Senior Reflection

Avianna Zampardi ’24 in Opinions | May 26, 2024

1) On a rainy April afternoon, I returned to my apartment lobby with a notification that I had received a package. I signed my name and faced a large box without a return address label. I rushed to my kitchen to grab a knife and discover its contents.

I ripped through the cardboard and gazed upon a sea of bubble wrap. Beneath, I discovered a hand-drawn print of Lawrenceville’s original campus. My eyes welled with tears as I read a handwritten message from my friend, Mr. Phil Ringo ’60.

The print had belonged to his late brother, and Mr. Ringo had dreamed of gifting the heirloom to a future Lawrentian to honor his love for his alma mater. I immediately called Mr. Ringo, thanked him for his generosity, and promised that I would take good care of the print.

Each move-in day, my first task has always been arranging my furniture to find the perfect location for my desk. I then eagerly unpack this same package to hang the print on the wall above my desk. Between 308, 201, and 203, Mr. Ringo’s print remained a constant.

As I have ventured through my Lawrenceville journey, this print has been a reminder of gratitude. I strive to live with those qualities in mind: leading my life at Lawrenceville with love.

2) Under the early September sun, I patiently awaited the presentation of House awards during my third and final Convocation ceremony. Was it possible to win the House Cup three years in a row? My hands trembled as I awaited the presentation of the final award: “The House Cup is awarded to the House with the greatest House spirit. The 2022-2023 winner of the House Cup is…”

As I patiently awaited the name of the winning house, I watched my past two years at Lawrenceville flash before my eyes: every karaoke night, House run, McClellan Milkshake, House Olympics, birthday, and everything in between.

“...the McClellan House,” announced Dean Eldridge.

As I walked up to the podium to receive the house cup alongside Alexandra Raymond ’25, my eyes welled with tears. I was overjoyed to be a member of such an unforgettable community.

Everyone says their House is the best House, but what makes McClellan the best is the people.

3) As I walk through the small archway above the Woods Memorial Hall 17 doorway, I cannot help but face an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Advanced Poetry, Essay Writing, Radical Love, Creative Writing, and Essay Writing once more as a Teaching Assistant. For nearly two-thirds of my Lawrenceville career, I have had English with M. Stitt in this very classroom. “You have M. Stitt once, and you never turn back,” Barbara Odae ’23 once wisely stated.

I cannot thank M. Stitt enough for the lessons they have taught me over the course of these past five terms. Our classes were always instructed to include an “Acknowledgements Page” at the end of our essays. To end my final Lawrenceville piece, here are my acknowledgments:

To my Mom & Dad: Thank you for shaping me into the individual I am today. I cannot thank you enough for all the love and support you have bestowed upon me. I love you so much.

Michael: I am excited to see what’s in store for you these next two years and beyond. Take good care of Lawrenceville for me.

Lawrenceville Crew: Thank you for providing me with discipline and camaraderie.

Hutchins Institute for Social Justice: Thank you for teaching me to focus on the process.

LTA: Thank you for giving me space to speak my mind with those I love.

The Lit: Thank you for being a home for my creativity and love for literature.

McClellan: Thank you for being my home for two years. I will treasure the connections and memories made within your four walls.

Lawrenceville: Thank you for each and every person and experience I have had along the way. Good, bad, or indifferent, thank you to everything that shaped my Lawrenceville experience: it wouldn’t have been the same without you.

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Senior Reflection