“I enjoyed each year seeing how the council changes since we have outgoing members as well as incoming members, so to teach them and to learn from older students has been a great experience.”

We recently caught up with senior Penelope Struthers just before she was to perform in the Spring Dance Revue May 8–10. She is a four-year member of Dance Company and also performs outside of school with the Connecticut Concert Ballet. She has been dancing since she was 4 years old and says dancing brings a lot of joy into her life, “especially when performing, when the lights hit my face.”

Penelope, who will graduate on May 25, is the third generation of Strutherses to earn a diploma from Loomis Chaffee: grandfather Harvey ’60, a Trustee; father Tim ’85, the chief advancement officer for the school; and Penelope’s three older siblings, Graham ’17, Eleanor ’18, and Luke ’21. Penelope’s mom, Gillian, is a Loomis Chaffee math teacher.

Penelope called it an honor to follow in the long line of Strutherses at Loomis. “It has been fun to share my experiences, and I’ve always enjoyed comparing and contrasting the different experiences,” she said. “One of my favorite stories is that my grandfather’s room in Batch [Batchelder Hall] was across the hallway from my dad’s, and then when I did a summer [ballet] program here, my dad’s room was my room. So, it’s all connected.”

Year: Senior

Hometown: West Hartford, Conn.

Clubs/activities/honors: Dance Company all four years and also ran the social media account as a junior and senior. Four-year member of Student Council, serving as secretary-treasurer as a senior; head tour guide; Pelican Pilot president as senior (orientation program for new sophomores); Founders Prize winner as a junior.

On her Student Council experience: “I enjoyed each year seeing how the council changes since we have outgoing members as well as incoming members, so to teach them and to learn from older students has been a great experience. It also has allowed me to become closer to the administration. Student Council is a great opportunity.”

On her Senior Project: Students interested in pursuing Senior Projects must submit project proposals. If the project is approved, they are excused from the final two weeks of classes to bring the project to fruition. Penelope conducted three workshops to teach the Vaganova method of ballet to fellow students. As Penelope said, she has known ballet all her life, so the challenge was conveying that knowledge to those not familiar with the dance. The technique of ballet is based on seven fundamental movements. She had to “break that down and articulate that,” having never taught before. “So this is a new experience.”

Favorite place on campus: “The simple answer is the dance studio. The view of the Meadows, the calm, the peace. I like to go in there during the school day, just turn off the lights, be with myself, creating movement or doing homework. I'm in there every afternoon [practicing] so it's a home on campus. Additionally, I really enjoy [Grubbs] Quad. Now with the trees blooming, it’s a great place to people watch, see how people interact with each other. ... I'll often do work on the tables outside the SNUG or play spikeball with my friends on a Friday night.”

Favorite meal: “My go-to if I am making my own dinner is grilled chicken Caesar salad with a side of French fries. I love my air fryer at home. ... I also enjoy my mom’s big taco bowl we call a fiesta bowl. All the taco ingredients mixed together and baked. That’s really good.” On campus? “I really love the cookies.”

A moment in your life that has changed you? Last summer she was hiking with her family in Yosemite National Park at Cloud’s Rest, known for one of the best views of the park. She was close to the top but “10 feet to the left and 10 feet to the right there was this large drop, and I had this moment of ‘I’m going to fall.’ And I didn't feel stable for once in my life. I’ve danced my whole life, so I’ve always known where my inner core is and my center of balance is. I felt uneasy.” Her oldest brother, Graham, sat her down and taught her a breathing technique (two breaths in, one breath out) that calmed her. “I was proud of myself to overcome that moment. I was really close to turning around and settling for the view of where I was, but it was 10 times prettier when I made it 100 yards to the top of the peak.” Penelope said she wrote about the experience for a few of her college essays. (She will attend Villanova University.)

On memories of campus when she was younger: “I have a strong memory of when my sister was on the soccer team and the team was walking out of the Athletics Center over to the field. Music was playing. They were excited for the game, so I could feel the true energy of a Loomis student.” She was 8 or 9 at the time. “I think about it every time I'm in the locker room because I felt like I was a part of it. As the youngest sibling, I always liked to be a part of things. In that moment, [I’m thinking] ‘Loomis is where I want to be.’” She said she also remembers being a ball girl for the varsity boys soccer team with her brother Luke. She laughs when she says she had him take the Farmington River side of the field in case the ball landed there.