Name: Sophie Gardiner
Sport: Fencing
Hometown: Stoneham, Mass.
High School: Commonwealth School
Activities/Clubs/Committees: Multivariable Calculus TA
Favorite professional athlete: Lee Kiefer
Why did you choose Haverford?
I think Haverford is a perfect combination of a lot of good things—it's small, so the community is very close, but it's also close to a city, and it's academically rigorous, which combined with the close-knit community results in a lot of collaboration. What appealed to me about Haverford the most, though, was that it's very welcoming—especially the sports teams. At a lot of division 1 schools, you aren't guaranteed to be fencing at meets or training with the head coaches unless you're one of the best on the team. But at Haverford, everyone gets a chance to fence, even the walk-ons. The team environment is a lot better because there's no ranking system or difference in treatment between the athletes. Because of that environment, I feel like I have a family on the team rather than just people I practice with.
What is your favorite team experience?
I would say going to meets and spending an entire day with the team. You form really strong bonds with the people you're with, just by virtue of spending so much time with them. On top of that, the team is pretty small, so you get to know everyone on it very closely—your teammates are with you for all your wins and losses. It's a better support system than I've ever experienced when fencing individually or on high school teams, and the meets are when you feel that support system most.
What does being a student-athlete mean to you?
I think being a student-athlete is about knowing your priorities. Because it's easy to get stretched thin while on a varsity sports team, you figure out what activities are most valuable to you and enjoy them while you're there. Being a student-athlete is a big time commitment, but it's also incredibly rewarding—you get better at your sport, you make really good friends, and you learn how to time-manage down to the minute!
What advice would you give a high school student considering Haverford?
Try to interact with current students, meet your coaches, and generally talk to anyone who'll give you an idea of what it's actually like being on the campus. So much of the Haverford culture is the people in it, that you can only really get an idea of the college by talking to them. The people here are very kind as well, so they'll be ready and willing to talk to you about Haverford.