New Upper School Faces: Freshman Nat Pagliocco

It was a crowded Thursday Academic Block in Ms. Boesch’s room when I found Nat. He was sitting in her new, blue, spinny chair settled in the corner, chatting with his friends and munching on animal crackers. I waved to him as he flashed a smile at me. I made my way through the crowded space to the red seat next to him, and grabbed a handful of animal crackers from the already half-empty jar for myself. This interview marks the first in a ‘spotlight’ series of conversations with various members of the freshman class. By talking with these new upper-schoolers, we hope we will get to know them better and encourage other community members to do the same. An outgoing, funny kid with a warm smile and rare honesty, Nat Pagliocco was the perfect person to start with.

I began with the basics, such as asking Nat which classes stand out to him as favorites and which teachers he likes so far. Nat told me that Ms. Keefe-Hancock is probably his favorite teacher.

“She is so funny, and she makes class fascinating and engaging,” Nat said. With some hesitation, Nat admitted that his favorite class is English with Ms. Assetta, but he quickly clarified that biology is a close second. “Right now in English we are about to start Antigone,” he enthused. “I think it will bring out my theater side since it is a play.” I asked if he would consider auditioning for the Upper School musical this winter and he nodded enthusiastically, saying that even an ensemble part would be a blast.

Nat said that his first impression of the Upper School, besides the fact that the lockers are bigger, is “all the freedom you get.” He thought for a moment, then expanded upon his thought, saying, “With all of this freedom, you really get to create relationships with your teachers and get to know them better.”

He took another bite of his animal cracker and added, his lips curving upward, how Ms. Boesch’s room is definitely an advantage to the Upper School. Nat told me he doesn’t really miss the constraints of middle school now that he’s felt the freedom of high school, but he does really miss Ms. Desmond.

To end our conversation, I asked Nat to tell me what he would say if he could ask anything of “Future Nat”: himself as a senior. Biting his lip and looking at the ground, it took him a while to think of an answer. He pondered for a moment, then said, “Am I still single?” He smirked.