Senior of the Week: Liv Van Ledtje
Grace Yang / The Exonian
By JADE YOO, JUNE KOH, KAYLEE GONG, and ELLINA KIM:
Whether she’s impressing the audience onstage, touring future Exonians around campus, or passionately leading discussions in a biology classroom, Liv Van Ledtje is a prominent member of the Exeter community. Van Ledtje joined Exeteras a new upper, but she has certainly made an impact in her two years at the Academy. She successfully balances a variety of clubs, rigorous STEM courses, and a demanding dance schedule with grace and positivity.
Van Ledtje is a two-year senior who is a captain and student choreographer at the Exeter Dance Company, Head Tour Guide, Director of Exie Blog, and co-head of the Ocean Awareness and Action Club. She is also a tutor in biology and chemistry at the Learning Center, engaging in rigorous coursework. She has a dog named Hugo.
Her Exeter journey began when her freshman year geometry teacher at Oyster River High School, Ms. Jablonsky, was one of the first teachers to take an interest in her as a student, which helped her gain confidence in the classroom. When she started high school, she did not know what to expect, and she learned a lot about herself in her high school years before Exeter, which she says sheis “really grateful for.” She says that those teachers set her up for success at Exeter. Once she came to Exeter, she absolutely loved it. She explained, “I think a lot of Exeter kids have this feeling like you’re the only one who really wants to talk and you’re the only one raising your hand. And so, I’m really happy to be at a place where I can be around other people who love to talk.” Van Ledtje believes that feeling which is a very universal experience for a lot of Exonians coming toExeter who “are also interested in sharing their ideas and loving learning”.
Liv has always loved to learn. She has always possessed a deep love for books, so much so that she started a project in third grade, where she talked about books on camera to other people. She said,“I created a project called LivBits, a series of short videos for kids and teachers about reading, thinking, and life. The first video I ever made went viral, and suddenly, I had incredible opportunities traveling worldwide to speak with kids and adults about using technology for good.” Her favorite book, The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery, is one she recommends to any science lover. It showed her “how profound it can be to have an emotional connection to the environment through a creature” and she thought that “people did not [realize] all the things that octopus do for the environments they live in.”
Van Ledtje added, “For me, it’s less octopus and more sharks. I read my first shark book when I was in the second grade. It was for a school project and my last name’s Van Letdje. So, I was the last one to pick my book. And the only book left when I got over there was a battered book about sharks.And from then on I absolutely fell in love with everything about sharks.”She noticed that they were misunderstood, but they do so much for the environment. She explained,“A lot of people do not realize all the things that they do in monitoring eco-systems.” She hopes to one day make an impact on climate change research as it relates to sharks, as they are being killed despite doing so much for the ocean.She hopes to help break some of those barriers in the future, stating, “The thing I love about sharks is you can just keep learn-ing more about them, and there’s so many species we haven’t discovered yet.”
Van Ledtje has already started work with sharks, doing a research project focused on the ways scientists are using fossilized shark teeth by analyzing them using information like isotopes, ancient ocean temperatures, and geological movements. Van Ledtje also gave a TEDx talk about how sharks can help save us from a climate crisis and all of the different roles that they play in the ocean. She even has a shark tracking app, which she checks at least once a week to see if any sharks are nearby. Once, she went to Rye Beach in search of a shark named Anne Bonney, a nine-foot great white shark who was less than a quarter mile off the shore, but unfortunately not found. Laughing,Van Ledtje said, “I wish I could’ve shook her fin!”
Van Ledjte found an interest in the ecology and climate research side of biology. She hopes to study biology in college, explaining, “This interest in sharks has so much of a broader meaning, since a shark’s role in ocean eco-systems helps sustain the survival of organisms everywhere. “
Van Ledjte’s drive extends beyond the class-room and into the world of dance. “One of the reasons that I love ballet is because I’m very detail-oriented,”she explained. “Ballet allows me the chance to analyze the nuances of a variation, so much so that I discover something new almost every rehearsal. ”
Classical ballet is her favorite style of dance, and this passion comes through in her abilities. “I would consider myself a very serious ballerina, ”Van Ledjte expressed. “Last year I won my first gold medal, which is very exciting. I’ve competed at both national and international ballet competitions like the Youth America Grand Prix and the Universal Ballet Competition, and it’s something that I want to continue in college. ”
Before coming to Exeter, Van Ledjte was strictly a dancer who rigorously trained six days a week.After being introduced to the Exeter Dance program, Van Ledjte found new enthusiasm in choreographing. She described, “Choreographing is using an entirely different part of your brain as a dancer, which is something that I loved to try. I had no idea that I would find such love in it. So now it’s something that I also hope to continuein college.”
