Senior of the Year: Hillary Yoon

By MARVIN SHIM ‘27

In a click of the shutter, the photographer captures more than just an image, they record a chapter of the souls of the characters. Every photograph is a story free from the shackles of time; it is a window into the past that paints a frozen fragment of their essence. Even as echoes of our past fade and slip through our fingers like flecks of sand, memories will always linger in the photos that captured them. These images are not those that require aesthetics or beauty, but instead seize the rawness of our humanity.

Students cherish the years, rediscovering the dreams they had dared to chase, the places they had called home, the laughter in the beaches, and the tapestry they had knit with their peers at Exeter. But behind every piece is an artist, the proud keeper to the treasure trove of memories. To senior Hillary Yoon, who has served as scribe for hundreds of her peers’ narratives, students offer their utmost gratitude for preserving the capstones of their stories.

Yoon is a proctor in Lamont Hall and serves as president of the Exeter Student Service Organization (ESSO) and the director of photography for Exeter’s yearbook. She dances for POMS and previously ran track and played for the varsity golf team. She has held the position of dorm representative for Lamont for all four years of her career at Exeter.

Besides her commitments as a student leader on campus and in her dorm, Yoon has proved to be a compassionate mentor and leader to many of her peers. “She’s involved in so many things on campus, it’s basically impossible not to know her,” senior Zuzanna Szul remarked, “Every Exeter student often talks about seniors that shaped their experience here, and Hillary is that senior for so many people.”

“She is a leader… she is such a good role model and has been even since her lower year,” Science instructor Frances Johnson and Yoon’s advisor said. “She is so good at using her experience and her knowledge, which is why she was such a good student listener as an upper and a proctor this year. She has that kind of leadership that is not, I am going to give people commands. She has the kind of leadership that is a role model for other people, using her experience to help people see what needs to be done and help them do it.”

Senior Will Bernau reflected, “Hillary’s greatest strength is undoubtedly her compassion. Over the past four years of my life, I have had the pleasure of working and living alongside Hillary and during this time, I have learned that love is her M.O. It is something that she simply cannot help but share with others.”

“When I think of Hillary, leadership is definitely one of the first things that comes to my mind,” Johnson continued, “Even back when it was her lower year, she was in charge of the dorm activity for Relay for Life. I have helped my dorm for fifteen years in a row, but the year she was in charge, it really stood out as so incredibly-well organized. She got things done, but she also delegated and managed to get enough people involved to run our booth.”

“She’s a natural born leader. When I looked at her as a lower, I admired her qualities and even started mirroring them, which I feel has really helped me grow a lot as a person,” upper Rayna Nakadi said.

“When I first sat next to her in our class together, before we became close, one of the first things I noticed was her organizational abilities. I remember she had a google sheet that organized what times she planned to do homework, when that homework was due, her classes, her clubs, and her plans. I struggled a lot with time management when I first came to Exeter and seeing how she was able to juggle everything made me admire her a lot,” lower Ellie Colman said, “She inspires me through her abilities to not only balance schoolwork, club work, and her social work, but she excels at it. Through her showing that it’s possible, it inspires me to try harder to do the same as her.” 

Johnson said, “She was very good at drawing other students into the Harkness discussion and helping people recognize key points when asking open questions to the whole table. After reading her academic comments term after term, it becomes a real theme in English, history, religion, even in her photography class, that teachers refer to her as someone who is not just a participant in Harkness, but a real facilitator for others, but never in a dominating way.”

“Hillary has a curiosity of other worlds and cultures, a perceptive and keen photographic eye and sensibility, and a measured and compassionate understanding of others,” instructor in English Sahar Ullah said, “All of these elements that make Hillary who she is will not only shine a light on her path, but make her a shining light.”

Yoon hails from the suburbs of Washington D.C. in Virginia, which she cites as a major influence upon her life and her passions. “Always being around a metropolitan area, especially somewhere that is really infused with civics and politics, has really influenced my interests on campus. My main interest has always been ESSO, and I’ve always loved serving my community.”

