Trinity Smith
Hometown: Born in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Rockville, Maryland in fifth grade.

“I wanted a different high school experience and wanted to go to a place where I could explore myself. I chose St. Andrew’s because of the warm, small and close-knit community we have here.”

 

Trinity Smith ’23 came to St. Andrew’s as a III Former because she wanted to explore multiple tracks at once. She wanted to excel in her core classes, but also sought to discover if she had a passion for other disciplines, like art, sports, or music.

“I felt like I would be pinned into one thing if I stayed at my normal school,” she says. “Here, I could explore a wide variety of classes and activities. It’s more accessible and you are not defined as one type of person.”

Additionally, Trinity notes that St. Andrew’s students and faculty support self-exploration. “It’s just the culture,” she says.

As she moves into the role of co-president for the school year, Trinity considers some lessons she has learned over her years at St. Andrew’s.

“One big lesson has been the power of listening,” she says. “Being on Form Council for three years, I had to learn the attitudes of each grade and I had to anticipate what they needed.”

In addition, she points to engaging with students and faculty and being observant as two other big lessons that will serve her co-presidency well.

She plans to focus on rebuilding the community among the classes and engaging with faculty to increase trust and respect among everyone on campus.

“I want to help build a closer relationship between faculty and students,” she says. “For seniors, I want a circle of respect and trust where we all listen and understand each other.”

She says the return to family-style meals will support her mission. “I hope we all bridge the gaps that may have started because of the pandemic. I want us to redefine what St. Andrew’s culture means and in this first year coming back from COVID, I want us all to work to bridge gaps and share resources.”

 

Ford Chapman

Hometown: Born in Hoboken, New Jersey; spent several years living in Hong Kong; then moved to Charlottesville, Virginia in third grade.

“St. Andrew’s gives students the opportunity to do more. You can broaden your horizons here so much more than at other schools.”

 

Ford Chapman ’23 was born in New Jersey but just a few months later, his family moved to Hong Kong. 

“One of the things I remember from my time in Hong Kong was the diversity in the schools,” Ford says. “My school had people from all backgrounds.”

As he was about to enter third grade, his family moved again, this time to Charlottesville, Virginia. The school experience in Charlottesville was vastly different from his experience in Hong Kong, which is why when it came to looking at high schools, Ford knew he wanted to find a diverse and accepting community culture.

Ford first learned about St. Andrew’s when his sister, Amrit ’21, was considering high schools. 

“She decided to come to St. Andrew’s, so I visited and really liked the campus and the community,” Ford says. “It reminded me a lot of my school in Hong Kong because we have so many students and faculty from many different backgrounds.”

At St. Andrew’s, Ford takes Mandarin, another reminder of his time in Hong Kong. He is also a member of the South Asian Affinity Group. 

This year, Ford hopes he and his classmates focus on togetherness by sharing in old traditions like the Carol Shout and the trip to Frightland.

“We have had a weird high school career with only like six months of regular high school [before COVID],” he says. “I want to make memories and cherish our time together.”