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On home…

I am a 16 year old, only child from the Bronx, NY. I live with my mom and dad and grew up  around my grandma and some cousins who were like my siblings growing up. I do not currently have any pets but I love animals and had my fair share of fish growing up.

On Emma…

I learned about Emma through a scholar program I entered in seventh grade. When I first toured campus I was absolutely blown away by the architecture, but honestly I was not that interested in boarding school until I met the Emma community, and saw all the fun traditions and the campus life.

I have met so many amazing people in my first two years here and hope to keep meeting more! This is what makes Emma so special for me, the friends I have made and the chances to get to know another great person you have never talked to before even if you're a bit more reserved. 

On the arts…

I have always been passionate about the arts. Whether it's performing or visual, taking a class or making a craft I saw online there has never been a time in my life where I was not being creative in some kind of way. It all started when I was young, maybe three or four years old and my mom decided to sign me up for a ballet class after school and I loved it. After a few years, though, I thought maybe it was time to try sports.

I tried soccer, tennis, volleyball, but none stuck, wanting to stay active found my way back to dance, and ever since it's been one of my favorite forms of art. I currently take dance classes here at Emma, have performed in a few school events and am excited for the spring showcase coming up in May. 

My experiences have taught me that art has so many different forms and ways to express yourself, which is why it stuck with me for so long even though I have changed a lot since I was four.  Just because you are not good at or don't connect to one form of art you should not immediately dismiss it, which overall is a good mindset to have when going into any type of field or hobby. 

On baking, learning to sew, and reading…

When I am at home, I often bake and cook for myself and my family,their favorite being a sugar cookie recipe I have re-made a couple times in the past year. I love to try new recipes and I am on a journey to learn how to make home-made pasta.  I am a novice at sewing, knowing how to use a sewing machine and creating a few projects during jestermester(Create stuff)  but I am still learning how to hand sew.

Last year I got into reading/ listening to books and love murder mystery books, trying to read as many as I can find. I am currently reading “First to Die” by James Patterson.

On Emmaween…

My favorite would have to be Emmaween. My family was never big on Halloween, if i was celebrating, it would be with other people trick or treating with a last minute costume that my mom picked out.  Emmaween gives me the chance to celebrate the way I wanted to when I was little with decorations all October, haunted houses(which I tried once- never again), and fun themed school days and dinner with costumes. Last year me and friends dressed as pirates and it was probably one of favorite costumes I have ever done but I have so many ideas already for next year.

On home…

Home is a lot! I was born in Chile, but my mother’s family is Brazilian-German and my father’s family is Argentinian. We moved to California when I was seven and we’ve lived in Silicon Valley since then. I have three cats and one younger brother who turns 15 this month!

On Emma…

My experience at Emma has been really amazing. I decided to apply to boarding schools in sophomore year, and Emma was my #1 from the start! I was excited about being at an all-girls school and also really wanted to be on the East Coast. 

The most special thing about Emma, IMO, is how everyone here is always down to do something unexpectedly positive. It’s like everyone on campus is always on the lookout for something kind or exciting to do (like dressing up as a flag for Election Day…)!

On woodworking…

I’ve recently become a huge fan of woodworking! I didn’t know it when I started, but my great grandfather (98!) has been woodworking as a hobby since he was 17 (81 years!) and he was so excited to hear I’d picked it up too. I’m the only person in our family aside from him who’s shown an interest in it, so he’s really excited to be able to pass what he knows down to someone. 

I got to visit his workshop in Brazil over Thanksgiving break this year and it was one of the best moments of my life. :) 

On painting…

I would love to learn how to paint. My mother is an artist, and I grew up watching her paint, but never got into it (despite taking years of art classes!). Over winter break, I made my grandmother a painting of a horse (pictured below!) and it made me want to get better at it. 

My two favorite paintings right now are A Hermit Praying in the Ruins of a Roman Temple by Hubert Robert (my favorite painter!) and Spring in the Alps by Giovanni Segantini.

On Jestermester…

I love Jestermester! Last year, I got to go on a lot of field trips around the Capital Region [Helena was in the Look Around: The Revolution is Happening in New York Jestermester], and I credit one of those trips with helping me discover how much I liked woodworking :) and a spoon we saw at Schuyler Mansion solidified my dreams of being an anthropologist–yay!

On home…

I currently live in Troy, NY. I come from a family with three other siblings, and we have two dogs. Home is where my family is, and they’ve always been supportive and loving.

On Emma…

I discovered Emma through my great aunt Claire who is an alum of the Class of 1977, I believe. Initially, I felt it would be a significant change but I quickly adapted and now enjoy my time here. Emma Willard is special to me because of the strong community and numerous opportunities.

