Throughout Seabury’s history, there have been students who are Seabury famous—even before they go to the school. Whether by virtue of having a Seabury parent or sibling, these students are linked to the school before they take a single class. Freshman Vee Asher sits down with the Chronicle to talk about her experience as one of these students.
“It’s definitely different … Growing up around different teachers and then seeing them in an academic sense is a lot different than growing up and seeing them as my mom’s colleagues. I’ve also seen people that have known me since I was little, and seeing them watch me grow up, it’s personal, but it’s like a good type of personal,” she says. “It’s a different perspective … being little and wandering the building just because your mom works there. And being here as a student academically is really different. The people, the environment might be the same, but you see things in a different sense,” says Asher.
Asher also comments on her experiences. “I remember [people] by the little things they did. Ian, I think his name was, he lit a fire in my mom’s room one time on the floor, and I only remembered him as that guy. And he had a wacky haircut too … I have a lot of fond memories of alumni … Shelby Esmond, she graduated class of 2020. She would take me to her cheer practices, and I would just watch,” she says. “[My YouTube channel is a] time of my life that I want to forget. But it’s funny … I remember hearing stories about it … Some people would draw me stuff. I remember [senior] Phoebe [Ulbrick], she would draw me things. And some other people, but I remember Phoebe because she’s a really good artist. Everybody’s like, ‘oh, Phoebe is so talented.’ And, I just, every time I see her artwork, I think of that.”
“If I didn’t have the experience I did growing up, coming to see Seabury on days off, I feel like I wouldn’t be as connected to the culture, I wouldn’t know what’s going on. I feel like my connection to Seabury prior to coming here as a student has helped my understanding of the culture. Not only the culture, but also what different things mean, like inside jokes … things like that, that I would have been clueless upon if I had come here blindly,” she says. “Lord, and go back to [my YouTube channel]. I think that’s the reason why some of the seniors still call me ‘Gillian.’ Like, I think that’s why they don’t call me Vee, I think that’s [my YouTube channel].”
Seabury’s unique culture has been shaped by a number of things. And from students like alumnus Grant Gollier, alumna and upcoming Convocation speaker Hillary Griggs, or current freshman Vee Asher, “Seabury children” have been a key part of Seabury culture.