Van Ledjte concluded by saying, “Really all sides of dance I’m super interested in. And I also just love dancing for my family and making them happy. Telling a story is also really fun. I would consider myself a story-teller in dance.”
When she’s not talking animatedly about sharks or practicing for a recital,Van Ledtje can be found touring prospective students around campus. VanLedtje shared, “I am someone that loves to share my enthusiasm for Exeter with other people. So when I was chosen to be Head Tour Guide, I gave a lot of tours my upper year. I loved meeting new people, finding out why they were interested in Exeter, and talking about why I love Exeter.”
Van Ledtje’s kindness and commitment to her passions were reflected in comments from her peers. Senior Stella Song stated,“I’m very grateful that I know Liv. I just think she’s such a great person. She’s very caring. She’s such an inspiration in dance. She works really hard and always, she’s very talented. ”
One of Van Ledtje’s close friends, Senior Meira Wohl described her, saying “Liv is the most optimistic person I’ve ever met. She’s always looking on the bright side. She’s very good at bringing people up, and she’s always pushing people to be their best. ”
Wohl added, “Overtime, she’s definitely be-come one of my closest friends and she’s just such a kind person and just a warm energy to be around. If I’m having a bad day, she just makes me feel so much better.”
Grace Yang, a lower in Dance Company and VanLedtje’s co-choreographer, agrees, adding, “I really admire her optimistic mindset and how she deals with problems and she’s very organized. ”
Van Ledtje’s fellow dancers are complimentary of not only her skill but also her enthusiasm and obvious love of the art. “She’s very humble about her skills but she’s extremely talented. She has beautiful lines and is very flexible, she’s always confident in presenting herself on stage,” said Yang.
Though dance takes up a lot of Van Ledtje’s time and thought, Yang added that, “I hope people can know that she has a very passionate heart and she’s very, very kind and talkative and she has a lot more to her personality other than dance.”
Van Ledtje’s deep interest in biology was noted by all of her peers. “Something else about Liv is she’s really obsessed with sharks. She loves sharks and so if you ever get her talking about them, she’ll keep going and going and you’ll learn some pretty cool things. And she knows a lot of really interesting stuff about them,” said Wohl.
Van Ledtje’s ability to find happiness in small things, show her positive mindset, and express curiosity culminates into her overwhelming presence as a wonderful student. VanLedtje warms the hearts of the teachers around her, especially her advisor, Genny Moriarty. “She really appreciates small moments and I think that this is such a lovely quality. ”
Furthermore, VanLedtje’s eagerness to talk about ocean awareness and educate others is what makes her so warm. Moriarty positively elaborates, “She wrote this just fabulous essay about sharks and shark conservation and I picture her when sharks are mentioned. She is almost childlike in her enthusiasm for them.”
Van Ledtje has had a profound impact on not only the community around her, but also the people surrounding her and her friends. From leading dance teams to voicing her love for sharks and the ocean, Van Ledtje continuously spreads positive energy. Wohl concluded with a message to VanLedtje: “Love you. I’m excited to finish the rest of senior year with you. We spend a lot of our days just going through mundand things, but just doing it together makes it all better. So even if we’re both just sitting on our laptops doing homework, just being there with you makes everything so much easier, especially at Exeter where you can often feel alone.”
Van Ledtje reflects that her Exeter experience has been “rewarding” and that it “helped [her] grow into [herself] even more.” She claimed, “Exeter is a place for you to grow your passions, and since being here, I’ve become amore confident student.” Her only regret is that she wishes she was here for four years instead of two, and there are countless other people on campus who also wish she was here for all four years due to her determination, passion, and positive spirit.
