How I Found My Lawrenceville

By School President Grace Weekes ‘27

If I am honest, when I came to Lawrenceville as a Second Former, I wasn’t worried about trying new things. What worried me most was trying to fit in, while hoping people wouldn’t notice that my dorm posters hadn’t come in the mail yet.

In attempts to steer clear of any embarrassing moment that people would remember the next day, I avoided the stage, especially dance. I was nowhere near a professional dancer, but it had always been my favorite hobby since I joined a group when I was ten. It was not about the skill, but about the community, and the feeling of confidence and joy I felt dancing on stage.

The spring of my freshmen year, I watched my first Dance Series. I sat in one of those itchy red seats towards the back of the Kirby Arts Center and watched my prefect perform a tap solo for the opening act. As my friends cheered as the curtains went down, all I felt was jealousy. I saw the same glow in their eyes as I used to have, and I wanted that back.

I showed up to campus my Third Form year and knew that I was going to join a dance group. None of my friends did dance, which scared me more than anything, but it didn’t stop me. That is when I found Tour De Force (TDF). I stood outside of the sliding mirror door for a few minutes. I thought that the second I slid open that door, everyone would notice that I was the “new kid.” The hardest part was not the dance itself but just opening the door.

But I did it.

Behind that door was my Lawrenceville. I met people from all parts of campus, all parts of the world, someone who lived just a few blocks down from me in New York, and people who were excited to see me. They played some of my favorite songs and showed us an awesome hip hop/jazz combination. I would never have crossed paths with these people, but by the end of the first practice I was already headed back to Stephens House with a new group of friends.

Weeks of practice had passed, and it was finally showtime. I had worked on my fear of performing but standing there in my costume (a long white wedding dress), nerves were coursing through me. Not to mention that only one of my friends had known I was performing in the Dance Series. My captain that year, who had been a Fifth Former, put up his hand for a high five, and promised we would do great. And that is what we were.

The best part of this night was not the dance itself, but what came after. I was scared I had maybe messed up a move or made a weird face, but when I walked out of the theater, everyone had showed up for me. My friends rushed over and gave me hugs of excitement, and people I didn’t even know gave me a warm compliment and a smile. I remembered the first day of Second Form year when the last thing I wanted to be was seen, but that night, I felt seen in the best way.

Lawrenceville taught me how confidence, opportunity, and joy come from community. At Lawrenceville, we show up for ourselves, and we show up for each other.

Maybe it's dance, maybe joining the robotics club, or maybe going to a House dance. You must do yourself the favor of trying new activities and show up to events not just for others, but for yourself, because who knows what happens behind that mirrored door.

Lawrenceville is full of communities, but it’s you who has to make the choice to step into them.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.