Palmer Trinity School

Ariel Moger '08 - Columbia University Joe Masterman '08 - Harvard University What was your educational/social experience like at Palmer Trinity? I had an incredible and well-rounded experience at Palmer Trinity. The teachers were wonderful and the courses were challenging without being overwhelming. Homework was always manageable, even when I was running cross country or singing in a musical. Aside from academics, I had a wonderful group of friends with whom I am still very close. I also developed great relationships with other students, not only from my grade but both older and younger, and with the faculty. I feel that Palmer Trinity was the perfect balance of rigorous academics without the cut-throat atmosphere that sometimes accompanies comparable competitive schools. What was your educational/social experience like at Palmer Trinity? Being in a large college environment for a year has made me appreciate how unique and special the educational experience at Palmer Trinity is. The fact that I was able to form a relationship with each of my teachers was invaluable to my growth as a student and as a person, and it was an opportunity that I am truly grateful for. Having been away for a year has also shown me the depth of the friendships I made at Palmer. Virtually everyone from my class still keeps up with one another regularly, and whenever we meet together during Christmas and Summer vacation, it is as if we had only been away from each other for a couple days. What opportunities have you had your freshman year at school regarding academics, community service, job opportunities, and travel? Columbia offers countless opportunities. In my freshman year I took advantage both in academics and in extra-curricular activities. The majority of my classes were fulfilling requirements for the Core Curriculum, but in my second semester I signed up for Ancient Law. I was the only freshman in a class full of juniors and seniors. At first I was extremely intimidated, but then it ended up being my favorite class. The professor not only knew the material, but he actually knew Ancient Greek and Latin and gave us his own translations and interpretations. Also, I enjoyed being with upperclassmen and I benefited from their contributions during class. Ancient Law was just one example of the great classes I took this year. Outside of the classroom, I was on the Campus Life Committee and I helped plan Homecoming, College Days, and many events of all sizes throughout the year. CLC gave me a unique opportunity to meet upperclassmen and Columbia's administration. What opportunities have you had your Freshman year at school regarding academics, community service, job opportunities, travel, etc.? There have been opportunities for me to do absolutely anything I want to do. I have had the option to work in labs, bars, and libraries, to do community service in all parts of Boston, and to see some of the most influential people of the world. In one three-day span in particular, I got to meet a member of the Gold-medal winning Canadian crew team (and hold his medal), attend a speech by Al Gore, and attend a small-group discussion led by the chair of the Nobel Prize Committee for Literature. The head of the United Nations was also on campus during one of those days, but I had crew practice so I was unable to attend. Did PTS prepare you for college? I definitely feel that PTS prepared me for college. Before I started at Columbia I was so nervous that the classes were going to be impossible. But then I read my book list for Literature Humanities and realized that I had already read more than half of the books in 9th grade! It was a relief to know that I was already familiar with most of the material we were going to cover. Of course, our class went much deeper into the text than we had in high school, but reading these texts for the second time gave me the confidence that allowed me to succeed. Literature Humanities was not the only class in which I felt confident. Even in Ancient Law, which was almost all new information for me, I knew about the Greek and Roman gods and I had heard about Plato and Socrates. I did well in all of my classes and made the Dean's List for both semesters. Now that you finished your first year, is it what you envisioned? Yes, my first year was pretty much as envisioned. Lots of work, lots of opportunities, lots of independence, and people who deal with these three things in all different ways. Another thing that I somewhat suspected was that my first year would be very humbling. People say this is common especially of Harvard students: most of us come into college expecting to succeed just as we did in high school, but then quickly learn that college is much different -- and much more difficult -- than high school could ever be. I certainly had this kind of experience. Even though I expected it, I had a very difficult time coming to terms with this humbling lesson during my first semester. In the end, however, I believe I am truly better because of this experience. Now I am able to see myself as much more than my grades or other accomplishments, and can finally grow as a real person rather than a machine. VisionAeries 27

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