On track…

I’m most passionate about advancing in track. I go into it through encouragement from friends and various sports coaches. One thing that I’ve learned is that coming out of blocks is not easy, and I would like to learn how to gain more confidence in myself when it comes to my performance.

On photography…

One new hobby I would like to explore is photography. I love how one picture can capture a moment and tell a story.

On Revels…

My favorite tradition at Emma Willard that I’m looking forward to this December is Revels, because it’s a performance that the seniors put on filled with screaming, singing, dancing, and skits and I get to watch all my senior friends!

On home…

I spent my childhood in Beijing, China, living with my parents as an only child. Although I don’t have any pets, I love seeing animals in my neighborhood. When I was nine, my mom and I moved to the US and have lived here since then. My dad had to continue his job in Beijing, so I don’t see him as often. Although living far away from him, our love and care never fade. I guess this unique opportunity has given me the skill of understanding the feeling of separation at a young age.

On Emma…

I learned about Emma through my high school counselor and Emma Admissions. Hearing about Emma’s academics and history made me so interested in this place. I was never so curious about a place than the time I heard about Emma. Everything seems so fun to explore, so I went straight to the school’s website. The rich history of Emma made me fall in love with it. Let’s just say that no one wouldn’t be fascinated by Emma’s beautiful campus. What I love the most about Emma is that it provides a safe and comfortable space for young women to explore their interests in various fields. It is where everyone tries new things and discovers the talents and aspirations in themselves!

What makes Emma so special to me is the people here. Emma is a second home for many students. We have to “survive” here by ourselves, but we’re not fighting individually when we encounter hardships. Emma is a community full of interesting people and supportive adults, and the friendships I made here are irreplaceable, both with my peers and teachers. At Emma, I can always find people to talk to when I’m walking to different places on campus. Seeing them is always heartwarming to me. The people at Emma are so precious to me, especially my friends here, and that’s what makes Emma so special to me.

On music…

I’ve always had a passion for music, especially singing. I started singing Bel Canto with an amazing teacher at a very young age. Her teaching was not only about singing, it’s more about the feelings singers express. Everything is about passion. She always says, “You have to sink into the world of music!” Music allows me to express rich feelings that words can’t express. The joy, the sorrow, the anger, the shock…everything is in there. 

Besides singing Bel Canto, music, in general, completes me. I love listening to pop music. Right now, my favorite artists are SZA, Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean…and so many more I can’t list them all. I love everything about music; it carries everything within me.

On softball…

Technically, it’s not a new thing for me. I played softball for four years in elementary school before, but I’ve dropped it since then. It’s not because I don’t enjoy it, but I couldn’t find the right opportunity to play this sport later on. Last year I tried out for softball at Emma, and I’ve never been happier playing a team sport before (swimming, I’m sorry I count you as more of an individual sport). Although I didn’t get onto the final team, I still had a great time keeping this hobby up.

And Revels!

Revels is my favorite Emma tradition. It was such a magical experience in the cold and snowy winter last year. Walking through the tunnel and seeing everyone with full glam made me, and maybe everyone, feel like the main character in a fairy tale. The unique feeling mixed with nervousness and excitement ready for my first Revels was so memorable. I can’t wait to see all my senior friends dressing up and acting their characters out this year!

On home…

I was born in Saratoga Springs, NY and I really love it. I live with my parents and they’re my biggest supporters and my favorite people. We love to watch movies together and cook (if we don’t get on each other’s nerves too much). My mom and I are currently watching all of the Studio Ghibli movies and loving them!

On Emma…

My parents knew about Emma, and thought if they ever had a daughter it would be a great experience. I had a family friend named Caroline, and she went to Emma and said wonderful things about it. I stepped onto campus for the first time during a tour and felt like this was my place. I applied and got in and have loved it ever since! 

Emma is so special because of the community and people here. Some of my closest relationships have been formed here, and I know there is always someone I can count on. Whether that be teacher or friend, I’ve always felt really accepted here. 

About music…

I’m really passionate about all kinds of music. My dad is a music producer, so growing up I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music and a lot of instruments. I played piano for 4 years and quit during COVID after not really connecting with it. After that, I started guitar with help from my dad and I absolutely fell in love. I’ve since gotten back into piano and dabbled in drums, and it’s my absolute favorite thing. Listening to music, playing it, producing it, everything. It makes me really really happy. 

On art…

Definitely different forms of art. I love to create things, but I tend to keep it a bit safe by sticking to the things I know well like painting and photography. There’s so many different things to try. I would love to try pottery or get back into darkroom photography! 

On Revels…

Definitely Revels. I always get super excited when that time of year rolls around, it just feels straight out of a Christmas movie. My freshman year it started to snow right when we were coming into Kiggins and it felt super magical. I love seeing everyone come through the doors (especially when they’re my good friends!) and hearing the crowd go nuts. I’m so excited for my class’s Revels. It’s going to be so so so fun.