Senior of the Year: Nataly Delcid

By CARLY CANSECO ‘27

Over one billion websites exist on the internet today. Cooking blogs, popular newspapers, and entertainment sites like Netflix all mesmerize those who go down the rabbit hole of Google. Of course, you are bound to find hidden gems, like 123 movies or Slidesgo. The Milking Cat, a teen comedy magazine, is one of those gems. At first glance, it seems like a disarrangement of ridiculous articles, but as you delve deeper into it, you realize that it’s more — an intricate library that young adults have come together and created, containing relatable topics (ones probably only Gen-Z will understand). Behind the creation of this is senior Nataly Delcid, co-editor-in-chief of The Milking Cat.

Despite being only a two-year senior, Delcid, who was raised in northern Texas and Providence, RI, has a strong presence at Exeter. Her home on campus is Wheelwright Hall, where she is a proctor, and she participates in several Big Red athletic teams, including varsity wrestling and water polo. Delcid also served as The Exonian’s news, sports, and humor editor on the 145th board. She published an opinion piece regarding income disparities at private schools in the Washington Post. She is also a semi-finalist for the Coca-Cola Service Award. 

To some who have seen Delcid in the hallways, she might seem like a quiet, reserved girl holding a cup of coffee or tea before class. Her accomplishments, diligence, persistence, and “down-to-earth” vibe are often hidden from sight. 

Before Exeter, Delcid attended McKinney High School. There, she pursued a variety of extracurriculars, such as JV track, varsity lacrosse, Model UN, and even a STEM blog. However, she found her true passion in journalism. At McKinney, Delcid created her school’s journalism club and competed in multiple regional journalism competitions. After her sophomore year, Nataly decided to attend Phillips Exeter Academy, more than 2,000 miles from her home in Texas.

“I wanted to be surrounded by people who were super motivated and excited about their work,” Delcid explained. “I went to a summer program at Brown, and that was kind of like a life-changing experience because that was the first time where I met people who were similar to the people at Exeter, it inspired me because I just saw these kids who were older than me, and I thought, this could be me in one or two years if I set my mind to it.”

“At my old school,  no one ever thinks they can get out of Texas,” she recalled. “And I think that was draining on me. There was this idea that I would forever be stuck in McKinney, Texas, and everyone around me was thinking that way. Getting out of that and being able to see what was really within reach instilled a lot of confidence in me and also just a lot of optimism about where the future is heading.”

Despite these setbacks, Delcid worked hard and excelled in many difficult classes, which made her transition into Exeter seamless. “I think taking the full course sort of APs at a public school is much harder than going here,” she said. “I think my sophomore year and rigor were pretty similar to Exeter.”

In addition to feeling her academics were similar, Delcid also felt her writing style has remained consistent through both her high school experiences.“ I don’t think being an Exonian or anything changed my writing. I feel like it’s quite similar. Maybe it’s introduced me to some sort of different kinds of fields, but I don’t think that my writing itself has changed very much.”

Many seniors, after graduating, would agree that they grew a lot during their time attending Exeter. However, Delcid had a unique perspective.

“I feel like Exeter made me a bit more pessimistic about academics. I was always very separated from it and had no people around me who went to college. So, I think I always viewed it as this very authentic idea. I envisioned Exeter as being this super passionate place, but I found that it wasn’t as optimistic and beautiful as I’d thought it to be. However, I believe a place like that can never exist, but I think I just used to see academia as this perfect thing. But now, I don’t think the best possible outcome in every scenario is to be an academic or go to college.”

Delcid discovered herself in other ways at Exeter. Being on the wrestling team made her realize how persistent she could be. “I think I was the only girl who initially signed up to do wrestling last year, and I convinced one other person to do it,” Delcid explained. “But I would get out of class every day and wrestle with guys for two hours straight, which I would not have imagined myself doing. I think it was one of the things that allowed me to do whatever I wanted. And I love those experiences that teach me that if I just want to do something, I can just do it.”

Of course, like all Exeter students, she still faced difficulties, especially in the winter of upper year. Many know that upper winter is arduous, jammed with preparation for the SAT, thoughts about college, 5:00 p.m. H-block, and bone-chilling cold. During Delcid’s upper winter, right while writing her 332 paper, she faced one of her biggest challenges at Exeter — a major wrestling concussion.

