Meredith Garry, who hails from West Roxbury, has been in the business of education at Boston Latin School for 5 years. In the last few years she has begun to truly enjoy the BLS experience. Though sixie and fivesie years were quite trying experiences, Meredith’s high school years have progressively become better. She believes that a reason for her increasingly enjoyable experience at BLS is the support of her family. Another reason for her success is her extensive extracurricular involvement. Rather than studying endlessly, Meredith finds that being involved in the BLS community is rewarding and an education in itself. She is thrilled that she was chosen as a Ward Fellow, and hopes to use skills acquired over this summer to add a new dimension to her experience as a member of BLS.
This year, Meredith has been a member of the BLS Argo, the BLS Speech & Debate Team, the BLS Chamber Ensemble, and the Senior String Ensemble. Meredith also takes a private violin lesson once a week. She has initiated and become main student contact for an involvement with Habitat for Humanity at BLS, an attempt that has received a lot of enthusiasm from both students and staff members at BLS. She plans to take on leadership roles in many of these activities next year, by working as the News Editor for the BLS Argo, and as Co-Captain of the Debate team alongside current Ward Fellow Erin Durkin. She has also been active in School Site Council, and will serve as the alternate student representative for the upcoming year. One of Meredith’s most valued commitments is the BLS Honor Code. She has worked on the Committee since it’s inception in her sixie year, and believes that more open dialogue between teachers, parents, and students, will make the Latin School environment one that is more encouraging of honest and ethical behavior. And although one might assume from her activities that Meredith is a serious individual, she usually is not.
Her sense of humor and sarcasm are two of her defining characteristics. She values having a life and interests outside of school. One of her favorite quotes is from Mark Twain: “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Meredith’s enthusiasm for public service stems back to childhood, when friends and family surprised by her precociousness remarked that she would surely pursue a career in public service or politics. Now, as a rising senior, Meredith’s career interests lie primarily in law, though she has not entirely ruled out education or journalism. Her first days on the job at the Cambridge District Court have sparked her interest in many careers, particularly those of judges and Assistant District Attorneys. She possesses a desire to make a real, tangible impact and change in the community in which she lives. One of her main concerns is funding for education, and she has tried to increase her peer’s awareness of such issues as the recent budget cuts through mediums such as the BLS Argo and a petition (a collaborative effort among several students) that was circulated around the BLS community and submitted to Governor Romney during a recent visit to BLS. Meredith also enjoys watching and engaging in political discussion, and being a member of FIDES, an after school club, has allowed her to keep abreast of current events and learn more about the foreign and domestic policy of the US. Also, as a member of FIDES she has volunteered at the Greater Boston Food Bank and completed the Walk for Hunger, both of which she found to be fun and rewarding.
Meredith is excited about her senior year and the possible opportunities after graduation. She is considering deferring for a year to work, intern, and travel before heading off to college. Before graduate school, Meredith hopes to do another year of internships or to find a job in a law-related field. She has found the court process to be very interesting so far, and hopes to perhaps sit on the bench herself some day. So far, she has loved every division of the courthouse in which she has worked, and has had her eyes opened to many different opportunities for the future.
Her sponsor is the Honorable Judge Roanne Sragow.