Yoon has, as Johnson previously mentioned, worked to help her dorm, her peers, and the community. “She knew how to inspire people to make them a part of the [Relay for Life] cause; doing this is a hundred percent voluntary. She has been Lamont’s StuCo representative for several years. She has this combination of knowing what needs to get done, the organizational skill, and the empathy to see what other people need and how to bring them to be a part of what’s happening. I can imagine her doing that in any field she goes into,” Johnson stated.

While serving as the president of the Exeter Student Service Organization (ESSO), Yoon specifically focused on ESSO Exchange in an attempt to give back to her community. “It’s like a thrift store behind the bookstore,” she described, “I started in my prep year and it became a place where I got to meet so many people. Every single Sunday, I was able to meet town residents to students on the track team to those in the band. My passion for service really brought me together with the community.”

“I always thought I was a STEM kid until my upper year when I took US history for the first time,” she reflected, “I really hated history when I first came to Exeter, but after I had Mr. Jordan for my first fall term of US History, my entire outlook for the humanities changed. He was really the person who made me fall in love with history. He’s so passionate about his subjects, and his classroom charisma and enthusiasm for our readings influenced me tremendously. I hope everyone at Exeter has a chance to take any of his classes, though he does have high standards with academics, his classes grow you for the better.”

“It is not at all surprising to me that she wants to pursue something in history, even after she’s taken some advanced science courses. I really see her invested in history and combined with her leadership, I can really see her going into politics or the current major she is pursuing, political science. As a scholar, she is really excited about analyzing and really diving into the research of one topic, which is currently I believe about Chinese American sentiment post World War I,” Johnson stated.

Szul commented, “Hillary has such a large presence on campus- she’s genuinely passionate and amazing at everything she does. She’s very hardworking, both in terms of academics and her extracurriculars.”

Yoon was raised by her mother, and she reflected on the challenges her family faced. “I was raised by a single mom and she couldn’t speak English well. My dad was back in Korea until I was in seventh grade. Thus, [my mother] got into a lot of ventures like real estate and law, and I have always been kind of her partner in those endeavors. I acted as a real estate agent, a translator, an architect, even a part-time lawyer. I did many things when I was young, which really influenced my outlook on taking control of my life, being proactive, and helping out my community. I really have my mom to thank. She really influenced me and she is one of the strongest people I know,” Yoon contemplated.

As a result of her years before arriving at Exeter, Yoon developed her independence and ability to lead with passion and sympathy. “I first met Hillary in POMS. I was a new lower, so I didn’t really know many people at the time and I was still getting used to living away from home,” Szul said, “but Hillary was immediately very friendly and welcoming. I’ve seen her help other new students in the same way– she’s just so approachable and has the ability to make people feel comfortable and welcome.”

“Without a doubt, Hillary is a dedicated student, budding historian, gifted photographer, skilled dancer, tireless teammate, and wise conversation partner. These attributes, and the many, many others, do not even begin to encapsulate all that she is, though,” Bernau noted.

As Szul mentioned earlier, Yoon is also a part of POMS, Exeter’s cheerleading group that performs at pep rallies and E/A.

“I was really bad when I first tried out. The first time, we were required to repeat a move in the choreography. While I kicked, I fell straight on the floor and people started laughing,” Yoon recalled, “However, a few days later, I got an email saying that I was one of two preps that made the team that year. Of course, I was really happy for myself, but it was almost like imposter syndrome. Until my upper year, many of the upperclassmen were very intimidating, but I met many influential seniors that made my time here special.”

Despite some obstacles she faced in the beginning, POMS served as a testament to Yoon’s commitment and dedication to any challenge she undertakes. “She did not do dance before coming to Exeter, but you would never be able to tell if you saw her perform in POMS, and I think that just shows how dedicated she is,” Szul said.

“[POMS} has become almost like my second family,” Yoon continued, “I love the girls I meet there and I really love hanging out with people from all different grades.”

“I have been her teammate both on POMS and the track team, and her energy really helped everyone on the team get through 6 am rehearsals or tough practices,” Szul reflected, “Hillary is so upbeat and positive, and her positivity is contagious.”

