Senior of the Week: Kenneth Elsman

By: Minseo Kim, Angela Zhang

You’ll always find senior Kenneth Elsman building Exeter’s sense of community. As a cornerstone of the Academy, Elsman has wielded his power of connection through his kindness and humor.

Elsman was born in Baldwin, New York, and has always been lighthearted. When asked why he decided to attend boarding school, Elsman jokingly responded that when he saw some dorms had pool tables, he knew he needed to come. More seriously, he added that “I could learn a lot from the experience.”

Indeed, Elsman has grown at Exeter from a passionate student of Mathematics to a budding scholar of Applied Mathematics. “My favorite math class was 321 with Ms. Girard,” Elsman recalled. “She was very passionate, and that excited me to be there.”

  Exeter has encouraged Elsman to hone more than just his skill for Mathematics. “I want to know what’s going on behind the scenes of a particular topic,” he said. 

Elsman’s growth has also extended beyond the classroom; he has developed and practiced his ability to positively influence others. He became more involved with dance after arriving at the Academy although joining dance was a spontaneous decision. “There were so many opportunities at Exeter. I might as well take advantage of it and start something new,” Elsman said.

As co-head of InMotion and Beat of Asia, Elsman has kept inclusivity, both for dancers and for the Exeter community, as one of his central goals. Elsman hopes his dance has set an example that the field holds space for everyone to have fun and succeed. He’s motivated to encourage people to embrace themselves. 

“He always made InMotion fun and inviting,” according to upper and fellow In-Motion co-head Siona Jain. “He’s probably one of the tallest people I know, but also the least intimidating because of his warm personality and easygoing nature… He truly makes the environment of Exeter lighter and happier.

Jain recalled when Elsman brought out an umbrella on tempo to match the choreography for their assembly performance of Raindrops by Alexander Chung. “To say that rehearsals were hilarious while trying to work the umbrella is an understatement… [his work] speaks to his commitment and the light-heartedness he took every try with,” Jain said. 

In-Motion has also been a space where Elsman has amazed others with his leadership. Abbot resident Chris Rogers said, “[Dance] assemblies are some of the best we have, and Elsman really leads the way for his group.”

As co-head of the Badminton Club and Abbot proctor and student listener, Elsman has spread his wisdom to others at the Academy in many other ways. Nathan Sun ’20, current Harvard student and former Abbot resident, recounted Elsman’s kindness. “He would help other people in my room, so I kind of experienced firsthand his good job with walking through the problems and reasoning why it works… That’s not really easy to do, to explain the reasoning and logic, and it shows the deep amount of thinking he puts into them.”

“He is one of the hardest workers I know, and in the dorm he is always open if someone has a question on something,” Rogers added. 

Elsman’s care has reached far beyond his formal positions, and has also been reflected in the close relationships he made at Exeter. “He has a lot of emotional intelligence, where he can listen to others and help out… Especially in the empathy department,” Sun agreed. “The walk [to Dunkin Donuts] is really nice because it provides a change of scenery… and it’s a triple-win studying with [Kenneth] and being productive.”

“We once had a very time going to the mall together and trying on various Halloween masks,” senior Sarah Kennedy said. “He cares very deeply about the people he’s around and the things he’s involved in. Without him, my Exeter experience would be totally different because he has been such a good friend to me.”

When asked about his advice for younger students, Elsman thought for a while, smiled, and then said confidently: “don’t take yourself too seriously, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be the exact type of person that you set your mind to be.”