by Ava Lee
Every year the junior class at The Frederick Gunn School has the opportunity to run for the role of prefect in their senior year. Led by Ms. Ruscz, the candidates are narrowed down to 8 total rising seniors ready to embark on student leadership.
Of course, this whole year was unlike any other. The class of 2022 was a small group for prefect candidates, possibly because of the many difficulties in participating in school activities during online learning. We are back on campus now, but the majority of the process was still online.
The eight final elected prefects were Gavin Brown, Serdar Kaltalioglu, Liam Koval, Ava Marti, Clara Prander, Alex Warren, Yoyo Zhang, and head prefect Eddie Rayhill.
Gavin Brown is a rising fifth-year senior at Gunn who lives on campus with his family. In his time at FGS Gavin became the co-leader of investment club, worked as a tour guide, and played varsity baseball. Gavin explained what he hopes to achieve as prefect: “I hope to return the favor of everything this school has done for me. Since my first time on campus the community has been so welcoming and inviting and is a vital part of who I am today. I want to help everyone at the school find their passions and expand their horizons for new things, whether that be through a club, a team, a class, or any other interest that could be found at school. I want to help every student have a unique and memorable experience during their time at The Frederick Gunn School because I know how lucky I have been to be a member of such a great community.”
Serdar Kaltalioglu is a rising four-year senior at The Frederick Gunn School. Throughout his three years at school, Serdar took on leadership roles in both Poetry Club and Green Club, and participated in the schools cross country team. When asked about what he wants to accomplish as prefect, Serdar responded with this: “I want to bring our school community closer together, in the context of COVID and beyond. That means continuing the work of this year’s prefects as well as working within our group to forge our own path. I want to use my position to start a conversation about sustainability on campus from the student’s perspective, as well as bridging those ideas to faculty and the administration. From my experience in clubs on campus, I also want to work to make FGS an even more judgment-free place for students to pursue their interests and passions and help create new opportunities for students to do exactly that.”
Liam Koval, from New Preston, Connecticut, is in his second year at Gunn. In the spring, Liam plays on the boys varsity lacrosse team and in the winter, Liam is a member of our school’s ski team. Liam Koval is looking forward to working alongside the 7 other prefects next year and working to create a more cohesive environment on campus. He says, “I hope to offer more opportunities for students to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.”
Ava Marti is in her second year at Gunn as a junior. Ava is involved in our schools Student Activity Committee, girls lacrosse team, and the girls soccer team. She described her goals for her time throughout the next year: “During my time as a prefect, I hope to accomplish creating an environment where my classmates can grow into their unique selves. FGS has so many different people where everyone can immerse themselves in different cultures, beliefs, and so much more. Showing new incoming students and new faculty members that our community is so close-knit will allow for them to embrace everyone on campus and even themselves. As well as making sure every FGS student will cherish and remember their time at the school where they can share these memorable moments later in their lives. I am excited to work with the other seven prefects next year and can not wait to carry on what the previous prefects worked on and continue to help lead our school in a positive direction.”
Clara Prander is a rising second-year senior on campus. In just one year on campus, Clara is already involved in many parts of campus. She is a tour guide, plays basketball and tennis, and writes for the school paper. As prefect, Clara hopes to include everyone around campus and be the person anyone can talk to.
Eddie Rayhill is a rising four-year senior elected head prefect for the 2021-2022 school year. On campus, Eddie participates in our rock band, boys lacrosse team, and boys soccer team. As prefect, Eddie hopes to establish a culture in our community where no one feels isolated and everyones feels like they can take risks knowing that they will have the support of all us behind them. Furthermore, he wants to create an environment where everyone can hopefully achieve the goals they have.
Alex Warren is a rising four-year senior from New York. Alex participates in different clubs and sports around campus, including: girls varsity basketball, girls tennis, and Black Student Union. As an elected prefect, Alex explained her goals for the upcoming year. “Due to the power of unity, curiosity, and passion the Frederick Gunn School possesses, each year I continue to see myself grow into the person I want to be. When taking risks, this family never failed to show support making me believe that together anything is possible especially during these trying times where we illustrated true strength and resilience.”
Yoyo Zhang, from Shanghai, China, is in her third year at The Frederick Gunn School. Throughout her time at FGS, she co-founded the poetry club, played the cello in the school string ensemble, and ran cross country with her friends! As a prefect, Yoyo hopes to listen to stories of everyone with different cultural backgrounds. She wants to dedicate herself to the diverse and awesome prefect group!
The election process is over now and soon we will start to see the 8 students step into their new roles as prefects.
The Highlander 