Here For Ju

Regardless of where she is on campus, senior Rebecca Ju wears a smile like no other; it’s alleviating and comforting, confident and reassuring, perhaps even disarming. She has a distinct presence on campus, one that is admired and appreciated.

A four-year senior, Ju has always been dedicated to the Academy community, specifically to her fellow students. Working for her classmates and the broader student population has always been a source of excitement for her. During her prep and lower years, Ju ran for class rep. Her lower year, she joined the Student Council (StuCo) as a dorm rep, and upon her attendance, she realized that she could work for the student body more effectively without being a class representative. More recently, her upper year, Ju ran a successful campaign for StuCo President and now leads the council in nfluencing the school through her leadership.

“[Rebecca has] grown as a leader,” senior and StuCo Vice President Jun Park said. Park described Ju as a “optimistic” and an “effective, hard worker.”

“She is the type of person who tries to get all the very fine details and I think that’s good because in the position that she’s in, it’s good to be thorough and not miss anything,” he continued.

Park praised Ju for her ability to incorporate many students into StuCo efforts in order to enhance the council’s presence on campus as a truly student-led organization.

“She’s a fun person to work with; she genuinely cares about what she does; she tries her best to meet the goals she sets for herself and for the council, and during the process she tries to make sure no one is lost,” Park said.

Aside from her heavy involvement in StuCo, Ju is also a co-head of Mock Trial. Senior and fellow Mock Trial co-head Holly MacAlpine said Ju is a “hard and sincere worker,” which MacAlpine claimed can be hard to find at Exeter.

“Exonians tend to think of people who have as many leadership positions as Rebecca does to be sort of college-hungry, but with everything that Rebecca does, you can tell she does it because [it’s something] she loves,” MacAlpine said.

Ju said she took a lot of convincing to run for StuCo president, because though she had a lot of ideas, she wasn’t sure if she was the one to make them happen. But, Ju had a really good support system who encouraged her to run, and now has no regrets about running. 

“I’m really happy to be in the position that I’m in because I do have a lot of influence to do what I’d like to do for the school. It puts me in a such great position to hear opinions from students, preps to PGs, and from the deans, principal Macfarlane and our teachers,” Ju said.

Ju said she tries to use her influence to help other Exonians, particularly new Exonians, rather than focusing only on what she wants. To Ju, Exeter is a “continuous experience,” where preps who were mentored by seniors, become mentors themselves when they become upperclassmen. From recalling how close she was to many seniors her prep year, Ju wants to use StuCo to “take on experiences and make some sort of effort to make it better for the people who are coming afterwards.”

Ju also achieves this goal in her dorm life as an active member of Dunbar Hall. Her friends and dorm mates describe Ju as outgoing, approachable and to be always smiling. Upper and fellow dormmate Shaniya Hunt said she met Ju during her prep winter when she was still nervous about making new friends. “I remember her being a really happy presence in the dorm. She’s really approachable and always super nice and smiley; not a lot of people go around smiling all the time and saying ‘Hi,’ asking how you are,” Hunt said.

Ju’s former advisor and English instructor Todd Hearon agreed and described Ju as a “firecracker”—a contagiously charismatic and a “natural leader.”

“She provided a center inside the advisee group; I think people naturally gravitate around her,” Hearon said. “She changes things by walking into room. She is as loyal and compassionate as a dormmate, especially for the younger girls in the dorm on top of being an intellectual, articulate student with a “marvelous musical talent.”

Ju, who found an interest in singing during her time at Exeter, is part of one of the all-girl a capella groups, Sans Hommes, as well as PEADS, Exeter’s co-ed a cappella group. She also participates in Exeter Association of Rock (EAR) events, is involved with jazz band and helps with Exeter’s new music magazine, Forte.

For Ju, singing and music are  fun ways to relax and get away from the stress of school and demanding clubs likes StuCo and Mock trial. According to PEADS head, senior Caroline Sullivan, “Ju has been consistently attentive, enthusiastic and helpful to the group.”

“Rebecca always suggests solutions and [has been] doing all she can to make the group atmosphere good and to help us sound good,” Sullivan said.

In the last four years, Exeter has become Ju’s home, somewhat even more so than her own neighborhood. Exeter has transformed her from a bubbly, “awkward” prep into a confident, passionate senior.

“I’ve changed so much from prep year. In my opinion, and I think that really has to do with Exeter’s culture,” Ju said.  “I came in thinking I was a math and science person and now I’m taking poetry and it’s my favorite class. I’ve also learned to love U.S. history throughout last year.”

Ju said Exeter has made her more open-minded, thanks to the students and teachers she has met whom are all “dedicated and passionate.”

“I don’t think anywhere outside of Exeter would people sit down in a dorm and start discussing something in the Harkness style that we do. I don’t think anyone else outside of Exeter is as good a listener as someone who’s been through four years of Harkness. As a senior, thinking about graduating and looking back, [Exeter] has been a unique experience,” Ju said. “I’m really going to miss it.”