Scholar of the Year: Henry LaFond

When Exonians discuss superlatives for the most academically talented senior in the whole crop of intelligent students at Exeter, the name “Henry LaFond” is one of the first to come up. LaFond, a four year senior from Sharon, Massachusetts, has been inducted early into the Cum Laude society, partakes in six classes during his senior spring and is graduating today with the highly coveted classical diploma.

LaFond said that out of all the subjects he has taken—and excelled in—he appreciates Latin and Greek the most. This past spring, he studied in the highest classes possible for the department—Latin 631 and Greek 231.

One of LaFond’s favorite aspects of the classics department is the size of the community. Since there are only a few classics instructors, LaFond learned from a number of teachers repeatedly. “It’s nice being a part of a small department and eventually getting to know people,” LaFond said.

According to classical language instructor Sally Morris, “Latin, as any language, requires a student to memorize an ever increasing quantity of vocabulary.” However, the “abundance of morphological forms, idiosyncratic grammar rules and a loose word order patterning” creates another challenge in studying Latin. “To excel in Latin, a student must master these elements,” she said.

“He’s thoroughly impressed me in all aspects of his life here at Exeter, and I am speaking for all of my organizations—the Classics community, Linguistics Society, Peabody—when I say that he will be greatly missed next year.”

With these requirements in mind, Morris described LaFond as astute, intellectually curious, compassionate and reserved. She taught LaFond Latin and Greek during the 2014 winter term abroad trip in Rome and throughout his time at Exeter. “His silences bespeak his cogitation, as he interacts in class only after ordering his thoughts to deliver a well considered remark or reply to a question,” Morris said.

LaFond earned the Haig-Ramage Classical Scholarship for two consecutive years, the “highest recognition of attainment in the Classics at Exeter,” as described by classical language instructor Nicholas Unger. However, above all, Unger admired Lafond’s humility out of all of his defining qualities. “It is fitting that Henry read ‘Plato’s Apology’ in the winter, because like Socrates, he recognizes that humility can disabuse him of false notions of wisdom and prepare him for true insight,” Unger said.

Senior Rex Tercek, who studied with LaFond through much of his Exeter career within the classics department, testified to both LaFond’s intelligence and humility.

“He’s quiet and certainly poised, but he doesn’t brandish his intelligence or dominate Harkness discussions, and that feels more and more rare,” Tercek said. “His hushed demeanor disguises all the gears pumping in his head, but they are still certainly pumping.”

Classics instructor Megan Campbell complied with Tercek’s appreciation for LaFond’s humble nature. “He’s brilliant without being overbearing about it,” she said. “He’s really into Latin and he’s really good at it.”

Campbell taught LaFond and upper Bliss Perry in a Latin prose composition class in the style of Cicero this past term. Having excelled in the class, LaFond developed advanced organization, time management and study skills.

However, what amazed Perry the most about Lafond’s performance was his “innate ability and intelligence; he seems to excel almost effortlessly.” Perry said that in this class, he observed LaFond’s talent and skill, deeming him the “brightest classics student” he has ever encountered in a class. “Every morning, when I walk in having toiled for hours over some short piece, he strides into the room and states that he hasn’t put any effort into his composition at all, even though, in my mind, it is excellent and leagues better than my own,” Perry said.

Upper Austin Scronce got to know LaFond through being a proctors in Peabody in addition to studying Latin He commended LaFond’s ability to retain information and described how it leads him to make connections at the Harkness table. “Henry is the type of scholar who like some at this school doesn’t have to study. And that’s where he’s different. Henry studies more often and harder than anyone I know,” Scronce said.

Although LaFond is greatly recognized for his achievements within the classics department, he does not consider himself a “humanities person.” He stopped taking math upper fall after completing Math 451 to take Greek. In addition, LaFond took two Physics 999 courses on general relativity and one Physics 999 on statistical mechanics.

Scronce elaborated on LaFond’s passion towards each subject he studies, from Latin to science to history. “He loves all subjects and immerses himself in each one in and out of the classroom,” he said.

LaFond’s rigorous academic disposition extends to his presence in the Exeter community. As a proctor of Peabody Hall, LaFond has gained the trust and love of many members of his dormitory. 

“He is a quiet yet witty and beloved member of Peabody Hall, and he is held in utmost respect and even awe among the dorm for not only his academic accomplishments, but also the way he is able to maintain very close friendships and relationships with all of his dorm-mates on top of his busy schedule,” Perry said.

He continued, adding that personally, LaFond has been a role model and confidant in times of need. “Although soft-spoken, he is very approachable and a very good person to talk to when I need a late-night study partner or just someone to talk to on a bad day,” he said.

Tercek agreed, describing LaFond’s ability to make others laugh as a skill that Tercek has appreciated throughout his Exeter career.

“His ability to subtly deliver a clever quip is jaw-dropping, and whenever I see him I get excited for whatever witticism he’ll mutter under his breath that day,” Tercek said. “All in all, he has the ability to lift my spirits during the day and push my thinking at the table, and I will miss him dearly.”

Likewise, Perry expressed sentimentally when asked about LaFond’s impact on his Exeter experience. After recounting numerous stories about their experiences together, he remarked:

“I am quite confident that Henry will do great things at Harvard and beyond, no matter what he decides to study. He’s thoroughly impressed me in all aspects of his life here at Exeter, and I am speaking for all of my organizations—the Classics community, Linguistics Society, Peabody—when I say that he will be greatly missed next year.”