Students as Teachers: A Senior Reflects on her Final Exhibitions Evening

By Division 4 student Isabel

As wild as it sounds even to me, last Wednesday I attended my very last Exhibitions evening. Although I may not have the 21 Exhibitions under my belt – like some seniors who’ve been at Meridian since 6th grade – I have now completed 12, and it’s safe to say that they have been a staple of my youth.

After all of those Exhibitions – and, of course, with the wisdom of an elder 12th grader – I wasn’t nervous to present our division’s work. As students spend time at Meridian, we quickly get to know the parents and extended family of our classmates. Because of this, our audiences on these nights quickly become a sea of familiar faces. I started the night in my mathematical modeling class, where I talked with visitors about a bicycle insurance policy I created and about how game theory can be used to explore one's commitment to solving climate change. After that, I moved on to Humanities, where I talked with a prospective family about a theatrical model that my friend Jo and I built as part of our playwriting unit.

Later, I spent time in the Art room showing off my work in ceramics and lamenting about how much I’d miss our teacher Emily’s classes. Finally, I went to Spanish. After talking briefly about the ceramic piece I created for a project on Argentina’s Dirty War, I reflected for a moment on how far my Spanish skills had come since 9th grade. Just then, my classmate Ifrah tore me away from my sentimental reflection, telling me that we needed to gather everyone for a senior picture. This was it: the beginning of the good-byes. My heart could barely take it. After finally locating our classmate Piper, we all – yes, our entire graduating class – crammed onto the couch in the hallway, glowing for the paparazzi of teachers and parents.

A dozen Exhibitions have not only gave me the confidence to present my own work. They’ve also demonstrated to me how satisfying it is to teach others about what I’ve learned. As I walked out into the night after that final class picture, I promised myself that this teaching element of my learning would not end here. Thanks to Exhibitions, I want to continue learning and sharing newfound knowledge wherever I go.