Lauren Barnes ’23
Mercersburg challenges its students to take part in unique and diverse experiences throughout their time in attendance. Though Mercersburg is a boarding school, a significant number of students attend as day students. Children of faculty who attend Mercersburg occupy a niche space in the day/boarding equation. Their experiences growing up near or even on campus give them intimate knowledge of the institution and its culture but can create situations unknown to their peers.
For “faculty brats,” as they are often called, growing up on a high school campus was just a normal part of their childhood. Quin Caretti ‘24 said, “It’s funny when alumni come back to teach at the school because some used to babysit me when I was little (specifically, Sarah Firestone).” “It is kind of fun to be with my friends on the playground and realizing that this is maybe the twentieth time they have been there, but I’ve been there since I was born,” said Molly Willis ‘22. Nathalie Mauer ‘23 said, “It was always very fun! Even when I wasn’t a student, I had the opportunity to go to events such as Declamation, my dad’s plays, and family-style dinners. Being around campus just made me want to be a student all the more.”
Familiarity with the Mercersburg Academy campus and faculty is an enormous advantage to those who had the opportunity to spend their childhood growing up here. “It’s kind of crazy because I already knew all the teachers before officially entering the school, so it wasn’t a “new school” experience. I knew the buildings and how to get food at the dining hall, and it gave me a step ahead when other students came for grade nine. I’ve lived in dorms and out of them, but always around campus, and so I have spent my entire life running around the academic buildings and dorms,” said Willis. Caretti said some of the pros of being a faculty kid are, “Knowing the campus better than most 4-year seniors, knowing that the dining hall food has gotten a lot better over the years, and developing more personal connections with your teachers.”
Though having experience with Mercersburg before beginning school can have its advantages, there are also downsides. “I get told a lot about what people think about my parents. Usually, it’s ‘I love your mom’ or ‘Your dad scares me,’” said Caretti. Damien Dowling ‘23 said, “I have to walk to and from school most days since I don’t have the same schedule as my mom. People think I know everything about my mom’s schedule or the schedules she’s in charge of, which is annoying because I don’t know. I’m not my mom, ask her yourself. I’m also not a personal messenger for my mom, so tell her yourself.” Willis said, “It is really fun in that I see my parents all the time and it gives some more connection, but it’s also honestly stressful because I am constantly aware of my actions.”