Baldwin Student Senior Leaders Reflect on Our Theme of Curiosity

As the new school year begins, the Baldwin community is coming together around a shared theme: Curiosity. At the All-School opening assembly last Friday, five student senior leaders shared their perspectives on what it means to ask questions, take risks, connect with peers, and create positive change.

 

Head of Senate Caroline Didizian opened the conversation by reflecting on how innate curiosity is for young learners. As she observed, "I think the truest thing about curiosity is that we're all born with it, completely uncontrollable, before anyone teaches us to be embarrassed to ask questions. The only real question is whether we hold onto it." Recalling her experience working in a research lab this summer, she realized that asking questions is the primary engine of scientific discovery. Her message to the entire community emphasized continuous questioning: "If Baldwin has given us anything, it's the permission to keep asking," adding her hope that "none of us — not the kindergartners, not the seniors, not our faculty and staff, not our administration — ever stop asking why."

 

For Head of Arts League Clara Chen, curiosity is an invitation to embrace self-expression and step outside comfortable routines. She highlighted how creative exploration builds mutual understanding: "exploration of the arts provides the unique window to profoundly understand ourselves and each other better, allowing us to grow as communicators and collaborators in every setting." Encouraging students in every division to take creative risks — from turning accidental paint spills into new ideas to asking classmates about their artistic inspirations — she challenged the school: "let's allow ourselves to become a little more curious, a little more courageous, and a lot more willing to create and discover something we haven't before this year."

 

Head of Service League Fanta Sumaoro addressed how curiosity can guide meaningful community service. Reflecting on her discovery of a local food pantry located just minutes from her home, she pointed out: "Ironically enough, our vast curiosity can sometimes make us miss what's right in front of us." Her call to action reminded her fellow classmates to turn awareness into impact: "Let’s use our curiosity this year to raise questions, reach out, and make a change in our communities."

 

Head of Athletic Association Harper Lawson connected curiosity to sports and trying new activities, tracing her own growth from Lower School playground games to Upper School varsity competition. She focused on the question, "What happens if?” Encouraging students to support one another and step outside their comfort zones, Harper emphasized that genuine curiosity requires "not just wanting to know what happens, but being curious enough to actually try." She concluded with an encouraging reminder for the school year: "So let's start the year curious, let's start it loud, and most importantly, let's start it by showing up for each other."

 

Senior Class President Emily Wang introduced her two-step guide, "The Big Big Plan: How to Win Life,” which begins with "1. See something cool" and ends with "2. Do something about it." She noted that "the real challenge of curiosity is Step 2: Doing Something About It - taking risks." To overcome the fear of making mistakes, she advocated for community curiosity, defined as "simply being curious about others around you." As Emily explained, "Curiosity is how we learn about the world, and in turn, about who we are or who we can be." Engaging curiously with teachers and peers allows students to build resilience and celebrate what makes their community unique. “It’s a new year with new potential, so live freely,” she concluded. “Ask questions, try new things, laugh more, and continue on to Win Life.”