As perspectives go, during the winter of last year, I was in musical rehearsals every night. I had an amazing time from beginning to end, and had a lot of fun. It was the first time I had ever been in a musical, and I met many others who shared my passion. During my freshman year, I went through the challenge of the Silver Dollar Pick-up, and learned a lot, from when my horse went lame and I had to ride my captain’s horse for the event, to when I started my celebration a bit early and fell off. The anxiety, the victory, and the memory that surrounded the experience highlighted my Freshman year experience. Most important to me right now is the challenge that I have taken on in Cross Country. Unlike others in my class, I began training for the sport over the summer, with Mr. Coleman as my long- distance advisor and coach over the summer. I learned to love running by the end of the three months, and came back to school a thriving member of the team–something that I have never been. The amount of discipline, determination, and hope that it took for me to get to this milestone in my life has meant a lot to me. The fact that Derf called me multiple times over the summer and showed such and interest in my well-being has made me appreciate the faculty at Thacher even more. I feel like these experiences have defined much of how I view Thacher that others might not have. I have tried many new activities and learned from them all, which is exactly why I, and countless others, even consider applying to Thacher.