A Class of 2026 Memoir

by Catherine Zhang ‘26, Anouk Shin ‘26, and Abby Stone’ 26

It feels like just yesterday we were trekking our way to West Campus as the last class to live across Marlboro Road. That was 2022, though. Now, it is 2026, and the year that seemed so distant not long ago is finally here. On this Prize Day, May 25th, 107 lions are leaving the den, each a product of four years that challenged us, changed us, and connected us. Here’s our final roar: 

The Guinea Pig Class:

The Class of 2026 was the guinea pig of school policy, namely being experimented on with the creation of Integrated Science during our freshman year. We look back on busy days of diving into cancer one week, then the Lewis structure in the next, and curse the underformers who ‘didn’t have to go through the standards-based grading’ under our breaths. 

As we said goodbye to Integrated Science after sophomore year, we said hello to a new scientist: our new Head of School, Dr. Hills. With a new administration leading our lion pride, 8:00 AM chapels and the color schedule were officially a thing of the past. What we used to call “Long Plum Block” simply turned into “A,” “B,” and “C,” all with a uniform length of 65 minutes. Though we lost the color in our schedule, we brought a new shade of blue to our school during this time: amending the dress code to allow blue jeans! Along with these small adjustments, Dr. Hills brought to us a shift in the big picture: school starting in August and ending in May, with Lion Term now just before our two-week March break. 

One change our class will not get to see, though, is the departure of Flik Dining Services. While some did not mind Flik as much as others, many agree that the same orange chicken every seated meal became old, and not being able to get our own portions as of last year has definitely left sour tastes in our mouths. 

Our Favorite Memories:

Many of our fellow seniors, looking back on their four years, described their time as “memorable,” “bittersweet,” “discovering,” “chaotic,” “magical,” “noctivagant,” and “formative.” From Brantwood Camp to Senior Sunrise, from winning just one football game (excitingly under the lights versus Middlesex) freshman year to making our first Bowl game in school history this past fall, our years at St. Mark’s have been shaped by countless moments, big and small, that brought us to where we are now.

Our time has been, in every sense of the word, truly ours. We will most certainly miss Groton night, spikeball on the quad, evening chapel all dressed up together, chicken parms at seated meals, ladies’ tea, and pack the den games. We’ll miss chasing people down the hallway for 009, senior privileges, and going on school trips across the globe. Most of all, we’ll miss the friends we made along the way who made these moments unforgettable.

Some of the most cherished memories include: “the whole dorm rehearsing for songfest,” “winning the ISL softball consolation tournament as the underdogs,” “hanging out in the Thayer hallways and debriefing,” “a volleyball game turned into a big match with locals and tour guides,” “playing in the elite 8 hockey finals at UConn,” “taking a field trip to the courthouse,” “going on walks with friends and exploring campus,” and so much more. 

What We Learned Along the Way:

In these four years, we also discovered that “we thrive in unfamiliar places and situations,” “we don't care that much about what other people think,” “we are stronger and more independent than we thought we were,” “we can handle tough situations and make new friendships with people we never expected,” and “we can really push myself to be the best version of ourselves.” 

Some of us wish to advise our freshman selves to believe that “everything happens for a reason,” to “go to all the games,” to “sleep and exercise,” to “embrace everything fully,” to “challenge ourselves harder,” to “take advantage of opportunities,” to “try new things, meet new people,” to “be kind to ourselves and others,” and to “not let other people’s word get into our heads.” This year, we reflected on many of these lessons in our chapel talks, passing down our advice to the underformers after singing some of our favorite chapel hymns. We will continue to carry the lessons we shared in Belmont Chapel with us, letting them guide every step of our journeys beyond the den. 

Now that we are leaving St. Mark’s, we will bring “the realization that we are going to really miss this place,” “newfound independence,” “friendships,” “amazing memories,” “connections with mentors,” “confidence,” “the spirit of this community,” and “a sense of who we are and who we want to become.” Ultimately, these are the parts of St. Mark’s that will stay close to our hearts even when Southborough seems so far away.

Thank you:

If we could sum our time up in just three short words, it would be these: Age Quod Agis. Through these four years at St. Mark’s, we have learned the lessons, found the friendships, and cultivated the skills we need so that we can ‘do what we do’ best as we enter this next stage of our lives. 

So thank you, St. Mark’s, for the people who lifted us, the places that grounded us, and the lessons that shaped who we are. Once a lion, always a lion.

Atlas Mountaineering

by Alex Wang ‘29

This coming August, Atlas Qiu is thrilled to host a mountaineering trip to Mount Kilimanjaro with students at St. Mark’s. 

Atlas started his hiking journey just two years ago, starting with his local 400-meter mountain before moving on to greater hikes, including Mount Elbrus, standing at over 5600 meters. He said he was nervous at first, stepping out of his comfort zone and trying something new was challenging. However, being with a team of professionals gave him confidence and helped him embrace this new world away from daily life.

Atlas wants to bring his experiences to St. Mark's because he believes that mountain climbing is a truly unforgettable experience. High up in the clouds, people and cities below seem so incredibly small, giving climbers a new perspective of a whole different world up in the vast mountains. 

Students on the trip will be hiking as a team, learning to be responsible for one another. Atlas believes this leads to lots of bonding and a boost in self-confidence. Reflecting on a previous trip, he recalled how another student from his previous school went from being a shy kid to someone who ventured out after climbing Mount Elbrus with him. He says, “As long as you dare, you can achieve; the mountain is always there.” He advocates that summiting is never the most important thing. The team effort, the views, and the experiences you will learn and share will be a memory forever. 

More about the trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, it will be from August 2nd to August 8th, following the Marangu route. This route is a total of around 80km and is known for being the only trail that has physical huts for climbers. 

The schedule is as follows:

Day 1: Arrive at Kilimanjaro National Airport and rest at the hotel.

Day 2: 1-hour drive to Kilimanjaro National Park and sign in. After that, an easy 9km trek over a course of 3-4 hours across a rainforest to Mandara Hut camp.

Day 3: An 11km trek from Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut camp over the course of 6-7 hours, with great views as we ascend into the moorlands.

Day 4: Training day (or Acclimatization day). We will adapt to the high altitude by taking a trek to Zebra rocks (4037 meters above sea level) before going back, for a total of 2 hours. We will see interesting indigenous plant species.

Day 5: A 9.6km trek, about 6-7 hours, we will pass through an alpine desert, called "the saddle", scattered with rocks and ash that are remnants of Mt Kilimanjaro's volcanic history.

Day 6: Summit day. Climbers will start their ascent at midnight using headlamps to climb all the way up to Uhuru Peak at 5895m above sea level. Along the way, we will pass by two landmarks, Bismarck Towers and Rebmann Glaciers. After the summit, we will descend all the way back down to the Horombo Hut.

Day 7: Descend and celebrate at the hotel.

Days 8-10: Safari (Additional details to be announced).

Lastly, Atlas also shares a quote that inspires his view on travel and adventure:

“Yes, you need money to survive in retirement, but the main thing you'll be retiring on will be your memories—so make sure you invest enough in those." - Bill Perkins.

Atlas believes that experiences pay "memory dividends," meaning meaningful adventures continue to provide value every time you reminisce on them.