Senior of the Year: Emi Levine

By WILLIAM INOUE ‘27

Hailing from California, senior Emi Levine is a proctor in New Hall and serves in many different roles on campus, from a Layout Editor for the yearbook to a radio show host. In her upper year, she was The Exonian’s Editor-in-Chief. She enjoys painting, has played on the girls’ tennis team, and has been a writing center proctor since her lower year.

Before attending Exeter, Levine lived in the Bay Area most of her life. After completing the eighth grade, she decided to apply. “When my older brother entered high school, my parents asked him if he wanted to apply. He said no, but we did go out and tour the campus,” Levine said. “I remember while we were there, we were meeting one of my dad’s coworker’s daughters, who was a senior then. She was so much older and seemed so mature, put together. I realized that’s who I wanted to be.”

When she arrived on campus as a prep, Levine quickly learned not to trust her first impression of life at the Academy.

“For some reason I had this idea that people at Exeter would be boring,” Levine said. “I thought to myself, it’s a school full of really dedicated people who like studying. And some of the stereotypes are true, that a lot of students here really care about their schoolwork, and a lot of students do study maybe too much. But I think I had this idea that if you cared a lot about your schoolwork, you couldn’t also be an interesting person. I realized I was wrong when I came here. There are people who really care; maybe there are people who care a little less, but they’re both super interesting nonetheless, and it’s worthwhile to get to know them.”

Getting used to being a boarding student was easier for Levine, having lived with her brother. Nonetheless, of course, there were several changes in her life. “Having a communal bathroom was really different,” Levine said. “The other thing was having a roommate, but that was fine. My first roommate was very nice—I guess it’s just being conscious that your space is no longer just your space, and it’s not one of your family member’s, either. It’s a space of a person that you don’t know that well, and you have to treat them with more respect or formality But I never had any problems with having a roommate or living in a dorm. It was a good experience overall.”

After a relatively smooth transition, Levine developed a passion for studying history. 

“I didn’t like history at first, but after I kept taking the class, I realized I really did enjoy it,” she said. “I found it really interesting, learning about the past and what came before you and letting that inform the decisions you make today. I think it’s one of the most important subjects you can study.”

Among Exeter’s course offerings in the History Department, Levine particularly enjoyed HIS550: American Politics and Public Policy.

“American Politics and Public Policy was taught by Mr. Jordan in the fall. It actually turned out to be my favorite course because it was so interesting, and this is coming from someone who knew nothing about politics,” Levine said. “It also talked about the psychology of how we interpret information, how we attach ourselves to reference groups, and political parties and ideologies.”

Senior Selim Kim observed Levin’s passion for history develop firsthand. “I saw her grow from someone who was not into history that much, to someone who’s now realized how much she enjoys it,” Kim said. “This past term we took a HIS999 course together, just three of us, and I thought the things Emi would say were some of the smartest things you’d hear.”

Her friends also commended her work habits. “She has an insanely good work ethic,” senior Finn Tronnes said. “She is always on top of everything and organized. That’s hard to do, especially here. She’s always done all of her homework for the whole week by the weekend before. She doesn’t stress because she knows what she has to do and she does it and she’s super smart.”

“Something that I think she is really humble about is just how hard she works,” senior Sophie Zhu said. “I’ve spent some time with her in PEAN, the yearbook club, and I know that she was also the Editor-in-Chief for the paper. But even beyond that, I’ll be working on the next block of homework in the library and I’ll ask, ‘What are you working on?’ She’ll be working on homework for next Tuesday on a Friday afternoon. It always surprises me.”

Among her extracurriculars, Levine is most widely known for her role as the Editor-in-Chief of The Exonian’s 145th Executive Board.

“I joined the paper on a whim,” Levine said. “I never thought my one true passion was to be a journalist, and I didn’t particularly enjoy writing my first article. But over time, I really enjoyed interviewing people and getting to know them, and that made me stay.”

“I also liked the idea that I was doing something that was bigger than myself,” she said. “I was making these articles that were recording the events of Exeter and they were going to be crystallized in history forever. I was preserving these moments, and I felt that was something meaningful.”  

“I remember in prep year, Emi didn’t do any of the clubs that she does now,” Kim said. “She wasn’t in The Exonian before her lower year. Then I saw her join the paper, and the way she approached articles and the way she interviewed people was really cool to see.”

Despite her impressive tenure as Editor-in-Chief and her strong work ethic, Levine cares about far more than just her academics and extracurriculars. Above all, as her friends described in a word each, she is a fundamentally good person.

