The Class of 2020 at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall faced unprecedented challenges, adversity, and hurdles in the final months of their senior year. They met and conquered each obstacle in their collective paths with grace, humility, a positive and collaborative spirit, and most importantly, the skills and tools they developed over their years in high school that now resoundly prove their ability to define and achieve success in college and beyond.
They are a remarkable group of students and include in their cohort an aspiring pilot and aeronautical engineer, professional artists, a therapist, a music engineer, a chemist, a documentary filmmaker and activist, environmental scientists, a world-traveling sociologist, a teacher, and many more students who are eager to explore what the world has to offer, and where they can make an impact.
From American University to Zhejiang University, their future educational homes literally span from A to Z, and each institution they have chosen is working hard to provide an educational community worthy of their talents, interests, and commitment to lifelong learning, in whatever shape it takes.
Here are the members of the Class of 2020, the college they will be attending in the fall, and a small glimpse of each individual student as represented in their letters of recommendation.
Arielle Alexis - Dean College
“She dove right in when she got here, making friends, but prioritizing her academic work.”
Hailey Boecke - Mount Wachusett Community College
“Her approach to adversity is to stare it down, and then smile, because she is in it for the long haul."
Caroline Burke - Smith College
“She’s a deliberate and thoughtful student, curious about the world around her, and determined to find a way to make that world better for everyone who lives in it.”
Sydney Burke - Lynn University
“She is incredibly expressive: the resulting combination of her facial expressions, tone of voice, word choice, and body language is just captivating.”
An Che - University of Washington
“She knows what she likes, what she’s interested in, and is not concerned with fitting into anyone’s stereotype or expectations of who she might be.”
Zihan “Jay” Chou - University of California, Irvine
“Although of course he always hopes to do as well as possible – he strives for comprehension, synthesis, and revelation in his studies.”
Samuel Donlin - Champlain College
“His seemingly endless positive energy is paired with wide-eyed enthusiasm, making him a welcome sight- almost like a good luck charm- if you happen to catch a glance of him.”
Zachary Gardner - University of Southern Maine
“He’s taken his time in high school to put the pieces together himself, determining what he wants his puzzle to shape up to be.”
Benjamin Gold - Wheaton College
“He’s a delightful conversationalist, and a considerate, forgiving, and patient friend.”
Dylan Gomes - Roger Williams University
“He has worked hard to build the skills needed for a successful experience in college, and has proven that he knows how to employ them.”
Hannah Goodman - University of Redlands
“Her tenacity and desire to explore the outdoors, see the world from new perspectives, and be present in that experience stands out in this hyper-connected and constantly “plugged-in” world.”
Benjamin Grayzel - Dartmouth College
“His academic talents encompass a wide spectrum, and his intellectual curiosity continuously expands those limits.”
Joseph Henry - Castleton University
“He’s funny and wry, but empathic and sensitive to others in his engagement with them.”
Joshua Hoffstein - Wentworth Institute of Technology
“He’s finding his groove and learning where conforming to expectations has value, and where standing out and standing up is important.”
Shuaiqi “David” Huang - Boston University
“He engages with ease with both peers and adults, and has a genuine curiosity about the world that draws people to him.”
Jackson Ivey - Lafayette College
“He makes his interests accessible to others and has a way of infecting you with his curiosity.”
Jasper Kan - Pratt Institute
“He is an incredibly empathic young man who is still discovering the depths of his capacity to care for others, and how to balance those instincts with caring for himself.”
Melody Kaye - University of Hartford
“She is a vivacious, curious, and engaging young woman who somehow simultaneously exudes both confidence and uncertainty.”
Haleigh Keil - Dickinson College
“She has worked hard to find a community where she can learn and be supported in her desire to engage across disciplines, take risks, and occasionally voice the unpopular opinion to ensure multiple perspectives are considered.”
Maeve Kydd - Mount Holyoke College
“She is a wonderful mosaic of a student, made of distinctly different interests and talents, fused together to create a whole picture that is colorful, vibrant, interesting and engaging from any perspective.”
