Jane Collins

Many students, from the prep to senior class, know senior Jane Collins as a friend and leader. Through her involvement in academic, athletic, club and dormitory life on campus, she has earned the reputation of being warm and open, exemplifying what it means to be an Exonian.

The cornerstone of Collins’s success at Exeter has been the passion that she has for her classes. After growing up in Silicon Valley and transferring from her local high school to PEA, Collins feels that Exeter has strengthened her academic interest through the Harkness pedagogy. “I think Harkness is the best thing that happened to me academically,” Collins said. “I would have been a lot further from the material that I was learning. At my old school, I wasn’t specifically interested in any classes I was taking, I just took it because you have to take classes.”

“I think she’s a person that people know,” [Golay] said. “When you know her, you can’t help but have a good deal of respect and admiration for her. In that sense, I think that’s how she affects Exeter. She’s a really good Exonian; she’s a good fit for this place.”

A newfound understanding in her classes that came as a product of transferring schools has allowed Collins to find her passion in history, despite originally being interested predominantly in STEM fields. “The first history class that I like fell in love with was my lower year here,” she said. “I learned so much about perspective and how one’s perspective versus everyone else can differ. I had the revelation about how history is so applicable to life and began to see history in the real world.” Collins added that she wants to continue learning about history in college either by directly majoring in history or political science.

History Instructor and Collins’s adviser Michael Golay commented on her superb ability in the classroom. “She is a pleasure to have in class,” Golay said. “She thinks like a historian. That’s not necessarily a thing one can learn from a classroom. It’s a quality of mind that she has.”

One of Collins’ closest friends senior Lydia Anderson described the degree of Collin’s devotion to academics. “She’s an academic weapon and reads a lot of NYT articles in her free time,” Anderson said. “She’s a total history nerd and gets so excited about historical memes and such.”

Outside of class, Collins embodies the meaning of ‘student-athlete’ by participating in three varsity interscholastic teams: field hockey, ice hockey and track. After arriving on campus as a new lower, Collins fell in love with the team dynamics on her field hockey team and has been devoted ever since. “It’s nice to have a fall sport because as new students come in each year, they have a place to go and I like being a part of introducing them into Exeter and being like, ‘you have a squad,”’ Collins said.

Many other athletes have commented on her qualities as a teamplayer. Senior Jake Blaisdell who bonded with Collins over sports, remarked that her qualities as a team player are evident even to those who are not on her team. “I think she’s everyone’s favorite teammate,” he said. “She’s certainly someone that younger kids look up to regardless of playing time.”

Senior Hannah Brown, Collins’s track teammate, agreed with Blaisdell. “She has dedicated herself to the sport which was pretty new for her as of in high school, and it’s pretty cool because she has continued interest in it,” she said. “She is always motivating her teammates.”

When Collins is not busy participating in athletics, she can be found planning for the clubs she is involved in. She is a co-head of Exonians Against Sexual Assault (EASA), the peer health group H4, Student Council and ESSO basketball. Collins even started a new ESSO club this year, which is concentrated on equal justice in prison reform.

According to lower and EASA board member Avery Napier, Collins is instrumental to the functionality of EASA. “She is usually the leader out of all the coheads,” Napier said. “She probably talks the most and runs it, so you can tell that she has great leadership qualities, and she brings you together and makes it feel like you belong in that setting.”

Senior Reese Popkin noted how Collins actively involves new faces in EASA discussions. “The co-heads Jane and Lulu pretty much run the show with all the meetings and merchandise you see in EASA,” Popkin said. “Jane runs the meetings and she does an excellent job.”

While Collins’s interests are numerous, most of them share a social service theme. “The topics at EASA affects me as a woman, but in terms of prison reform, even though I am not directly affected, they are still people that I’m in a community with that it affects,” Collins said. “That’s very important to me. We’re all a part of this community.”

Through all of Collins activities, her commitment to community is apparent. “My favorite thing about campus are the people here,” she said. “I’m just so amazed by my friends. They all bring in their own experiences, and together we become something you don’t get to replicate anywhere else.”

Senior Matthew Hawke commented on Collins’s qualities as a friend, explaining that she is a very easy person to connect with. “She is very involved with everyone on campus. If you’re ever down or anything she’s a good person to go to in any situation,” Hawke said.

Blaisdell agreed with Hawke’s sentiments, elaborating on Collins’s variety of friends. “I think people naturally flock to her because she has a strong personality, and she always make people feel welcome, and I know her friend groups range from preps to seniors,” he said.

Through all of her work on campus, from engaging in a history class to directing EASA meetings, Collins has a profound effect on the Exeter Community. “Her influence trickles down to everyone, new students and older students as well,” Hawke said. “Her impact results from the fact that she is warm and allows people to reach her, and never turns anyone down.”

Anderson explained the extent that Collins cares for the other people around her. “Jane is the best friend anyone could ask for,” she said. “She cares so much about people and will drop everything to make someone feel better.”

Golay expressed admiration for how well Collins is situated on campus and how people respond to her confidence. “I think she’s a person that people know,” he said. “When you know her, you can’t help but have a good deal of respect and admiration for her. In that sense, I think that’s how she affects Exeter. She’s a really good Exonian; she’s a good fit for this place.”