As a boarding student Jack '22 has learned to balance his academics and commitments with a healthy and rich social life — and a clean room. His secret? Learning to prioritize and also taking advantage of Peddie's supportive community.

Outside of the classroom: Student body co-president, varsity baseball, prefect

Advice for new Falcons:  

Have an open mind! When I first arrived at Peddie, I was a bit apprehensive. I wasn’t sure if I could thrive in an environment where I was given so much independence. I was scared to leave home, and I was intimidated by what I expected to be an elitist and cutthroat culture. 

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Peddie surprised me with its supportive and accepting community, and the more open-minded I was, the more the community embraced me. From the moment I stepped on campus, I was greeted by smiling faces and upperclassmen who were fighting over who could take my bags to my room! I knew at that point that Peddie was where I wanted to be. The support I felt eased all of my apprehensions.

What being a Peddie student has taught him:

Discipline. Not the kind of discipline that leaves you without any sense of spontaneity or excitement, but the kind that helps you structure your day. Being a boarding student, I’ve been put on a fast track for independence. It is all on me to make sure that my academic goals, extracurriculars and “house chores” are taken care of in a timely manner. Prioritizing my school work and developing schedules to complete assignments has actually afforded me more time to spend with my friends, doing things like running the Spikeball club. Learning this self-discipline has made it possible to lead a rich social life and even become student body co-president while maintaining a full schedule of classes and a clean room. 

Throughout my time at Peddie, I have found one thing to be true at all times: The teachers are all in. The support I feel at Peddie is unparalleled, and it’s because I know that my teachers care about me. Not just about my academic goals, but about my personal development, my mental health and my success. Living in Potter South my first two years at Peddie, I developed a really close relationship with Mr. Maley. I’ve never had a class with him, and yet I can talk to him about anything and I know he’ll be there to lift me up with a joke and some wisdom. In the classroom, Mrs. Loughran transformed me from someone who didn’t care about my writing into a completely different English student. She actually got me excited to write essays, which never would’ve happened without her support and guidance.

The teachers at Peddie communicate with their students on so many different levels. They are coaches, advisors, club leaders and dorm supervisors on top of being world-class educators. Knowing that I have the support of such dedicated and impressive teachers motivates me to achieve in the highest degree. 

Learn more about what life at Peddie is like and find out what it takes to join our wonderful community.