Emma Birrell 

I actually had to beg my parents to let me apply to boarding school, and once I got their approval, I immediately sent in my application to Cate. I had visited the Mesa before, and I knew it was exactly where I wanted to spend my high school years. The rigorous academic curriculum and the focus on community were qualities I was looking for in a high school, and I found both of them at Cate. Now that I am senior, my workload has grown, but so has my participation in the community. Simply living on the Mesa makes it very tempting to get involved, because as I like to think about it, if I live here, if my friends are here, if all the resources I need are here, why not? This mindset has driven me to be a student librarian, a co-head of the yearbook, a member of the activites committee, captain of the volleyball team, and even a tour guide! The wonderful thing about Cate is that this isn't unusual; everyone here has opportunities to get involved. In other words, everyone can thrive at Cate.