Taking Action: Stephanie Chen

Ever since senior Stephanie Chen arrived at Exeter as a new lower, she has brought a smile to everyone’s face, whether it be at Student Council (StuCo), volleyball, cycling or in her dorm, McConnell Hall. Last year, Chen served as Class Rep and currently is working hard to provide a memorable senior year as senior class president. Her proctorship skills expand beyond the dorm, and her generosity and compassion truly create a welcoming environment for all.

For three years, McConnell has been Chen’s home. She appreciates the close-knit personality of the dorm. “It is definitely the people that make McConnell so wonderful,” Chen said. “I have found my best friends here and the people I trust most. I am forever grateful to be surrounded by such incredible people.”

This year, Chen’s experience as proctor has changed her perspective on McConnell. As she matured, older students, especially seniors, motivated her to take on a leadership role. “I have kept in mind all of the great assets of proctors before me. I especially remember how welcoming the proctors were when I was a nervous new lower,” she said.

For senior Monica Acosta, Chen was the first person she met at the Academy. Since then, Acosta has recognized Chen’s charismatic personality. “There was just something about the way she introduced herself to me, the way she always said ‘hi’ to people on the path, the way that she just truly cares about people and whatever problems they may be having; that was so genuine.”

“She is the most kindhearted and loving soul of anyone I’ve ever met before, and she’s one of those rare people who quite literally brightens up any room she walks into,” Acosta added. “It’s going to be very hard not seeing her next year.”

Prep Anna Clark had similar thoughts. “Stephanie will go out of her way to make others happy. She’s the proctor who has been in the prep hallway in McConnell all three terms, and all of the preps look up to her,” Clark said.

Chen’s adviser, Gwynneth Coogan, praised Chen for her numerous achievements at the Academy. “She has surprising abilities. She won Assassin her lower year, which I find extremely impressive. She’s Senior Class President. She started the Science Olympiad club on campus. You just never know what she’ll come up with,” Coogan said.

She continued, citing how Chen never failed to engage in conversation with her dormmates. “My first impression of her was her infectious laugh. My lasting impression of Stephanie Chen—she cares a great deal about other people, puts everyone else before herself. When you sit in a room and have a conversation with her, she’ll make sure you hear everyone else in the room, and she doesn’t talk about herself.”

“I think she’s always been personable and outgoing, but I think she’s expanded the circles in which she’s outgoing,” history instructor Michael Golay said. Golay has had Chen in two of his classes. “People really respond to her personality and her presence, and that’s given her the confidence to branch out from beyond the dorm.”

Outside of dorm life, Chen plays volleyball in the fall and cycles in the spring. This year, however, she is managing the cycling team instead because of a stress fracture in her foot. She also played squash during her lower winter.

Chen joined volleybalI because she had learned to love the sport during her middle school years. “I have always loved being on a team because of the camaraderie and teamwork,” she said.

Similiar to volleyball, StuCo affected Chen’s life in middle school as well as at Exeter. When she arrived at the Academy, she took a year off of school politics before running for Upper Rep during her lower spring. A year later, she secured the spot of Senior Class President.

“As Upper Rep, I found that I really enjoyed planning events and designing gear for the class, which was what led me to run for Senior Class President,” Chen said. “It has been an honor working as Senior Class President with the other Class of 2015 representatives, Jad Seligman and Paul Lei.”

  As Senior Class President, Chen has helped put together the senior alumni dinner, alumni induction ceremony and the upcoming senior “beach” day. She also serves on the recreation committee of the Student Council, which has hosted events like the basketball and dodgeball tournaments, as well as the Easter egg hunt and E/a pep rallies.

For a year, Chen has worked along Senior Class Vice President Jad Seligman. At first, Seligman had far less experience in the school political setting than Chen and looked up to her for guidance. “She leads by working hard and being kind, and that makes people want her to lead them,” he said.

“I hadn’t met her before I ran for Class Rep, and so I was honestly surprised because she lived up to the hype, frankly,” Seligman said. “Everybody I spoke to beforehand thought of Stephanie as one of the nicest people in the senior class, and to this day, I have never met anyone who had a mean thing to say about her.”

Upper Rebecca Ju described Chen as “crazily generous” and recalled a time when Chen offered to walk to the Dollar Tree to get supplies for an event despite her stress fracture.

“She’s so organized, and she’s always early to every meeting which is just so impressive to me,” Ju said. “Whenever we have to set up an event, we always end up laughing and having a great time. She’s just a hardworking, generous and funny person. She’s probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and I’m honestly so happy to have been able to work with her.”

Senior and StuCo Vice President Robert Conner works with Chen closely. He described her as “one of the most respected and admired students” at the Academy and a “kind and important leader”.

“[Chen’s] most distinguished trait, one that makes me feel blessed to have her as a friend, is her sincere compassion,” Conner continued. “Her compassion is coupled with a sense of open-mindedness and positive ambition about the strengths of people and the collaborative potential for people to come together and make the world a happier place.”