After sitting down with a prospective student in Lowell House, I said, “Tell me a bit about yourself.” As a senior admissions fellow, one of my roles is to talk with high school students to get to know them better, and be a resource as a current student at Kenyon.
We talked about our similar interest in politics, sports and books. Then we got to the part where I ask how their high school experience has been interrupted by COVID-19. As we both are a part of the Class of 2024, our first year in our respective schools occurred during the height of the pandemic. Finding clubs was hard, the teaching style was completely different and making new friends was challenging.
During my first year at Kenyon, I kept telling myself, “It will get better soon.” Every milestone was met with relief, not just because I accomplished something, but because it happened and now I could focus on something else. Needless to say, my introduction to life on the Hill was not the smoothest.
In the interview, I asked the student about their upcoming year. They talked about how they have a rough few months ahead. They are planning on waiting until next semester to enjoy themselves, since college applications still need to be finished, taking multiple AP classes and a participating handful of extracurriculars — Model UN, debate team, club soccer — that they enjoy. After all, most of the fun stuff is in the spring of senior year — prom, senior pranks, graduation. What could go wrong with waiting to enjoy the moment?
