Peter O'Keefe

Many know senior Peter O’Keefe as a loyal friend, invested learner and stoic athlete who possesses a profound strength of character.  Classmates and teachers alike have noted the integral role O’Keefe plays in many groups on campus—from the boys’ crew team to the Exeter Association of Rock (EAR). Even O’Keefe’s constant humility cannot overshadow his quiet power at the Harkness table and in the boat.

“I’ve learned that with hard work and the right pressure, I can exceed my own expectations.”

When asked to name O’Keefe’s most prominent traits, his friends and teammates came to a similar conclusion: he is the epitome of reliability and efficiency.  Senior Lucas Stevens, a friend of O’Keefe’s from the crew team, emphasized O’Keefe’s hardworking nature.  “Peter is what you might call ‘a mover and a shaker.’ He makes things happen; he gets stuff done,” Stevens said. Senior and fellow co-head of Mock Trial, Anna Clark, agreed. “He is consistently the one that has prepared all the case files or case law that we’re supposed to have that day,” Clark said. 

Many of O’Keefe’s friends consider him as one of the most diligent people they know.  Senior Jackson Parell complemented O’Keefe’s persistence during the crew season. “He is super dedicated and he inspired everyone through his actions because he was relentless,” Parell said.  O’Keefe himself humbly acknowledged his success, saying, “I’ve learned that with hard work and the right pressure, I can exceed my own expectations.”

O’Keefe brings this mentality into the classroom as well. Joseph Leger, O’Keefe’s crew coach and former chemistry teacher, couldn’t curb his praise for his pupil.  “He is the best Harkness student… he is incredibly smart, but he never puts anybody down—he just brings everybody up,” Leger said. “In terms of the boathouse, he’s incredibly modest, he works very hard and ended up on the first boat last year, never asking for anything, never taking shortcuts. Just a great model of hard work and perseverance.”

Parell also noted O’Keefe’s ability to shine in many areas. “I think it’s his ability to transfer skills from one area to the next that is most admirable,” Parell said. “He is just as dedicated on the boat as he is in his academic life.” Senior Joaquin Riojas agreed, saying, “I think Peter takes advantage of a lot of what Exeter has to offer and does his best to excel in it, which is pretty damn good. I mean, he’s O’Keefe.”

O’Keefe’s has also become adept at the art of Harkness. “You could always count on him to get conversation going, even though he would rather first listen to inputs from his peers before weighing in,” said History Instructor Kwasi Boadi. O’Keefe’s advisor, Physics Instructor John Blackwell, also noted O’Keefe’s thoughtfulness. “Peter is a careful listener, a considerate and pensive individual,” Blackwell said. “I count on his voice of reason and interest in getting involved.”

Stevens nostalgically recalled a memory with O’Keefe from the crew season. He explained that last year, he and O’Keefe worked out for crew every day during every vacation to prepare for the crew season. He described how he always had a slight edge over O’Keefe, “but Peter never backed down.”

Stevens emphasized how O’Keefe would always push himself as hard as he could, and recalls with amazement how during the crew tryouts, O’Keefe beat him by six seconds, even after Stevens broke his previous personal record by six seconds. At the end of the workout, when O’Keefe came back to check on Stevens, Stevens thanked him. In reply, O’Keefe said, “No need to thank me, you would have done the same.”

However, while O’Keefe achieves so much, he manages to stay modest.  “Peter has remained the most humble and professional person I have ever met,” said Stevens. “I have no doubt that he will go on to do amazing things for the world, just as he has already done amazing things for our little world here in Exeter.”

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