Finding Harmony: Lynn S. '26

We recently checked in with Lynn S. '26 about how she's finding balance while cultivating her passions. Above, Lynn plays violin as part of her opening ritual in her weekly advisory meeting.

For most of high school, Lynn thought of herself as a math person. "I liked math because I was good at it," she admits, glancing aside while weighing her words. Then she pauses. "But I realized it wasn’t what I loved."

That realization came when she encountered poetry. "Poetry resonated with me because of its rhythm and creativity—it reminded me of music," she explains. What started as an academic subject soon became something more: a way for Lynn to express herself, to shape meaning in a way numbers never quite could. Now, when she writes, she does so with intention. “I want to tell people something important,” she says.

It’s a sentiment that carries over into her music. Lynn has been playing violin for 11 years, shifting from piano because she craved an instrument with a more rewarding sense of progression. Encouraged by her teacher at a young age, she has stayed committed, practicing daily and refining her craft with precision and passion. Now, she practices under the tutelage of an instructor at Julliard. “I used to spend a lot more time on music,” she recalls, “but now I’m learning to balance everything.” Part of that balance means weaving music into her school life, even playing at the start of advisory sessions with Ms. Haddad each week (video below).

This balancing act—between literature, music, and academics—has helped Lynn understand how each discipline connects. In our conversation, she reflected on the importance of fundamentals in violin, explaining that the basics are “vulnerable” and require constant revisiting. It’s a lesson she’s applied to other areas of her life, too.

And her latest love? A surprise twist—fiction. "I love George Orwell," she says, drawn to dystopian novels for their originality and depth. Though she’s tried writing fiction herself, she keeps coming back to poetry, now experimenting with writing lyrics as well.

Lynn’s story is a reminder that discovering what we love takes time, exploration, and a willingness to embrace change. Whether through the strings of her violin or the rhythm of her words, she is finding her voice—one note, one line at a time.