Prefects play a pivotal role in cultivating the culture and values of the Choate community. As a current freshman living in Nichols, I have learned that a good prefect isn’t just there to make sure our rooms are clean or check that our lights are turned off at 10:45 p.m. A truly great prefect exemplifies positive behavior in and out of the dorm and inspires their prefectees to do the same. They supervise our dorm and ensure that we are adhering to the rules and treating each other with respect while still being able to have fun with us.
A good prefect goes out of their way to foster a welcoming and fun dorm environment. As I stood outside Nichols on my first day of freshman year, I was a frantic mess. I had never been away from home before, and the mere idea of living in a boarding school environment where I didn’t know anyone yet was extremely daunting. With trembling hands, I swiped my key card and opened the door, bracing myself for the unknown. To my surprise, I was met with a scene that instantly calmed me down. I stepped inside to the upbeat sound of Taylor Swift music and a group of smiling prefects. They each introduced themselves and offered to help me with my luggage. Just a few minutes in and already feeling like I belonged, my anxiety dissipated. As we walked down the hallway, I couldn’t help but notice the walls of our common room that were adorned with vibrant hues of posters and banners. Clearly, our prefects went out of their way to make our dorm upbeat and welcoming.
The best prefects are the ones that always find time to offer their support or be a listening ear when I need to talk. Despite their busy schedules and heavy course load, their doors are always open. Our Nichols prefects tell us about their own experiences as freshmen and give us advice on navigating the ups and downs of our first year. Putting themselves in our shoes, they are able to relate to us on a level that house advisers might not be able to. For instance, during my first few weeks at school, I was struggling with homesickness. One of my prefects noticed and immediately comforted me. She introduced me to other students grappling with similar struggles, helping me feel more at home and less alone. On another day, when I was confused about my physics homework, my prefect put down her own work to help me figure mine out.
It is also incredibly important for a successful prefect to be responsible and organized. Prefects must take their roles seriously, delegating their tasks and ensuring the dorm is clean and orderly. In turn, they teach us, their prefectees, important life lessons and responsibilities. They are proactive in identifying and addressing issues that arise, mitigating conflicts, and ensuring that their respective dorm is a comfortable environment for everyone. They demonstrate strong leadership and communication skills, bringing up dorm-wide issues at our weekly meetings. They have great work ethics and are exceptionally mature, while still maintaining a sense of humor that makes them fun mentors we love talking to.
Ultimately, it is the seemingly minor interactions with my prefects, such as my first day of school, that showed me the genuine impact a good prefect has on their prefectees. I hope that when I am a senior, I can become a prefect myself and emulate what they have taught me.
