I Love Lucy
“Lucy will make the world a better place,” Langdell dorm head and English instructor Patricia Burke-Hickey said when asked about senior Lucy Weiler. Whether she is leading teammates on the soccer or softball field or girls in Langdell as a student listener and proctor, Lucy Weiler holds great influence over her peers. A co-head of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), the Recreational Committee of Student Council and the Global Health Initiative (GHI), Weiler is eager to make change on campus. Born and raised in New York City with her twin brother and older sister, she has always been determined to advocate for her beliefs.
The first club Weiler joined prep year was GHI, an organization introduced to her by girls in her dorm. She explained how the club has broadened her perception of world issues and women’s issues. Through her involvement, she has obtained a better understanding of non-governmental organizations and the value of grassroots organizations. Weiler’s interests are deeply rooted in social justice and equity issues, and GHI allows her to study a global approach to these subjects.
Senior Zanny Merullo first met Lucy when Merullo joined Langdell as a new upper. She explained how she knew Weiler was “the person to get to know.” On Friday and Saturday nights, she could be found in the common room, surrounded by a group of girls talking about everything from current events to their classes—a group Merullo would eventually become a part of too. Both are now student listeners and proctors in their dorm. Merullo sees Weiler as “the girl who typed her 333 on her iPad,” and someone who will be in a position of power in her future. “I truly don’t know what I will do next year without the never-ending support, teasing and genuine caring that comes from Lucy Weiler,” Merullo said.
“Throughout our four years at Exeter, Lucy has never fallen short of an incredible friend.”
Weiler said her reason for becoming a proctor and student listener stemmed from the great relationships in her dorm that shaped her time at Exeter. She admitted that the girls in Langdell are some of her closest friends. “The most rewarding thing about being a proctor has been getting to work so closely within my dorm community,” Weiler said. “The other proctors and I have become better friends, and I’ve reached out to people in the dorm who otherwise I might not have known.”
New lower Elly Lee attributed her smooth transition to Exeter to Weiler’s leadership and friendship. Lee is thankful to have a proctor who isn’t afraid to express her opinion while being someone younger students can reach out to. “She’s always there to listen and help you out with conflicts and is overall an amazing leader and friend combined,” she said.
Using the term “natural leader,” Burke-Hickey admires Weiler for her integrity and authenticity. She said that Weiler is an independent thinker, encouraging others to examine what they believe is true and reminding others that it is important to align their words with their actions. “In the future, Lucy will be advocating for others in some capacity, I am sure, reminding us that the privilege of an Exeter education is not for oneself alone but for the benefit of others,” Burke-Hickey said.
When fellow co-head of GSA, lower Maria Heeter, first met Weiler on the JV soccer team last fall, she was intimidated. However, the more Heeter got to know Weiler, the more she saw her for her kind and funny self. Heeter described Weiler as “a frank, clear leader” who she will miss both inside and outside of their club next year. “She’s one of my favorite people on this campus,” Heeter said.
Upper Alison Dowski met Weiler through the dorm, but the pair got to know each other better through soccer. Dowski described Weiler as an enthusiastic and loud teammate, recalling times when she would cheer people on at practice and push them harder. “I really looked up to her because she was a great presence on the team,” Dowski said. “In the dorm she was always cracking jokes and laughing in the common room after Friday and Saturday check in and pumping us up on the bus or Red Dragon.”
Senior Bridget Higgins also developed a friendship with Weiler after first meeting her on the JV soccer team. Higgins noted that Weiler is deeply involved on campus, but also stays in touch with events outside of the Exeter bubble. “Throughout our four years at Exeter, Lucy has never fallen short of an incredible friend,” Higgins said. “She always has something to say to brighten my day.”
Softball coach Nancy Thompson said that she wasn’t originally going to take Weiler onto the varsity squad, but Weiler was determined to join the team and believed she was a varsity player. Eventually Thompson allowed her on varsity, warning that she wouldn’t play often. “She very quickly showed me that I was wrong—and as I told her, I do not often like to admit that I am wrong,” Thompson said. “Not only did she prove me wrong and prove that she very much deserved to be on varsity, but she worked herself into playing quite a bit last year, and she will this year as well.”
Coach and mathematics instructor Kevin Bartkovich has coached Weiler in soccer for four years. Throughout the years, he has seen her grow into a “self-assured, confident leader.” He considers it a privilege to have someone who has truly learned the value of perseverance. “She works hard and she doesn’t give up,” Bartkovich said. “In a world full of complicated problems, these qualities will enable her to make a difference.”
Senior Kendall Kuzminskas, like many who know Weiler, believes she can incite real change. “She is determined and can do anything that she puts her mind to, and I can’t wait to see where she goes,” Kuzminskas said.