Charismatic Christina

With her bright blond hair and contagious smile, it’s hard to miss senior Christina Rossitto. Although her amiable first impression and good looks may be what first catches one’s eye, what really brings most faculty and students to appreciate Rossitto is her leadership.

Whether gliding on the river and leading her team to victory, giving advice to dormmates at midnight or instructing younger members of the debate club, Rossitto is clearly a leader in all respects. Her impacts reach far and wide, spanning beyond the classroom into all facets of Exeter life.

Senior Katie Liptak recalled the start of her friendship with Rossitto at the very beginning of their prep fall. Liptak described that even back then, Rossitto had the characteristics of a role model, characteristics that would only grow over the next four years. And even after all this time, Liptak still finds herself amazed by the extent of Rossitto’s drive, explaining that in many ways Rossitto has proven inspirational for her.

“Whether it's the joy she gets from a good debate, the constant hard work she puts into crew or the diligence with which she treats all of her classes, Christina always surprises me with the depth of her skill and passion,” Liptak said.

Mathematics instructor Joseph Wolfson, Rossitto’s interim advisor before she came to Exeter, said that Rossitto’s organization is one of her best qualities as a student and has contributed much to her bountiful success. Wolfson has been especially impressed over the years by Rossitto’s ability to recognize and accept her own faults, a skill that many struggle to learn. Rossitto is always trying to improve herself, despite her already soaring successes.

“Christina has always been really friendly to me and the other debaters. She’ll always greet you cheerfully and brighten your day on the paths. Once, she even baked our entire team cookies.”

What amazes people the most about Rossitto, however, is not just the extent of her academic performances, but also her kind and compassionate approach to all. “What truly makes her great is the caring [aspect] she couples with the drive. She is thoughtful and sensitive, a person whom I've been able to count on since those first few days of prep fall,” Liptak said.

Wolfson also praised Rossitto’s social skills in the adult setting. Although they have never before shared a class, Rossitto and Wolfson have maintained a close relationship where they can simply talk about life. Wolfson described Rossitto as mature, and he looked forward to the official transformation of their friendship from one between a student and a teacher to one between adults, even though it has been like so for a while.

Rossitto believed that her trustworthiness is one of the things that contributed most to her election to the Disciplinary Committee, which has evolved into an pivotal point of Rossitto’s life at Exeter.

“It was such an honor to be elected by the students because it’s a really big responsibility, and I’d like to think it means that students trust me and respect my opinions and voice at the school. It’s one the biggest honors I’ve ever received,” she said.

Rossitto’s reliability has also allowed her to be a great proctor in her dorm, Amen Hall. Furthermore, during her time as proctor, Rossitto has learned as well as taught.

“I’m an only child, so dealing with thirty girls, even having three in my room, would never happen at home. I think I’ve learned to be a listener and friend, but also a role model,” she said.

Senior Rachel Sachs, another proctor of Amen, said that Rossitto serves as a great example for underclassmen.

“She’s very driven and diligent at her work. She’s great at prioritizing her extracurriculars and homework and still has time to be a loyal friend and great listener,” Sachs said.

Many of the other Amen Hall residents agreed with Sachs. With her door propped open every Monday night, Rossitto is known around the dorm for her congeniality, which allows many students in the dorm from all grades alike to seek Rossitto for company and advice.

Rossitto’s adviser and dorm head of Amen, Paolo Reichlin, described Rossitto as an “integral part of Amen,” a strong leader in its truest form.

“She is a reliable contributor to our regular fac-proc discussions, was the point person in selecting and ordering the Amen dorm gear, is a person to whom many of the girls in the dorm feel comfortable going to for advice and will undoubtedly play a key role in organizing our Amen tea later in May,” Reichlin said.

Debate team members also described Rossitto as “approachable and cheerful.” At every meeting, Rossitto directs attention as well as creates a comfortable and safe environment for debaters, many of whom are taking a chance and are often nervous about speaking in front of others.

Current debate captain and lower Carissa Chen said, “Christina has always been really friendly to me and the other debaters. She’ll always greet you cheerfully and brighten your day on the paths. Once, she even baked our entire team cookies.”

Rossitto’s ability to lead has also reflected in her talented performance as a varsity crew coxswain.

Crew coach Sally Morris said that Rossitto is a great asset to the team because of her experience in crew both with Exeter and on her own time.

“Christina listens to constructive criticism well and adapts, always seeking ways to improve and to be a better resource and guide for the boats she coxes,” Morris said, “We all rely on her steady calm and know that when she is on the scene, the job will be done well and without fanfare.”

Rossitto grew up in a hometown where crew was popular so, naturally, she knew that as soon as she got to Exeter, coxing was her calling. Rossitto has personally enjoyed the experience and plans to continue crew in college.

Rossitto said that like being a proctor, being a coxswain is about balancing acting as a friend to her teammates and serving as a serious and commanding figure that can guide the team to victory. It’s been a valuable learning experience to Rossitto, one that she will take into her future beyond Exeter.

“I’ve definitely learned to lead and to know how to be firm with people while still understanding that everyone has bad days,” Rossitto said.

Rossitto has also been a member of POMS since her prep year and appreciates the way the group has proven negative stereotypes wrong. For Rossitto, POMS is her way to show her support for her school and have some fun amidst all her other more academically-rigorous commitments. Rossitto said that the group is not just a bunch of girls jumping up and down for attention, but strong, independent girls performing for themselves and for their school, and that’s what makes the group so special.

There’s no doubt that Rossitto will continue to lead and impress as she ventures beyond Exeter after this spring. In the fall, Rossitto will begin another chapter of her academic career at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she will major in chemical engineering.

Rossitto explained that although chemical engineering isn’t well reflected in her extracurriculars such as debate and DC, she was inspired by the chemistry teachers and classes that she has taken at Exeter.

Rossitto is thankful for her time here at Exeter. She emphasized that if it hadn’t been for Exeter, Rossitto could be leading a very different life. In fact, Rossitto said that she probably would not have found interest in, or been able to attend, MIT if she hadn’t come to the Academy. Since coming to the Academy, MIT became Rossitto’s dream school, and although she is sad to leave, she’s happy she’s heading off to another place that will remind her of and keep her close to the Academy.

From MIT, Rossitto hopes to go on to law school and eventually represent new technology companies. In whatever she does, Rossitto will undoubtedly represent the Academy well. Furthermore, while the Academy may be losing a leader this graduation, the world will be gaining one.