Senior Catherine Wu affirmed another of Yoon’s many talents. “Hillary has a passion for photography,” Wu said, “which has emerged in her taking photos for official school events and for PEAN and The Exonian. I remember during our track meets she would always carry her professional camera around with her, document moments of the meet and snapshots of the runners competing, which was a nice way to share the Track and Field behind-the-scenes with the larger Exeter community.”

“I first got into photography inspired by several of the upperclassmen at the time I was a prep, who introduced me to Exonian photography,” Yoon explained, “I soon fell in love with PEAN and the process of taking photos to create a physical book of all our memories.”

Johnson continued, “She is in charge of photographing dorms and especially taking pictures for seniors. In a comment she made at one point, she said that one thing she really appreciates about photography is that it gives her a chance to connect with a large number of classmates. [Seniors] are about to graduate and head all over the nation and the globe. As a friend, a colleague, and a classmate, she is really aware of all the treasured memories she has made with others and wants to maintain those relationships. At least in her senior year, photography has really helped her work on those relationships.”

Throughout her four years at Exeter, Yoon has developed to become a considerate friend for many and an empathetic, passionate leader for many more.

“I cherish the times when she introduced me to her favorite movies (“Surfs Up,” “Star Wars,” “The Grinch,” and “How to Train Your Dragon”) because watching with her is as though I’ve been transported to the setting of whatever film she’s showing me,” Bernau stated, “Not surprisingly, these movies follow a simple guideline: goodness and love are paramount. She attempts to align herself with this “rule” in a way that I can only strive to emulate. I know that my life, and almost certainly the lives of many more, have been shaped by the depth of her care.”

“I remember last year, I was really behind on packing. I had not started until my last day on campus and I also had the SAT to take the next morning, causing me to panic,” Szul recounted, “Even though we lived in different dorms and it was late, Hillary helped me pack. She’s willing to help people out with seemingly small things like that, and I feel like that’s exactly what non sibi is about.”

“Hillary really uses her experience and insight to help the younger students, and she knows how to use it in an empathetic way. She is so committed to building an inclusive community and obligated towards a sense of ethics, and I see her helping others realize how they can live up to that,” Johnson commented.

“I feel that Exeter has definitely made me into a more mature person. Exeter was probably the hardest point of my academic career, and I am appreciative of all the struggles that I had here at Exeter since I know they made me into a more resilient person. It has taught me what I should really focus on: people, friends, and my relationships,” Yoon said.

“She handles things with grace. I could go to her about anything and she will always be there to talk to and laugh with. She is almost like my big sister, I look up to her not as just an upperclassman but as a friend and a person as a whole,” Nakadi commented.

“Hillary has this aura when she comes around. Her brightness, in not just academics, can just make a group of people tend to smile when they are around her,” Johnson noted.

Yoon continued, “I have always been like the older sister in my family and I always love helping out my lower classmen. Subconsciously, talking with them builds trust. As a past student-listener and a proctor, I am most grateful to know that my influence has helped others.”

Bernau reflected, “Her character is one of action, but it is also one of conscientious spiritual care. In all her waking moments, Hillary embodies a dimension of unmistakable and inimitable goodness- compassion, if you will.”

Several seniors stand on the stage of Assembly Hall, posing in various stances with their friends. Hillary Yoon stands in the middle aisle of the velvet seats, her camera poised to capture the scene. With a click, the shutter is released, freezing the moment in all of its bittersweet splendor. 

Soon, the seniors will depart in separate ways, venturing into the fog of the future, with echoes of their past reverberating through the halls of the Academy Building, the long tables in Elm Street Dining Hall, the lawns in front of the library, and the sofas at EPAC. The only thing that keeps the souls together is through their memories; the most powerful photographs are not merely images on a slip of paper, but a promise and testament to the endurance of our relationships. Even as our seniors walk the aisle to receive their diploma, and even as time marches ever onward into the unknown, the memories we hold dear will always remain, frozen photographed moments carved upon the vast canvas of our hearts.