Denisa Lata - Barnard College
“Her intelligence doesn’t separate her from her peers. She is accessible and inclusive, and works to bring others along with her, sharing her curiosities and interests.”
Henry Lebed - American University
“He’s developing the skills and habits he’ll need to achieve success in college, and is looking forward to taking the lessons he’s learned with him as he embarks on this next journey.”
Yaqi “Aries” Liu - Georgia Institute of Technology
“He genuinely cares about others, and acts on this caring- even if it has nothing to do with his own self-interest or needs.”
Zhenqi “Harson” Liu - Babson College
“He’s a deep thinker, and loves rolling an idea around, examining it from different perspectives, and shifting and manipulating it to see where he can extract information.”
Xiaoran “Zoe” Luo - Savannah College of Art and Design
“She’s interested in relationships and social dynamics, and explores these in her art.”
Makayla Murdock - Emmanuel College
“On the volleyball and basketball courts, and on the softball field, she is not only a force to be reckoned with, she’s an inspiring leader and a strong role model for her teammates.”
Lauren Murphy - Bentley University
“She’s got a clearly defined sense of self, and even in areas where she’s confident in her stance, she is always willing and eager to hear differing perspectives for the opportunity to learn and grow.”
Sarah Murphy - Lafayette College
“Her work ethic, curiosity, and skills will allow her to not only achieve her goals, but will inspire and encourage others around her to go for theirs.”
Sophie Popiashvili - Occidental College
“She doesn’t seek attention, but manages to draw it to her with her witty charm and genuine kindness and compassion.”
Megan Rainis - Lesley University
“She can be self-deprecating, but does not use her humor as an excuse for why she can’t do something, but rather as an example to others to show they can.”
Benjamin Rothman - Lasell University
“He knows what he needs to be successful, and he is an exceptionally strong self-advocate.”
Aydin Sengun - Boston University
“His natural intelligence and curiosity is met with a superior work ethic and the excellent academic skills and habits of a model student.”
Phannita “Mint” Siriwattanawong - Zhejiang University
“She is a beloved member of our community, bridging the gap between international and domestic students better than most, and encouraging others to do the same.”
Cameron Smith - Johnson & Wales University (Providence)
“He is an active community member, thriving in his role as the star shooting guard on the varsity basketball team, and giving back in his leadership in his beloved community organization.”
Elena Smith - Trinity College
“She’s a stabilizing force for her friends and classmates, and a calm presence in what can be the turbulent ebbs and flows of day-to-day in high school.”
Jiahui “Harvey” Sun - University of California, San Diego
“He has consistently impressed his teachers with his sincere intellectual curiosity and respect for the invigorating experience of learning – for the pure joy of learning.”
Kyle Vieira - Curry College
“He’s a quiet leader and inclusive in his efforts to support classmates, teammates, and friends alike.”
Alicia Walker - Maryland Institute College of Art
“She is incredibly talented in both visual and performing arts and uses her skills and creativity as a tool for self-expression and problem solving.”
Jessica Ward - University of Miami
“Her talents and interests encompass a broad spectrum, and each seems to enhance or compliment the next.”
Simon Weiss - University of New Haven
“He’s a thoughtful, pensive young man who takes his time before sharing his considerable insight and talent with the world.”
Nia Williams - Syracuse University
“She is very careful not to pass judgment on others, but is focused on learning and understanding different perspectives, while finding the connective tissues that bind people together.”
Runqi Zheng - Rutgers University-New Brunswick
“His wonderfully dry and often self-deprecating sense of humor can serve to downplay his impressive skills, but that is just his humility, and desire not to set himself apart from his peers who he cares so deeply about.”
Brooke Fincke is the Director of College Counseling at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall located in Waltham, MA. Learn more about college counseling at CH-CH. Read Brooke's article, College Application Timeline & Tips for 11th and 12th Grade Students.