The moment you set foot on the Taft campus you are immediately drawn in by the beauty of it all. The seemingly endless red bricks that surround the pond give you an immediate sense of warmth and comfort. But it isn’t just the beautiful campus that makes Taft so special, it is all the things you may not see when you first visit the campus: the energy, the teachers, the sense of community, and the astounding feeling of passion. I am fortunate to attend such an amazing school, where I have been able to grow and to learn.

I was a new sophomore at Taft when I arrived early for soccer preseason. As nervous as I was, all of my butterflies were soon eased when the captains and coach took all of the new girls under their wings. We did everything together that week, from sprints, to meals, to charades. I quickly became fast friends with my teammates. And by the end of the week I was excited to learn that I had made the Varsity Team—and friends who would be by my side for my next three years at Taft.

The Girls Varsity Soccer team is by far the closest-knit team I have ever been a part of; we have each other’s backs on and off the field. And although we share many team and Taft traditions that bring us together, I truly believe that it is our love and respect for one another—and for the game— that make us a family. I was elected captain of the team for next season and I cannot wait to become the big sister the captains were to me when I was a new student.

The lacrosse team is also a big part of my life at Taft. One of the mottos that our team seems to live by is: “If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for the girl next to you.” Some of the strongest relationships I have at Taft were built on the lacrosse field; I cannot imagine my life at Taft without them.

At Taft, our coaches aren’t just our coaches; they are our advisers, teachers, and dorm parents. The faculty cares deeply about the success of each student, which has helped Taft become my home away from home. Three weeks into my first year at Taft, I told my soccer coach that my mom would drive me to the game, but that I would travel back to school on the bus. I said to Coach Madden, “I’ll ride home with the team.” Mr. Madden said, “Home meaning Taft?” Yes, it was true: in only three weeks, Taft had come to feel like home.

Every person at Taft is unique and special in so many ways, but we all have this in common: every Taftie shares a love and passion for our school.