Alumni Spotlight: Alyssa Spiller '16
As we look forward to Alumni Weekend, we are proud to highlight Friends Select alumni!
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On the evening of October 5th, Friends Select freshmen gathered for Convocation, a tradition marking the start of their upper school journey. Alyssa Spiller '16 returned to Friends Select to share her wisdom and reflect on what her time at FSS has meant to her.
"When I was in 9th grade at FSS, coming in as a non-lifer, I never imagined that I would be standing here a decade after graduating, reflecting on those years and trying to explain what they meant to me."
After graduation, Alyssa studied bioengineering at Lehigh University, leading to a role as a clinical research coordinator at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the Division of Ophthalmology. Being involved in research at CHOP helped grow her interest in medicine. Over the summer, she started a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Pennsylvania in order to apply to medical school.
She reflects back to her 9th grade self: "I remember thinking I needed to know exactly who I was and what I wanted to do. I thought everyone else somehow had a plan, and I was the only one figuring it out as I went."
Her message to students now, 10 years later, is simple yet profound.
"You don't have to have it all figured out. Your job is to learn. To try things. To meet people. To make mistakes. To discover what you care about. And perhaps most importantly, to discover what kind of person you want to be."
As Alyssa continues her own journey to medical school, she carries with her what she learned both inside and outside the classroom at Friends Select.
"That's one of the things I appreciate most about FSS. School is obviously a place where you learn information. But a great school does something more. It gives you experiences that shape how you interact with the world. For me, FSS taught me that relationships matter."
