Savvy Saisha

Senior Saisha Talwar doesn’t have much free time. She splits her life between her schoolwork and her numerous extra-curricular interests, including Mock Trial, Exeter Social Service Organization (ESSO), theater and various other projects. Talwar spends what remains of her time at the Academy forming strong connections with students and faculty alike.

Talwar started her Exeter career as a prep in Hoyt Hall, then moved to Langdell Hall the following year. Her dormmates immediately became some of her fastest friends. To this day, Talwar brings her lively personality and sharp intellect to all aspects of her life.

“Everyone knows Saisha is hardworking,” senior Drew Goydan said. “She applies herself thoroughly to every aspect of Exeter life, whether academic or extracurricular. Her drive always inspires me to keep working hard, even during those tough nights in winter term.”

Goydan also commented on Talwar’s willingness to explore new things, ideas and people. “It’s that curiosity and openness that I most admire about her,” she said. 

Talwar has served as a proctor in her dorm and established herself as a leader early on in the year. Prep Erica Hogan described Talwar as dedicated and energetic and recalled an instance in which Talwar helped her in the dorm.

“I remember at the start of prep year I would look up to her so much because she seemed to be one of those ‘model Exonians’ that everyone wants to be,” Hogan said. “Before Mock Trial competitions, she and the other Mock Trial co-heads in my dorm would have me come to their rooms and practice, and this really showed me how much time and effort she puts into her work.”

Talwar has made an incredible impact in her dorm and will be sorely missed when she graduates this spring.

“I'll miss how driven she is,” prep Jo de la Bruyere said. “She’s really someone I look up to and part of that is because she’s so motivated. Also, as a proctor, she’s really kind and always supportive.”

Goydan echoed de la Bruyere’s sentiment, and explained that she will greatly miss Talwar’s energy next year.

“It’s her spunky personality that keeps all of us in the dorm dancing at 12 a.m.,” Goydan said. “Saisha also always knows how to cheer people up. Stillwell’s runs or crazy stories, she can make anyone smile in an instant. In those ways, I can really tell she cares.”

Senior Clara Hobbie justified Talwar’s title of “Most Intense” for senior superlatives, but also echoed Goydan’s sentiments. “Saisha has a really good work ethic,” Hobbie said. “But what some may not know is that she is also extremely goofy. I don’t think a day has gone by since we’ve become friends that she hasn’t made me laugh.”

“I don’t know Saisha as a girl who is really committed to working hard and doing well—although she is—as others might see her, because I’ve seen her falling over laughing and pulling the weirdest faces. She’s made me laugh until I cry and figures out how to lighten any day, no matter how stressful school is,” Hobbie said.

Aside from her proctorship in Langdell, Talwar is also co-head of Mock Trial, co-head of ESSO Theater Games for Kids and the former co-president of ESSO. Talwar has also taken part in numerous theater productions on campus and has put on several events concerning issues in the Middle East.

Talwar started her Mock Trial career during her prep year. For four years, she acted as a witness for one of the Academy’s teams and considered the club one of her greatest time committments. Despite the schedule contraints, Talwar has thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“We’ve had a really successful team, who has competed at nationals twice. Mock Trial is also fun because our team is very close-knit,” she said. “It’s really amazing to see the learning trajectory that the new members experience and to help them grow.”

Talwar and her club had to adjust to changed circumstances when their advisor, Walter Stahr ‘75, left campus.

“It was hard adjusting to the club this year because our beloved advisor Mr. Stahr left for California, but working with my fellow very dedicated and passionate co-heads made the transition a lot less stressful,” Talwar said.

Talwar’s acting skills greatly improved her Mock Trial experience. She has been involved with various DRAMAT shows, a few mainstage productions and currently rehearses with the senior acting ensemble.

During her upper spring, Talwar took part in a 999 course with theater and dance instructor Sarah Ream. Through the course, Talwar assistant-directed and served as dramaturge for the senior acting ensemble’s production of the Mahabharata. For the first time, she was a part of theater in a directorial capacity, rather than as an actress.

Additionally, Talwar is active in the ESSO.  Before the recent turnover of the board, Talwar served as co-president alongside fellow senior Sabrina Movitz.

“Being co-president was a really rewarding experience because not only was I allowed to continue doing hands-on service work through theater games, I also oversaw ESSO as a whole,” Talwar said. “As a board, we thought about things like: how do we want to portray ESSO to the community? How can we make ESSO more accessible? How do we handle accountability?”

In a greater light, Talwar found a larger message in ESSO. “Being co-president taught me a lot about leadership and goal setting—I realized it isn't necessary to radicalize ESSO from year to year, but rather focus on the small changes that can make a big difference,” she said.

The summer following her lower year, Talwar attended a program called “Seeds of Peace” as part of an American delegation, which brought youth from conflict regions together to foster open dialogue. Overall, the experience spurred her interest in the Middle East and pushed her to learn more about the region’s historical narrative as a whole.

During her upper spring, Talwar traveled to Jerusalem with the same program. “It was really interesting, because I was actually in the land that I was studying,” Talwar said. “After those experiences, I was trying to think of how I could bring my experiences and newfound ideas into the Exeter bubble. That is when I started organizing the Voices from Gaza event.”

  This past fall, Talwar hosted “Voices from Gaza” alongside senior Zoha Qamar. Salma Shawa, a girl from Gaza, was invited to speak and hold a question-and-answer session. In addition, Talwar took the Contemporary Middle East course with history instructor Michael Golay. With Golay as a senior project advisor, Qamar and Talwar continue to organize forums discussing the Middle East.

Talwar described her ongoing project as, essentially, “a nice way to culminate all of [her] experiences surrounding this important region.”

In college, Talwar wishes to further explore Middle Eastern studies, and perhaps pursue the legal world later in life. Overall, at the Academy, Talwar has left her distinct mark on Exeter’s history with her multifarious personality, as well as the students and faculty she has taken the time to know.