and/or strengths, I’m sure you can cultivate your passions into something great.

Any advice for Dawson alums who graduated from high school this year? Congrats, you finally made it – almost! But get ready for a very exciting next four years! Take the time to really explore and try as many things as you can, because that’s what college is all about: discovery, learning, and meeting people along the way. The next few years will go by so quickly, so try to make the most of it!

For more inspirational stories about our Dawson alums, or to share your own amazing alum story, please visit adsrm.org/alumni.

To meet Dawson’s Alumni Council, visit adsrm.org/alumnicouncil.