Finley B.
Graduation year: 2024
Hometown: Lafayette, CA
Previous School: Athenian Middle School
What is your favorite Athenian tradition?
My favorite Athenian tradition is Run In. When you’re a junior you either go on a backpacking trip in Death Valley or the High Sierra. I have a personal connection because my sister did Run In for the High Sierra one. My sister and I are not super close, but when she came running in she came and hugged me, and I was astonished at how much that meant to me (and how badly she smelled). It was so nice to see all of the families and boarding students coming together and helping each other as they ran through the gates. It’s such an essential Athenian experience and I love it so much.
What are you involved in on campus?
I am the leader of two clubs - the Gender Equity Coalition, and the Neuro-divergent Student Union. I have anxiety and depression, and I felt that there needed to be a place for what I feel that teachers weren’t hearing. I also felt that I couldn't share everything in class, so I wanted to help lead others and have them come to a safe space where they can show and talk about how they're feeling. And with the Gender Equity Coalition, I want to make the campus a safer place and I want to help bring awareness to this topic. While many people feel like our campus is so safe, there are things that we can do to make it better and raise awareness to topics going on around the world that people might not know about. That’s something I really love about Athenian, is our leadership opportunities.
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Previous School: Athenian Middle School
What is your favorite Athenian tradition?
My favorite Athenian tradition is Run In. When you’re a junior you either go on a backpacking trip in Death Valley or the High Sierra. I have a personal connection because my sister did Run In for the High Sierra one. My sister and I are not super close, but when she came running in she came and hugged me, and I was astonished at how much that meant to me (and how badly she smelled). It was so nice to see all of the families and boarding students coming together and helping each other as they ran through the gates. It’s such an essential Athenian experience and I love it so much.
What are you involved in on campus?
I am the leader of two clubs - the Gender Equity Coalition, and the Neuro-divergent Student Union. I have anxiety and depression, and I felt that there needed to be a place for what I feel that teachers weren’t hearing. I also felt that I couldn't share everything in class, so I wanted to help lead others and have them come to a safe space where they can show and talk about how they're feeling. And with the Gender Equity Coalition, I want to make the campus a safer place and I want to help bring awareness to this topic. While many people feel like our campus is so safe, there are things that we can do to make it better and raise awareness to topics going on around the world that people might not know about. That’s something I really love about Athenian, is our leadership opportunities.
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