Extraordinary Ethan

An ideal leader must possess most, if not all, of these characteristics: charisma, empathy and intelligence. Senior Ethan Romero, as Administrative Intern of the office of Multicultural Affairs Danielle Lucero said, exemplifies all three of these traits. As the student council representative and a proctor of Dutch House and club head and founder of Exeter Students of Indigenous Ancestry (ESIA), Romero has displayed these qualities over and over again.

Lower Lucas Stevens commented on Romero’s attractive yet humble personality. “As a person, Ethan is, in my mind, a perfect role-model,” Stevens said. “In all of that I have seen of him, he is kind, respectful, hard-working, intelligent, talented, athletic and through all of his strengths, he remains confident without a hint of arrogance.”

Senior Michael Mancini concurred with Stevens and said that he could not imagine his Exeter experience without Romero, whom he called a “model Exonian.” Moreover, he lauded Romero’s selfless attitude, one that he relies on during the difficult times at Exeter.

“People will often say that Exeter is unique because we have an unparalleled student body. Well, if this statement is true, it is because of people like Ethan,” Mancini said. “I think of Ethan as well rounded, intelligent, funny, kind and on a good day, he could even be dashing.”

At the start of his Exeter career however, Romero was not the leader that he is today. Moises Escobar ’15 said that when Romero first entered the dorm last year as a new upper, he was reserved—a character trait he does not necessarily define him with now.

“At the beginning of last year, Ethan was quiet around the dorm. It took him a little while to grow comfortable living in Dutch House, but when he did, he became an integral part of the dorm,” Escobar said. 

Romero himself admitted to the tough initial transition from his warm town in Stuart, Florida to the cold atmosphere in Exeter, New Hampshire. Every morning at Stuart, he explained, he would drive to the beach and go on a run before starting the day. After school, he would take a boat ride before starting to stress over his homework. When he entered Exeter, he was shocked, both by the rigor and the seemingly inhospitable environment. The beaches were different, the temperature was different and of course, the academic rigor was different.

However, all of this changed rather quickly. Today, Romero reflects on his difficult transition by marking it as a lesson: to appreciate “home from afar.”

“I could say that Exeter has made me a better student and a better lacrosse player, which it has, but I feel that Exeter has given me a gift of appreciation,” Romero said. “Exeter has shown me that home can be anywhere.”

Another aspect of Exeter that Romero has adapted to is in academics. Senior Joon Kim described Romero as one of the most academically talented and diligent students he has met during his time at Exeter.

History instructor Michael Golay confirmed Kim’s statements. “I’ve enjoyed working with Ethan as a history writer,” Golay said. “I appreciate his commitment to doing his work well, and I appreciate his diligence as a researcher and the care he takes with the writing.”

Romero does not restrict himself to academics, however. In musical performances, he performs just as well as he does in the classroom.

For the Exeter Association of Rock (EAR) concert last fall, Stevens asked Romero to play trumpet with his band, “The Gorilla Smashers.” Impressed with his playing, Stevens wished to finalize his large band with a talented trumpet player. Without disappointment, Romero delivered, and contributed to a very successful concert.

Since then, Stevens has worked with Romero at two other occasions: the EAR assembly in the winter and the halftime concert at this year’s E/a football game. Stevens explained that Romero not only occupies a pivotal role in his groups musically, but rather that he is a role model as “one of the most reliable” students Stevens has worked with.

“Ethan proved to be one perhaps the most reliable musician in the band,” Stevens said. “He always replied quickly to messages and showed up to rehearsals on time, prepared and with a good attitude.”

As if his talents as a leader and as a musician are not enough, Romero also excels in athletics. He is a two-year varsity boys’ lacrosse player and last season, he recorded four goals and two assists in a fourteen game season.

“Ethan is an excellent teammate and athlete,” senior Jason Corcoran said. “He’s extremely unselfish with the ball but knows exactly when to shoot it.” Corcoran added that Romero, even in his first year on the team, gelled with his teammates well and has proved an important part of the team. “[Ethan] only joined this year, because he was a new upper, but he quickly fit into the team chemistry and worked well with his teammates,” he said.

Outside of lacrosse and the trumpet, Romero pursues his passion in literature and is in the process of writing a book about his family’s history and its transformation from Puerto Rico to Florida. “I’m obsessed with discovering the little stories that everyone carries with them—there’s nothing better than learning about a new person through the stories they tell,” Romero said.

Golay is confident that this work will be an impressive one, as he has had Romero in his class twice already. “Ethan is a very good student and he’s a particularly good writer,” Golay said. “He strikes me as very confident, but also he knows that he can do the work and do it well.”

Above all, through his academics, athletics and arts, Romero treasures the Exeter community. One of his main goals, he said, is to stray away from the selfish mindset, even in the busy days and hard nights.

“Through our busy days with class and sports, music and StuCo, it’s so easy to focus too much on the grade you got on the physics test or your contribution to the Harkness table,” Romero said. “Really and truly, this place was formed on the idea that learning together is better than trying to learn by yourself. As a student, I’d like to think that although I’m not always successful in my attempts, trying to keep a community-focused attitude will ultimately benefit all of us in the long run.”