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Junior boarder Bernice U. ’25 shares her role as a Proctor, the importance of learning to be a leader, the challenges of holding on to a native language, and the fun of Ring sibling traditions!

On home…

Home is the beautiful Rwanda, Africa! Growing up in Rwanda was an experience like no other, being surrounded by family and friends 24/7. My dad and mom currently live in Rwanda too with my younger sister, Briellah, who is only nine but is as outspoken as an adult. My older siblings, Brian (21) and Belinda (22) are currently in Michigan, wrapping up their last year in college. I’m actually going to their graduation in a few months and I could not be any more proud of them. 

I don’t have any pets as my mother is deathly afraid of cats and dogs but last I heard, my younger sister is working hard in convincing her to get a puppy to keep her company when she is home alone. 

On Emma…

I believe Emma is exactly where I should be and cannot imagine myself anywhere else. The community here is welcoming and the environment is one where you are encouraged to grow into your own person. I first stumbled across Emma while looking at boarding schools with beautiful campuses, and Emma was first and center, with its Hogwarts-like architecture. My first impression of Emma when I first moved in, was that the pictures did not do this school justice. Additionally, I immediately came to see just how kindhearted everyone here is. Everywhere, students and faculty alike, were ready to help and offered me a warm smile every time they saw me. This made the transition from home to Emma so much easier. 

What makes Emma so special to me are the bonds I have made in my time as a student here. Ranging from lifelong friends to teachers who sincerely care about me, in and out of class. I truly believe that some of the people I have met here are ones that I can call friends past my time here. 

On being a leader…

I’m passionate about being a leader, in and out of Emma. I love taking up the role of leader and caring for my peers. As a freshman, my Proctor was a big part of my amazing experience and that is when I knew I wanted to do the same. This year as a Proctor and a head of the Emma Arch club [Emma Arch is a club that works to connect alum with current students], taking up these roles has pushed my boundaries and allowed me to flourish.

Being a proctor has allowed me to build connections with the people in my neighborhood and I’ve become someone who people seek out for help. This feeling of responsibility is heavy but one I welcome entirely, because it has taught me to think of others, to put not only myself first but my group of hall members first too. Everyday as a leader, not only this role but in life, it is as simple as making sure that I am in control of my actions. It is a learning experience where every step of the way I am learning something new not only about myself but about other people too. 

On Kinyarwanda…

This is not quite a new hobby, more so a skill I would like to brush up on, and that is being proficient in my native language, Kinyarwanda. Even before coming here, I was mostly surrounded by English so there was not much space for learning my native language. But as the years go by, there are not many opportunities to speak in Kinyarwanda and so my native language has quickly dwindled off my tongue. It greatly saddens me every time I go home and I can barely string the words together to make a fully coherent sentence to my relatives. So not only is the distance creating a drift in my relationship with my family, but my inefficiency in the language that is commonly spoken in my family, has contributed to a bigger gap. 

On Ring Dinner and Ring Siblings…

Now as a junior, I can fully understand the excitement past seniors and juniors had the days leading up to Ring Dinner. The whole week before Ring Dinner, my two ring sisters, Hedy H. ’24 and Gabby C. ’24 dressed me up however they wanted. Costumes ranged from a praying mantis to a huge inflatable blue suit. I would be lying if I said that these costumes were very comfortable, but the anticipation of the newest wacky costume they would give me in the morning made everything worth it. 

Additionally, Ring Dinner was an experience I’ll never forget. Finally obtaining my class ring honestly made me slightly emotional and I have been wearing it everyday since I first got it. The pictures after the dinner and the fun I had with all of my friends made the night very memorable. Freshmen and sophomores should be really excited about Ring Dinner and the festivities surrounding it!

Get to know Kate M. ’26! Kate joined the Emma community as a new sophomore day student. Read on to learn more about Kate, including how she decided on Emma, horseback riding, writing, and Pintag!

On home…

I live in Guilderland, NY with my mom, dad, and brother. I spend lots of time with my family, whether it's playing Clue for the hundredth time or watching a new TV show that just came out! 

I have a labradoodle named Rex. I’d wanted a dog my whole life, so I fell in love when we finally got him just three years ago! I also lease a horse named Dutton, who I met a little over a year ago. I love spending time with animals, especially Rex and Dutton!