Even though Delcid had splitting headaches during her injury, she continued to persist. “It was upper year, a pretty intense year when you want to get the best grades, and I didn’t want all the work I put in my freshman and sophomore years to go to waste by flopping upper year. So I felt like I had a lot of pressure that I just solely put on myself. No one put it on me. I wasn’t going to let the injury get in my way.”

She realized after that pushing through might not have been the best decision.“I’m usually the person who will say, just put your head down and do the work, and it’ll be over soon. I think that was one of the cases where I regret doing that. I think it can’t be applied to every scenario. I compromised my health, and my concussion was a lot worse than it had to be.” 

Although it could be a detriment to her health, Delcid’s resilience and commitment aren’t unnoticed by her friends.“I rarely seen someone work so hard,” lower Jinmin Lee said. “She told me she was on seven cups of coffee one day last year. And that’s because she’s incredibly hardworking. I always see her either in the dining hall in the library or in D Squared, and there’s not a single moment that I see her somewhere where she’s not working. Her writing abilities and eloquent speech were her main strengths earned through that hard work.”

“Above all, she has a lot of grit,” senior Luca Shakoori added. “She just is committed to things that she’s doing and kind of goes the extra mile to get things done.”

Delcid’s teachers attested to her brilliance at the Harkness table. Instructor in English Jane Cadwell noted, “Nataly brings to our community an energetic and contagious intellectual curiosity and a respect for and enjoyment of challenges and collaboration. She is a generous Harkness student—always thoroughly and thoughtfully prepared and equally open to hearing the thoughts and interpretations of others.”

Her work ethic is displayed in class at the Harkness table and in her extracurriculars, especially The Exonian. “Something I appreciate about her is that when she was an editor, she was probably our most dedicated news editor,” senior Emi Levine said. “Sometimes it can be hard to be an editor because you have a lot of other work and academics. Not only was she a news editor, but when we were short on editors later into the winter and spring, she actually stepped up and became a sports editor and a humor editor. It shows that she cares about the club and is willing to prioritize it, dedicate time to it, and treat it carefully.”

“She’s super dedicated to what she wants to do in the future and so incredibly open to new experiences with amazing people,” senior Lauren Kim said. “When we worked together as news editors, Nataly always took the initiative to take on additional roles and go above and beyond for the writers, but she always did it with a sense of humor and fun.”

In addition to being diligent and successful, Delcid is also amusing and understands the balance between academic achievements and socializing.

“A big part of it is just that I’m definitely more of an introvert, and I definitely keep my circle very small. I think that just ended up making me someone who doesn’t like to go out every night,” she said.

Delcid also emphasized quality over quantity in friendships. “I’ve always had a group that can understand my academic priority.”

These close friends love Delcid’s sense of humor, yet at the same time, her ability to snap back into work.“She does a really good job of locking in on work, but also locking out of it very quickly and then locking back into it,” Lee said. “So what that means is, she’ll be on her computer, and I’ll go ask her a question, then, she’ll turn around and joke around for a solid minute. And then say, ‘Yeah, I need to go back to work,’ and lock back in. She always seems to know how to balance work with friends and mentees.”

“Even if she’s committed to a lot of things, she never falls short on being social,” Shakoori noted.

“Nataly’s such a funny and down-to-earth person that I always feel comfortable just striking up a conversation with,” Kim said. “She also just shows such genuine interest in what she does. Whether it’s working part-time in this super hip Providence cafe over the summer or showing off her appreciation for herbal teas, Nataly is very unapologetically herself, which I think is super admirable.”

Despite Delcid’s two years at Exeter rather than the typical four, she has left a lasting impression on the Exeter community. “Her legacy is one of humor and intelligence. She knows her stuff and gets work done,” upper Aveen Burney said.

“She embodies a form of diligence and excellence,” Lee agreed. ‘It makes you want to be more like her, but it doesn’t make you feel inferior since her positive energy brings you up with her.”

So next time, when you’re idling on Google, go on a visit to ‘themilkingcat.com.’ Take note of the silly articles, think about the peculiar name, and stop by to see the accomplished and diligent Nataly Delcid featured on the ‘About’ page.