Jonathan Andreoli

How have you changed the most since freshman year?

I was definitely much quieter and less outgoing, and I had a smaller group of friends. As I got older, I got more confident, more outgoing, more social, and I’ve built a lot of good relationships with people in our grade.

Is there a class or achievement in high school that had a large impact on you?

My junior year English class with Ms. Mac was one of the highlights of my high school career. She encouraged everyone in that class to be confident, speak their minds and get really engaged with the material, so that was definitely a fun class.

How would you sum up your high school journey in one sentence?

Learning to appreciate and take advantage of all of the opportunities that are presented to me.

How are you feeling as your time at the Upper School comes to an end?

Especially being a lifer, I have a lot of emotions thinking about leaving BB&N since I’ve been here for most of my life. I’ll definitely miss the people, even those whom I’m not closest with.

Elizabeth Velander

How have you changed the most since freshman year?

I found more friends and became more comfortable with myself. I also became more comfortable with becoming friends with different friend groups. I stopped seeing others as, “Oh, they’re part of that group, so I can’t really talk to them,” and was more like, “If they’re in my class or in the hallway, why not just say hi?”

Is there a specific class or achievement in high school that had a significant impact on you?

Being with my Biv squad. I had two friends in it, and the rest were people that I didn’t really talk to, but being in an environment and introducing myself to new people that I hadn’t really talked to before was important to make new connections.

What’s a favorite memory you’ll always associate with high school?

Friday Knight Lights games with everyone sitting on the sidelines. Even if we were losing horrendously, we were still making a lot of noise. I also enjoyed sitting in the library in between classes and hearing everyone have different conversations or argue about random things, creating that sense of community.

How would you sum up your high school journey in one sentence?

Difficult but really, really fun because of the people I have in my life.

Sarah Hirsch

How have you changed the most since freshman year?

Looking back at freshman year, I got imposter syndrome at BB&N because I was new, and I went from a middle school where I felt smart. After coming to BB&N, I wasn’t super confident academically because everyone around me was so successful. I didn’t advocate for myself very much or have as much confidence.

How would you sum up your high school journey in one sentence?

Fake it till you make it.

How are you feeling as your time at the Upper School comes to an end?

I’m definitely going to miss the people and the community. Everyone is super focused on success, but at the same time, we connect with people the most based on challenging and learning from each other. It’s a really special thing to bond with peers and friends over schoolwork and grow together through that. When there’s a math test, you get out, and everyone’s like, “What did you get on this problem?” or your whole class is freaking out about something together, moments like that where you’re all having the same struggles.