On Emma…

Last year I was in ninth grade at a different high school. I had no friends in any of my classes and was too shy to try to make new ones. My mom suggested going to Emma in eighth grade, but I ultimately forgot about the option. In the end, I decided to take a tour in October of 2022. 

Immediately, I fell in love with the beautiful campus. I watched others going to and from class, talking and laughing with their friends, and I knew it was the perfect place for me. 

Now, I’ve been at Emma since September, and I’m a completely different person. At the beginning of the year, everyone was so friendly to me, and I came out of my shell surprisingly quickly. I met people who played the same sport as me, people who loved Taylor Swift just as much as me, and most of all, people who welcomed me without hesitation. I’d never felt so welcome and like I’d belonged at a place as much as I felt at Emma. I became so much happier and less stressed, and actually looked forward to going to school! It was, and still is, the best feeling to be at a place where I’m able to comfortably learn and grow without constantly feeling like I had to not be myself in order to fit in. 

I love Emma so much, and it is 100% the right school for me.

On horseback riding…

I’m passionate about horseback riding! I first started when I was five (breaking the rules because I was supposed to be six) and felt an immediate connection with the animals. Since then, I’ve had lots of highs, and even more lows, but I’ve pushed through. 

I met Dutton, a horse that I rode because I couldn’t ride the horse that I usually rode, in March of 2023. I was still learning things, and he was too since he’d only come to the barn a few months before. He taught me that I needed to get better at steering, and I was with him as he learned how to trot over poles, and later learned how to canter over poles. 

He’s been with me through moments of self-doubt (there have been a lot) and also during times when I finally learned a new skill and was smiling uncontrollably. He took me to my first show, and even though by the end of the day we were both wiped out, he still did perfectly. I have so much to thank him for, especially for putting up with me! He has taught me that to progress, sometimes you just need to take a break and have fun. 

On reading and writing…

I love reading books. Someday I want to have a published book. Recently I’ve been looking into the process and how some of my favorite authors achieve it. I love reading fiction and have so much fun writing it, but until the past two or three months I haven’t been super serious about it. I’ve been trying to come up with book ideas for a while now. Some have gone on for 10,000 words, some only 1,000. They range from dystopian and mystery to cheesy rom-coms. I usually get stuck after a while, but I try not to let it hold me back from my goals. I open up a new document and get started brainstorming another idea. I want to continue learning about how authors get their books published and keep on going with my writing habit. Hopefully, someday I will have a book published!

On Pintag…

I’m a super competitive person, so when I heard about Pintag, I immediately knew that it would be amazing. As I’m writing this, it’s the second week of the game, and I’m still in! It’s a stressful game, but worth it for the satisfaction you feel after pinning your person. 

I’ve got my friends helping me out, so I’m hoping to be able to make it a few more days! I love how everyone at Emma is so involved in the game, even if they aren’t playing.

Comet D. ’26, a sophomore day student from Schodack, NY shares about discovering Emma through GirlSummer, taekwondo, theatrical productions (both acting and tech crew), and Emmaween!

On home…

I’ve lived in Schodack my entire life. Schodack is a little town about 30 minutes away from Troy where there never seem to be any good businesses that stay. My mother is an immigrant who moved here from Beijing, China in her late 20s and my father was born and raised on Long Island. I have always been close with my father. I have three half-brothers from my dad’s side named John, Peter, and Matt. Despite having an age difference of 16 years, John and I are close and we’re able to maintain a relationship. I have four cats: Oreo, Sprinkles, Saturn, and Stardust. I also have a dog named Duke and a bird named Hei-Hei. 

On Emma…

I first learned about Emma when I was about eight years old. I was on the YMCA swim team and we had a meet at Emma during the summer. I don’t remember much of my first impression, since I was little, but I remember thinking about how gorgeous the campus was. The following summer I attended GirlSummer and went every year until I came here in 2022.

I arrived on campus on the second day of orientation and knew no one. I was scared. The second day I was here, I went to the wrong classroom! I was so embarrassed. Thankfully my teacher was forgiving and I was able to have a fun class. Emma is special to me because of the fact that I have made so many friendships that I will forever hold dear. Everyday I look forward to seeing my peers and I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with them.

On taekwondo…

One thing I have loved for years is taekwondo. I started when I was 10 years old and got my black belt in June of 2023. I practiced taekwondo at Pai’s Taekwondo which is run by two Emma Willard alum, Songye Pai ’13 and Mihee Pai ’14. 

