Excellent Emmett

There’s no doubt: senior Emmett Shell is passionate about service.  When he’s not teaching basketball to children, Shell can be found leading the Exeter Social Service Organization (ESSO), advocating for animals in the Animal Rights Club, and helping others as a Head Peer Tutor.  To his teammates, he is a strong leader; to his dorm mates, he is an attentive proctor; and to many, he is one of the kindest people they have ever met.

To his teammates, he is a strong leader; to his dorm mates, he is an attentive proctor; and to many, he is one of the kindest people they have ever met.

Shell has been a part of ESSO for all four of his years at Exeter, and he served as the children’s coordinator for one year before he took on the role of co-president of the club. After all this time working with ESSO, Shell has begun to focus on the future of ESSO at Phillips Exeter Academy. “Our biggest project right now is trying to integrate service learning into classes here at Exeter,” Shell said. “We’re speaking with Mr. Moriarty to think about ways we could make service learning in classes be more official at Exeter.”

Senior Lucas Schroeder, the Director of Communication and Marketing on the ESSO Board, described Shell’s enthusiasm while working on these projects over the summer. “Emmett was the one who got everyone super excited about our next projects. That’s what makes him such a good leader,” Schroeder said. “He makes other people around him excited to help, and he does a great job delegating and checking in on how things are going.”

Shell’s ESSO career didn’t start at the top, however. He spread his love of basketball through ESSO Basketball and taught young children in the community the basics of the game. Senior Vishaak Narayan, a member of ESSO Basketball, praised Shell’s ease with children. “He’s really good at interacting with the little kids, teaching them the basics and fundamentals. He’s always really nice to them,” Narayan said.

When he’s not teaching the game to children, Shell can be found practicing with his own basketball team. Lower and teammate Kerick Walker commented on Shell’s leadership abilities. “He’s really focused on helping us grow as a team and is very unselfish about that,” Walker said. “He could just think about himself, but he chooses to help the team by being a leader; he brings a lot of energy, he’s loud and he communicates well.”

When Walker was trying to fit in with a team of older students, Shell’s leadership helped him find his place. “He was very friendly to me and always lended a helping hand,” Walker said. “Emmett would always try to get me involved when we were playing, and he was always there to give me personal advice when I needed it.” Walker added that they really bonded through basketball.

Narayan also thought that basketball was the way that he bonded with Shell. “We started playing of basketball together, and he beat me a lot because he was really good at basketball,” Narayan said. “Since then, we’ve been really good friends.”

Narayan pointed to Shell’s open-mindedness as one of his best qualities. “Most people will just yell at you if they disagree with you, but Emmett will have a real conversation, explain where he’s coming from, listen to where you’re coming from and try to understand your side or opinion,” Narayan said.  Shell’s ability to communicate well goes hand-in-hand with his hardworking nature.  Senior and proctor in Ewald, Keyu Cao, described him as “driven, motivated, and ambitious.”  Cao can imagine Shell as a “politician, or maybe an environmental activist.”

Shell’s teachers also admire his intelligence and drive.  Math Instructor Jeffrey Ibbotson noted Shell’s love of math and brilliance in the subject, and Chemistry Instructor Michael McLaughlin saw Shell shine in the Accelerated Chemistry sequence. Walker has seen Shell’s intellectual capability firsthand. “He is very intelligent.  He’s probably one of the smartest people I know, especially in math,” Walker said. 

Shell also demonstrates his love of learning as a tutor for ESSO tutoring. He fondly recalled one of his students, an adult who participates because he loves math. “It is cool to see Marco working so hard just for the sake and joy of learning,” Shell said. “It’s inspiring.”  Shell is also a Head Peer Tutor, helping other Exonians with their homework.

However, Shell’s most important accomplishments lie outside the scope of a resume.  Schroeder, who has worked with Shell on many occasions, has a good understanding of his personality. “Whether he’s teaching little kids how to shoot hoops, or tutoring local children, or advocating for animal rights, he always has a smile on his face and commits one hundred percent of his effort to helping others,” Schroeder said. “I can’t think of another person who embodies Exeter’s motto of ‘Non Sibi’ as much as Emmett does - both inside and outside the classroom.”