student life

A Letter from a Friends Graduate 

I will forever be thankful to Friends School for the leadership it taught me and the ways I learned to connect across classes and ages. As a younger student, I remember looking up to the insanely cool middle schoolers, and this past year as an eighth grader I’ve gotten to step up and be that mentor for the next generation.

One of the most important ways that Friends fosters this connection is through the buddy program, where lower schoolers get paired up with middle schoolers to spend time together making art, reading, and attending Meetings for Worship. I have very few memories from Kindergarten, but I can still clearly picture holding my fourth and eighth grade buddies’ hands as we walked down the hall together. Having my own Kindergarten and fourth grade buddies this year has been the most special experience, as I’ve realized that now I’m on the other side and I’m the one they’re looking up to. It’s magical to me that I get to watch them grow up and teach them things just as my buddies once taught me. 

Another way that I got to step up as a leader this year was through student council. Our student council is made up of about fifteen seventh and eighth graders. To me, the way it is run perfectly reflects the Quaker values. We rotate the positions of two co-clerks to let different students step up and take the lead. Whether it’s planning an event to celebrate the end of a semester or creating a system to make sure everyone can enjoy the gym during free times, we are able to work together in a productive, supportive way, making sure everyone’s voices are heard. I always come out of a student council meeting feeling like I’ve made a positive difference in our school.

Friendships with students outside of my grade have been so valuable to me during my time at Friends, and one of the major sources has been the school play, put on every fall, by students in grades 5 through 8. Perhaps more than the acting, I loved the connections I made with people I might not otherwise spend time with. During the most recent play, The Wizard of Oz, I found a new kind of joy, as in addition to performing I found myself helping to run a few warm ups, running lines with those who needed it, and giving the opening night pep talk. I got to give back to the community with all the knowledge and experience I had gained in a way that I hadn’t expected but nonetheless cherished. 

San Francisco Friends School has shaped me into who I am today: someone who finds joy in giving back, can confidently lead situations, and is a good friend. I truly would not be the same without it. 

Birdie French, Class of 2025