Antonios Tsougarakis ’16

I started at Dwight-Englewood in Kindergarten and have been here ever since, and I am from Englewood. My older sister Kira ’14 also graduated from D-E and was a “D-E Lifer”.

I’ve really enjoyed my language classes here, specifically AP Latin with Mr. Biondolino and AP Spanish with Ms. Calendrillo. Both of these subjects have immersed me not only in the language but also in the culture and history surrounding it. For example, my study of ancient texts like Vergil’s Aeneid or Caesar’s Di Bello Gallico have made me more interested in artifacts of the time, even leading me to explore local museums to gather a better understanding of art at the time. Similarly, Ms. Calendrillo’s AP Spanish class led me and my family to Barcelona over Spring Break, where I immersed myself in the cuisine, language, history and culture. Another class which I have enjoyed at D-E has been Conspiracy Theories in American Literature. It has made me a more active consumer of information, and I now more frequently question things rather than take them for a face value.

I’ve been very involved on campus during my 4 years of upper school. First and foremost, I’ve played 4 varsity sports, including Basketball, Football, Winter Track and Spring Track. These sports have encouraged me to support my teammates and, most importantly, have fostered friendships, which I cherish dearly. Most recently, I decided to play football for the first time in my senior year. My season was cut short when I suffered a torn meniscus, but Coach Panepinto inspired me to never give up, and to come back stronger than I had been before. After recovery from my injury, I broke the school record in the shot put in the winter and I continued to excel in shot put and javelin in the spring. I can attribute this success to Coach P, whose words and love have stayed with me, and will always stay with me forever.

As for clubs, I’m most active in Student Government and Ethics Bowl. In Student Government, I served as the Vice President in 2015, and the President of the Student Body in 2016. During my time on Student Government, my team and I organized a student tutoring program, coffeehouses, carnivals, and improved the open campus policy, offering seniors more independence in coming-and-going from school. In Ethics Bowl, we placed 2nd at the regional competition, which I was very proud of.

A typical day for me at D-E is hectic, but energizing. While I have a very busy schedule, the support I receive from my teachers, advisors and classmates prevent me from ever getting too stressed or overwhelmed. If I’m behind on something, I know my teachers will not only be understanding, but also be willing to help me out. This tight-knit community is what I cherish most at Dwight-Englewood because while the curriculum is certainly rigorous with lots of responsibilities, I’m constantly reassured that everybody is there to support me. Next year I’ll be attending Cornell University and I’m excited to see the way D-E has prepared me for this experience. I’ve never been in a different learning environment, Dwight has been my home for the last 14 years, but I’m confident that the lessons I’ve learned here will contribute to a positive experience in my next 4 years and beyond.

A highlight of my experience here has been my involvement in Student Government. I was humbled to be elected president and I worked very hard to give back to the school, which has given so much to me. Working with a group of dedicated students, we reformed the internet and open campus policies, along with organizing many successful events. This was largely in part to Mr. Swirbul and Ms. Christian’s steadfast commitment to our work, and for that, I thank them both very much. My experience on Student Government taught me that, in a supportive and tight-knit community like ours, anything can be accomplished. The administration listened to us and supported our efforts because we shared the common goal in making the school a better place.

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Antonios Tsougarakis ’16

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