“Don’t be nervous. Step out of your comfort zone. Loomis is a really good place to build on yourself. Try new things because there are so many programs and opportunities the school offers.”

We recently caught up with senior Maleah Cogle during a break in preseason cross country practice. She competes in three sports: cross country in the fall, swimming in the winter, and track in the spring. She learned to swim at the School of Swimming, based in Rocky Hill, Conn., when she was about 6. One of the venues used by the school back then was the pool at Loomis Chaffee.

“It’s crazy because I learned how to swim in that organization here,” Maleah said. “I remember because when you get to a certain level, you get to swim across the pool for the first time. I remember doing that and being so tired. Now, I do it every single day. It kind of feels full circle.”

Full circle applies to her summer job, too. She was a paid instructor for the School of Swimming. “It was really fun to be able to teach the kids how to gain their confidence in the water and be more independent,” she said.  

 

Year: Senior

Hometown: Avon, Conn.

Clubs/activities/awards: Founders Prize recipient, three-sport varsity athlete since freshman year (cross country, swimming, track & field), class officer, founding president of CASA (Loomis' Caribbean student affinity group), a Pelican Pilots president (student mentorship program for new sophomores), Model United Nations, Concert Choir, plays guitar, A Cappelicans, head tour guide.

Advice for others: “Don't be nervous. Step out of your comfort zone. Loomis is a really good place to build on yourself. Try new things because there are so many programs and opportunities the school offers.”

Favorite place on campus: “We have so many green spaces.” One that she particularly enjoys is Rockefeller Quad. She mentions the Adirondack chairs, the games, the late nights in good weather talking with friends and hanging out together. “Also, I think we take for granted that we get to be outside while walking to classes instead of being in one main building.”

On cross country: She started in eighth grade. “Coming to Loomis, the team, the environment, Coach [Becky] Purdy, and the other coaches have made it a huge part of my time here. I look forward to cross country practice even though preseason is hard and I feel tired and sore. The team is so welcoming, and I feel everyone is really connected. It has made running a lot more fun for me.”

Favorite meal: Pasta. Any shape. Any sauce. “Maybe some chicken or seafood in it or just parmesan cheese. It’s such a solid food. I love it so much.”

Favorite snack: “Definitely popcorn. I remember having spicy jalapeno cheddar popcorn. And I love good butter-flavored movie popcorn. I could have that any time of the day.”

On her bucket list: Traveling more. She got a taste of that last spring when she went to Spain on an International Education Program trip organized by the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies. “That was such a nice experience.” She said she tried to immerse herself in everything — the food, the culture, the language, the history, the architecture. And the food. She told herself: “I have to try everything. Who knows when I will be back.” She also said the trip tied into the person she had become since her freshman year: “Not being afraid to try new things.”

Would you rather live 100 years in the past or future? She went with the past, thinking back to learning about the Harlem Renaissance in her College-Level U.S. History course. “That was such an influential time period with the music, the arts, culture, New York City. ... I feel it would be cool to have lived through that and experience it all.”