Outgoing Editor-in-Chief Reflects on Life's Transitions

My time at Brimmer has made me who I am today.

Karly Hamilton

When I first started at Brimmer in fourth grade, I was a very different person from who I am today. I rarely saw a day without my sparkly rainbow headband, and my favorite thing to do after school was gymnastics. Now, nine years later, neither of those things define me.

I find transitions are a good time for self-reflection, and as I prepare to graduate in a few weeks, I have been thinking about my time at Brimmer. The past decade has certainly had its ups-and-downs, but at the end of the day, it’s played a major role in shaping who I have become.

For my 8th grade exhibition, I chose to learn about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Beside me is Leo Wen '21.

The first award I won for The Gator was for an article I wrote on Mr. Fuller's retirement.

My curling team and I won the Class B championship during my junior year.

I chose to speak about my dad for my 8th grade Inspiration speech.

From science collabs in Lower School to Greek Fest and Inspirations in Middle School, my classes and projects have shaped the way I learn today. Even more so, many of my teachers have had a profound impact on how I view my education.

As I prepare for college, I’ve started thinking more about how my time here has shaped the way I approach the world. For starters, I’ve learned how to express myself in a healthy and respectful manner—often through my writing.

More importantly, I’ve learned the value of civil discourse and how to respond when faced with an uncomfortable discussion. Skills such as this have to be learned; they don’t just appear out of thin air, and the ability to approach new perspectives and ideas with an open mind is one of the most important takeaways I will have.

While Brimmer has taught me a multitude of academic approaches, my parents have played a major role in shaping who I am. They have taught me what it means to be respectful and courteous in everyday life and, more importantly, how to be self-sufficient in the world we live in today.

For the past 18 years of my life, most of my decisions have involved school or my family. However, with college looming on the horizon, many seniors are now faced with decisions that don’t pertain to Brimmer and require a different level of parental input.

I can’t speak for my classmates, but for me, this has caused me to take a step back and think about what type of person I want to be going forward.

Starting college is an opportunity to have a clean slate and remake yourself, if that’s what you desire. Or, if you’re someone who has always been sure of yourself and your place in the world, college is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and gain new knowledge and insight into a variety of topics.

Regardless, this transition period is a great opportunity for self-reflection, and I encourage all of my peers to take a few moments to think about what they aspire to accomplish and experience in the years to come. What’s worked well in high school, what hasn’t, and anything in between are good things to reflect on before embarking on an experience that is new to all of us.

Speaking for myself, I know I want to be an active listener, engaged student, and loyal friend in the years to come. While I don’t know what the future holds, I know that if I work hard to be all of these things, life will work out in the end.

I started at Brimmer in 4th grade, and this was my first school picture here.

My 5th grade school photo.

My 6th grade school photo.

My 7th grade school photo.

My 8th grade school photo.

My 9th grade school photo.

My 10th grade school photo.

My 11th grade school photo.

Due to the pandemic, my school photo looked a bit different this year.

Soccer was one of the many sports I played at Brimmer. This photo is from when I played Varsity Soccer my sophomore year.

I also ran cross country during my junior year.

I was on the Varsity Curling team throughout high school at Brimmer . This photo is from the final bonspiel, which my team won junior year.

Even though I don’t plan to graduate in my sparkly rainbow headband, it’s because I once wore it that I’ve become who I am today. When I reflect on this time period years from now, I know I’ll feel the same way about choices I’ve made at this point in my life.

I would not be who I am today without the Brimmer community, and for that, I am grateful. But more importantly, to my parents, grandparents, or whoever else it might’ve been, thank you for buying me that headband. It serves as a reminder of how much I’ve grown since then, and I look forward to the day I can look back on how much I’ve grown and changed since graduating from high school here.