Gina Napolitano

Class of 2016

Where are you now?

I’m currently enrolled at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.  I am going to be an English and Secondary Education major with a minor in Women and Gender Studies in hopes of being a teacher for middle and high school students! MacDuffie prepared me incredibly well for college on an academic and social basis.  Since I was fortunate enough to live at the school for my senior year, moving into Wheaton was not a difficult transition.  Also, the amazing teachers there did a great job of preparing me for the workload that I have as a student who is double majoring.

The college life:

 I am very involved in extra circulars here, including The Blend, (a co-ed a capella group on campus) Feminist Association, and Wheaton Fund, where I am employed. I strongly encourage anyone who would find a liberal, close knit community beneficial to apply to Wheaton, as it is a welcoming college that offers many opportunities to succeed.

Fun fact:

I was recently accepted to an Inner City Teaching Fellowship in Boston, MA. I am very excited about it!

Caleb Shelburne

Class of 2014

Where are you now?

I am currently a junior at Harvard College, completing a double-major in History and Literature and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Most of my life is consumed by my academic work, particularly my language study. I also am the editor-in-chief for Harvard’s undergraduate history research journal, a research assistant for a French professor, and a beginning figure skater. In my free time, I enjoy reading classic novels, playing frisbee (as I did at MacDuffie), and listening to the Harvard choruses. It’s almost impossible to quantify how MacDuffie helped me get into college, but I know–as I’m sure my classmates agree–that it was central to my success. The most useful thing I learned at MacDuffie was French: I use it every day, in classes, with friends, and now, on a major book project with a professor. Few people, even at Harvard, have conquered their fear of public speaking; my many hours spent with Ms. Boutin and Mr. Lyman were critical to making me a better presenter and discussant. Outside, my four years on the frisbee field, coached by my father, helped prepare me for cooperative work in college and beyond.

The college life:

I love college. There are far more classes, people, and opportunities than in high school. Class schedules are much more flexible, though just as arduous. Most importantly, I have the chance to pursue my dreams and really feel as though I am making an impact. My postgraduate plans remain amorphous, but I am excited to already be doing work that I feel actually changes the world.

Additional information:

I have received a steady, albeit limited, flow of information about MacDuffie and how it has changed since I have graduated. I am proud to see how much the student body has increased, though I hope that the community remains as close as I remember. I know that several of my favorite teachers have retired, but from the new hires I have met, MacDuffie is continuing to attract the best and brightest.

Elias Os

Class of 2016

Where are you now?

I am at the University of Massachusetts. Overall I enjoy the freedom; I know that the complete freedom allows me to use that extra time to get work done. Something that I think it is important to note is that MacDuffie conditions you to seek help when you don’t understand something, and most people here don’t understand that.

Fun facts:

In the early days of the most basic classes, such as Calculus, I could have stayed at one of the extra help centers for the entire five hours that it’s open and not a single person other than myself would come by (the main calculus extra help center always has at least four teaching assistants, just to help students with homework and answer any other questions they may have.)

The College Life:

The parts of MacDuffie that helped prepare for college the most are the English department, and the Extra Help system. My experience with the English department during my time at MacDuffie got me out of taking all basic English classes for the first two years. The reason for the winter 2019 designation is that my MacDuffie AP’s gave me 20 credits, and thanks to the MacDuffie English classes, I passed the English College Writing entry tests they gave me and I even got credit for my scores, so I will graduate at least one semester early. If I remain at a consistent pace of 16 credits per semester, I may even graduate two semesters early as a part of the official class of 2019, but for now, I am designated as a sophomore.