Claire Tobin

I absolutely loved Nysmith’s field days! After attending other schools, the field day is definitely unrivaled. I remember the fantastic classes and teachers. I left after first grade, so I don’t remember a lot of activities beyond some of the classes.

After Nysmith, my family moved to Philadelphia where I attended the Baldwin School for 7 years. We moved to Atlanta in 2013 where I attended the Lovett School for high school. I’ve traveled to 28 countries, including school trips to Peru, Israel, and Mexico in recent years. I was the captain of Lovett’s Varsity Swim Team and am the Vice President of Swim Across America’s Junior Advisory Board.

I started attending Davidson College in North Carolina this fall after graduating from high school with Highest Honors and a Diploma Distinction in Global Studies and was a member of Cum Laude and the National Honor Society. I plan on studying economics and either physics or chemistry at Davidson and my career aspiration is to create better sanitation systems for developing countries.

Two summers ago, I was an intern at the Structural Heart Research & Innovation Laboratory in Atlanta, GA with Dr. Padala. The research was focused on solutions to mitral valve regurgitation. I specifically worked on optimizing a heart model and cell cultures.

I developed my love of math, science, and logic at Nysmith. I still have great memories of my time in Mrs. Norman’s class. Mrs. Hand’s science class was one of my favorite classes as well. Nysmith also taught me to run when I see a fire. I remember standing on the playground in awe of the smoke coming from the new wing and hearing my teachers scream at me to line up at the fence. (Editor’s note: while under construction, there was a minor insulation fire in the silver wing, which was put out quickly, but it sure made for some exciting stories!)

Take advantage of the volunteer opportunities as a parent. It will help establish an incredibly strong relationship with your child (my mom was volunteer extraordinaire).

For students, remember that these are some of the best and most passionate teachers you will ever encounter. Take advantage of their love of teaching and you will develop a love of learning. Also, realize that you’re surrounded by people who are way above average and you don’t need to be the best at everything. Be confident that you’re learning what you need to learn and no matter what, a Nysmith student will be ready for the academic world!