I have had many great experiences doing taekwondo and have also made many friends. I was able to get my best friend into taekwondo and our friendship has grown stronger since. I was also able to meet my partner through the sport. I have learned to have self-control and to be respectful to those around me. Taekwondo has also allowed me to learn how to be a leader. I would like to continue expanding my leadership skills so that way I can be a better leader to those around me. I know that these skills don’t come easy, but with enough practice, I will be able to use them.

On tech crew…

Around this time last year, I was doing tech crew for the winter play. The play was called The Earthling and was written by a student. I wanted to participate in the play, but the acting schedule didn’t work with my Practicum schedule. I decided I was going to do [tech] crew for the first time. 

I loved being on the tech crew and I want to do it for another play, hopefully soon. As much as I love acting, tech crew allowed me to craft and work every rehearsal, which I enjoyed. Crafting and prop-making has always been a favorite hobby of mine, so when I did crew I was in charge of props. 

On Emmaween…

Emmaween! Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. As a cosplayer, there’s nothing I love more than having an entire day where dressing up is normalized. I went trick-or-treating on campus for the first time this year and it was so much fun! I loved the activities and dinner was so good. 

With so many traditions at Emma, it was hard to choose one. Revels is always amazing, Mayday was fun because I was a dancer, and Flame Ceremony because I’m becoming an official Co-Head of Campus Players soon. Even with all of those, I still think Emmaween is my favorite.

Kicking off our One of 360 series in the new year is Nadia M. ’25, a junior boarding student from New York City with a passion for volleyball, community, and more! Read more about Nadia’s experience in her own words in today’s post!

On home…

Where I call home is Washington Heights in New York City! I live with my mom, dad, and younger brother Sasha, near the George Washington Bridge (GWB). My parents are both immigrants, my mom from Japan and my dad from Serbia. They came here together for education and later had me and my brother! Their family lives on different continents, so we get to travel a lot to go see them occasionally which is always exciting.

On Emma…

I heard about Emma from my godmother, Yen Pottinger ’98, who went to Emma. I got to tour campus when I was in 7th grade. My tour guide was a senior who was passionate about so many things, and I loved getting a glimpse into her life at Emma. I was in awe the whole time, and I remember loving the dorms; the community there looked so homey and comfy! 

I went to public school all my life, so I thought transitioning to Emma would be hard for me. Thankfully, I had an amazing community on freshman hall welcome me with open arms my freshman year, and I was incredibly grateful to have so many resources and opportunities available for me to learn about. 

What makes Emma special to me are the people and resources I can reach out to if I have a question or problem. I have always been afraid to ask for help, ever since elementary school, as I never wanted to admit I couldn’t do something myself. My experience at Emma has helped me break out of my shell and feel confident in myself to ask my questions and make mistakes. 

On volleyball…

I am very passionate about volleyball! In middle school, I used to play for fun, but coming to Emma created a newfound love for the sport. I’ve been playing at Emma since freshman year, and I was so excited when I moved up to varsity my sophomore year. Now, I am incredibly grateful to my coaches and teammates for helping me discover what makes me happy. I have learned countless different playing techniques, drills, and something we like to call scrappiness. 

Volleyball has also taught me a lot about communication on and off the court. With my teammates, we communicate with each other so well during games, and we put the most amount of effort we can until the play is over. And off the court, we acknowledge any mistakes, but we work together to shake it off and maintain a positive attitude by figuring out how to fix it. 

The friendships I have made with my teammates are extremely valuable to me, and we never fail to have a fun time on or off the court. We are very energetic, and can support each other at any time. I cannot wait for my last season at Emma next fall!

On learning to cook…

My dad is an amazing cook, and he has taught me a few dishes to cook before. I would love to learn to cook more things because it is very useful and I’ve always enjoyed trying new food.

On Emma traditions…

There are so many great traditions at Emma, some that I can be in, and some I get to watch and experience. My favorite would have to be Revels!! Seeing the community gather together to watch the seniors perform while the audience screams (basically after every line a senior recites) to cheer them on is something unique and exciting this school has. To see the seniors where they are now, and watching them perform their hearts out creates a strong sense of community that inspires me so much. It makes me so happy and grateful to see everyone sing, dance, yell, and laugh together. I am beyond excited for Revels 109, it's gonna be the best one yet!