“Thoughtful,” Zhu said. “I say it for her ability to really care for others, but also to articulate things. I remember one time we were walking around late at night and I was feeling particularly upset about one of my tests. She was just able to say the right things at the right times—I was amazed.”

“Balanced,” Tronnes said. “I think she has a good skill of taking a step back and having a good perspective on stuff, and seeing things from different points of view. She’s a really good mediator in that sense, I think. She has a good balance in her life of work and not work.”

“Fashionable,” upper Freddie Chang said. “I think that is a really big part of her.”

“Reliable,” senior Clara Peng said. “I think one thing about her is that she always changes but she’s always still her. She’s never let me down, is one thing. Not that people are letting me all the time, but she’s never let me down because she’s always there for me, and she’s always going to do what she says she’s going to do. If she makes a promise to you, she’s going to stick to it. I think she’s really good at getting things done because of that, whether it’s helping you through a problem in your life or working on homework or school or making that room that feels really comforting. She’s not the type of person who would ever back out on something at the last minute.”

“Girl-boss,” Selim Kim said. “Her work ethic and clubs are one thing, but there’s also the way she interacts with people. She’s so charismatic and so understanding and able to have a good conversation with anybody. When you talk with her, she makes you feel like she’s known you for years, even if it’s the first time you’re talking.”

From her friends’ perspective, Levine has shown significant growth outside of academics since her prep year. 

“She’s always been very thoughtful and caring, but I think, especially with senior year and the high-stress levels, she’s been really, really astute to other people’s experiences and emotions,” Zhu said. “I think that’s something that’s really valuable and something that I really want to replicate, just because she’s always so aware of people and is always trying to look out for other people.”

“I think she’s definitely become more firm in her opinions and willing to disagree with people,” Tronnes said. “I think most preps are trying to please people, trying to make friends, and stuff. I’ve just seen her grow more opinionated, and she’s just willing to say no and assert herself more. Which is an important skill to have. I really like seeing her grow into that, especially being on The Exonian, having people defer to her. She’s taken that on really well.”

“I feel just as I’ve gotten to know her better, she’s become more of a talkative person in my eyes. I feel like she talks a lot more when you get close to her, and is just more outgoing in general,” Chang commented.

“She’s always been one of the nicest people I know. She’s always been so funny. I’ve noticed that she’s grown in confidence a lot. One of the things I admire most about her is that she’s somebody that everybody really respects. She just commands authority in any room she’s in, and she’s really mature,” Peng said.

After graduation, Levine has a few goals on the horizon. “I’m applying to college as a journalism major, or a communications major,” she said. “So maybe I’ll be a journalist in the future. Who knows?”

“I want to be doing something that has value to other people,” Levine continued. 

“Maybe journalism or just something that contributes to something greater than just me. I think I’d also just want to be a nice person. I want to make those around me feel happy.”

Reflecting upon her four years at Exeter, Levine realized that sometimes the things you truly remember are not what you expect.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Levine said. “If I do, I can’t really remember them anymore, but I don’t feel like I have regrets or major, major regrets. Sometimes I regret taking a class, but it’s not a big deal.”

“If I could give advice to prep Emi, the first thing I’d say is that you’re not that special,” she continued. “No one is thinking about you as much as you are. I was super self-conscious in my first two years, thinking about all the ways peopl ewould judge me. And I think when you accept that people are paying less attention than you think you are, you realize you shouldn’t care what random people think, just your friends. That would’ve made me feel a lot freer.”

“I’d also tell myself to branch out and try new things,” Levine continued. “You’d easily discover something you really like doing or that you never would’ve known if you hadn’t tried. There’s dignity in trying and there’s dignity in failing. Trying is what matters.”

All of Levine’s closest friends left a message for her: 

“Thank you for being a third sister to me. I love every moment we’ve spent together and can’t wait to spend more time together. I know even when we go up to college next year, it’s so important to have you in my life, and I hope that you’re in my life forever,” Peng said.

“Will you go to prom with me?” Chang asked.

“I love you very, very much, I am going to miss you so much during college, and I think it is really heartbreaking to know that these four years are going to be over soon but I am very very glad that I got to spend them with you,” declared Sophie Zhu.

“I know we are going to be friends forever, and I am very confident about that because she has just been such a great consistent part of my life,” Tronnes said.

“Emi, you are my idol, and it’s been such an honor to be friends with you for the past four years. I know that no matter what you end up doing, you will succeed and become such a cool and inspiring person later in life,” Kim said.