“I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to walk backward through my childhood in a place where I only need to look around in order to learn, surrounded by sometimes strange, fascinating people whom I feel rooting for each other. If growing up in Swarthmore was like walking to school, I think I’ll be able to handle the uncertainties to come.”
Read Sawyer’s essay

“Even though I had ignored the community that Swarthmore provides during most of my time in high school, it still embraces me, making me know that I always have a home. It only took a pandemic for me to realize its importance.”
Read Marie’s essay

“The tradition of being a loving neighbor, friend, and resident of Swarthmore is palpable throughout our town, and I am grateful for it.”
Read Anya’s essay

“Above all else, that is what my life in Swarthmore has provided me with — a community, and a family. I recognize faces when I walk through town and bump into neighbors and friends when I go on a grocery run. That is something I am endlessly thankful for, and I know that, no matter where I go in the future, I will always be able to come back home to Swarthmore.”
Read Lena’s essay

“My roots are where my cherry tree blossoms. Planted on my birth, we have not moved. When our leaves have been shed, and the cold winds surround us from all sides, our roots keep us steady. And when we blossom with a new spring sun, able to provide shade and beauty, we are appreciated by those who share our ground. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, has given us the earth and nutrients to grow beyond where we were planted.”
Read Leah’s essay

“The community of Swarthmore has had a significant impact not only on my life, but on the lives of my family members, too. Over the span of my 18 years, I have lived in a total of five different houses — and neighborhoods — scattered throughout Swarthmore, all of which have provided me with the same cozy, welcoming feeling as if I had been living in each since birth.”
Read Peter’s essay

“The support I have received from the community has allowed me to become my own person. I don’t feel the need to conform to the expectations of others, and I don’t feel the need to let others define for me what success means. Just as important, I’ve become accepting of others that don’t necessarily share my values or goals. We are all different, but in some ways we are all the same. We are all looking for our place, and we are all looking for a community that affirms who we are. I am Katie Pell, and I’m from Swarthmore.”
Read Katie’s essay

“Swarthmore has taught me community values by celebrating generosity, friendliness, and open-mindedness. I know to look out for my neighbors — they have always made sure I was okay when I tumbled over on my rollerblades or offered me a ride home when a storm suddenly arrived — and I know to check the collar on wandering dogs because I know the inveterate canine escape artists in each block of my running route, and I still remember how my friend across the street was so shaken the time her golden retriever ran into the path of an oncoming Prius.”
Read Phoebe’s essay

“Everything that I have learned from my life thus far in Swarthmore has had a huge impact on my decisions and actions, and has shaped the values I hold today. I will certainly take the lessons I learned with me as I enter into a whole new world of college, with new communities, new interests, and new friendships.”
Read Marissa’s essay

“No organization has had a greater impact on my life than the Swarthmore Co-op. It may seem odd to identify a grocery store, but I literally can trace to the Co-op my fondest memories and my path from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood.”
Read Jordan’s essay

“Swarthmore is a great example of a town in which everyone wants to look out for each other’s best interests. It never ceases to amaze me how many people know that I played a game the other day and were interested in the score or heard that something was wrong and just wanted to check in that I was okay.”
Read Hart’s essay

“I have lived in small to medium-sized towns in Brazil, Japan, France and Belgium. But I do not know of any other place with a local newspaper that reads like a family diary. The Swarthmorean is the only paper that my family receives in hard copy at home. In an age when most information sources are on-line, it seems appropriate that we continue to follow the most important events, those closest to home, by the most traditional means.”
Read Alyssa’s essay

“Swarthmore has proved itself an artistic goldmine. Eleven years ago, I began piano lessons with teacher Donna Kay Croddy, just a quick walk away. In that time, Mrs. Croddy has become both a fantastic mentor and a dear friend, helping me get through Mendelssohn as well as my last breakup.”
Read Jane’s essay