Seymone Williams ’21: Reflections on Senior Year

As the final countdown towards graduation begins, Seymone Williams ’21 discusses her experience as a boarding student, finding optimism through adversity, and what she is looking forward to these last few weeks of her senior year.

Seymone, like many of her peers, had to make the decision whether or not to return to campus after spring break. “After spring break, I decided to come back to campus to finish out my time at George School as a boarding student,” Seymone said. “During the Town Hall meetings, I could see how stressed Sam and the other administrators were, but they always prioritized our well-being and happiness. I am thankful for the care they put into creating a safe and inviting campus for the community. You can see and feel the effort around campus. Frequent testing has allowed us to be together in person and collaborate with our day student friends in the classroom. It is nice to have the opportunity for in-person learning since a lot of my friends who attend different schools do not have that option. Being on campus exceeded my expectations and I knew I made the right decision by the end of my first week back.”

In her free time, Seymone enjoys spending time with her friends. “I hang out on the turf, play card games, make food in the dorm, and work with the Student Activities Board to create fun experiences on the weekends, all while maintaining safe practices related to the pandemic,” she said. Seymone feels very connected to her friends, both on campus and virtually. “My classmates and I FaceTimed each other prior to the pandemic, so it was easy to shift to a virtual format,” she explained. “In fact, the pandemic created a stronger campus community and brought us closer together through this shared experience,” she continued. “There is a lot more support that I have noticed since returning to campus for spring term. George School has devoted so many resources to support us. There is always someone to talk to if I need it. I will really miss my Collection advisors, Kathleen [O’Neal] and Susan [Ross], and all of my teachers.”

Despite the challenges due to the pandemic, Seymone and her classmates are making the best of their remaining time at George School. “Seniors are currently fighting Zoom fatigue and senioritis. We are really looking forward to some in-person traditions and milestones, like Commencement and prom. College is obviously at the top of our minds. The college process is a lot different now because of the pivot to virtual. Acceptances have been pushed back because of the pandemic, so many of us are still waiting to hear back from colleges. I am in the waiting stage myself, and it is stressful not knowing where I will end up.* I was fortunate to have visited some colleges right before the pandemic, but many of my classmates were not able to see any schools in person and will be making this important decision based on virtual tours.”

“I am looking forward to finishing out the year as normal as possible, taking as much time to be with my classmates, and to enjoy our time together,” said Seymone. “It will be great to have everyone together in one place during Commencement. Seeing my classmates who can be there in person and the distance learners who will be on the screen at the same time will be a nice moment to reconnect.”

*After this interview, Seymone is excited to have been accepted to the University of Pittsburgh and looks forward to starting in the fall, with the goal of studying a pre-med track. Congratulations, Seymone!